Writing in Cafes, Readings in Bars
After work, I hopped the Red Line and hung out at La Colombe for a little bit… killing time before attending Tuesday Funk a few doors down, at Hopleaf.
It was nice settling into a cup of coffee and sitting next to the window. While the view was nice, I think I ended up getting lost in my thoughts and not really doing all that much writing.
This is the second time I’ve been here – and it made me think more about intentionally going elsewhere to work on things. Writing in a different place, a different room. A quiet coffee shop somewhere, maybe. The idea is an attractive one.
At Tuesday Funk, I ended up sitting with a few strangers. I went alone, got there early, and plopped down at a table by myself. A woman named Tasha sat down, and asked if her group could use the table. Eventually, three other friends joined the table.
Everyone I sat with was very nice, with both of us apologizing to the other for “intruding.” At times, I didn’t know whether it was rude for me to try to insert myself into their conversations… or if trying to actively ignore them would also be considered… rude.
Being more of an introvert – it’s interesting and challenging to go somewhere alone. Doubly so when the place ends up getting packed pretty quickly.
In addition to hearing from writers I don’t know, one fun thing I’ve found is that Tuesday Funk affords me the chance to see some people I know talk at greater length. I recognize some of the participants from prior 20×2 events, and it’s cool to see them be able to “work” for more than 2 minutes at a time.
Special treat: Got to hear Andrew read some of his own writing. I’m used to him as a host of events, and it was nice to be able to also experience him as a reader/presenter. If you’re curious to hear what he wrote, you can read his piece online: Twitter, Haiku, & Attention.
Related:
Tuesday Funk
I love the coffee there!
Meg (February 3, 2016 at 4:16 pm)I like it too! It always ends up taking me longer to travel up here than I realize. And so I wind up only being able to hang out a short while before needing to pack up and get over to Hopleaf. Settling in for more than just one cup of coffee sounds very nice.
avoision (February 5, 2016 at 3:10 pm)