Walking down Church Street in the Castro
Reading Freakanomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. She always reads while she walks--she learned it in New York City. Recently she's read A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah and A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father, by Augusten Burroughs.
A favorite--Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris.
If she were to write her own book it'd be about advertising.
Do New Yorkers read while walking more than San Franciscans do? (I see about one person reading while walking every morning from the BART station to my work....and I pass maybe 200 people.)
4 Comments:
When I was in San Fran last weekend I didn't see many people reading and walking, but there were a lot reading on the BART and the bus. I go to New York at least once a month and people are always reading while walking actually, that's kind of a funny thing to bring up. Maybe it's because San Fransiscans are more laid back?
I loved Me Talk Pretty One Day! A number of years ago one of my better readers was reading it and I meant to get to it, but it took years. When I finally read it, well, I loved the idea that so many gays had had to go through speech therapy! I could just picture all these people trying desperately to make everyone sound the same. I have a daughter who has a speech impediment, or so they tell me. I can't hear it. My mother-in-law can, my husband can, my speech therapy friend can. I figure people can definitely understand her and it makes her, her, so I don't worry about it too much. (I, on the other hand, had speech for s's and th's and to this day I worry about saying six thirty!)
Thanks for the good memory today.
That is funny. I am originally from New York and I actually think San Franciscans read more while walking/commuting. I feel like the pace of foot traffic is a little bit faster in New York so if you keep your nose in a book you may wind up with your face on the pavement:)
I don't live in NY or SF but have visited both. So this is an outsider's speculation, based on which place I'd choose to walk while reading. I think NY would be more hazardous, due to possible collisions because of high pedestrian volume. But of course, it'd depend on the part of town. I'd expect to see more people RWW (reading while walking) in SF. I'd think you'd get more of a workout in hilly SF. Sort of a daredevil way to try out that incline treadmill w/book beyond the gym. Personally it is best for me to avoid RWW--I am clumsy enough walking while concentrating on nothing BUT walking.
I wonder which is more dangerous--walking while reading or walking while texting.
I've been meaning to pick up Freakonomics. It'd be nice to read at least one thing about economics I might have a shot at understanding. I have seen and heard interviews with SL, and I gather he'd communicate on my level. Now if we could only get him to write a book on what the hell is happening on Wall Street.
Ms. B, I live in David Sedaris' home town. He has a few kooky family members still around here.
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