There’s a statue of the author Josef Škvorecký in Náchod’s central square. He reclines with crossed legs, flashing harsh sideburns and wire glasses toward the post office. His tie is too short and his head is cocked forward, eliminating any semblance of a neck. The statue is refreshing in its avoidance of flattery; it gives an impression of authenticity, except for it being 1.2 times the size of an actual person. Lukáš’s mom says that the other day, she passed two women chastising him: “We don’t want you here, Škvorecký. What a waste of money, this statue!” Are any monuments truly without criticism?
Škvorecký also lends his name to a local coffee shop, which has a modern look and a piano facing the cash register. We order espresso tonics, but the pink-haired barista says they unplug the ice machine in the winter. She tells us that nowadays most people order cappuccinos, which is good because they can be enjoyed by both men and women. I’ve never considered drinking coffee as a way to flout gender norms, but maybe tomorrow I’ll order a mocha.
Every restaurant in Náchod has plush leather armchairs and smells strongly of fried food, as if there’s no wall separating the kitchen and dining area. It’s not a bad odor, just an unwanted one, and I’ve come to peace with it lingering on my jacket. When dining out, my new go-to drink is a minty Fernet and Coca-Cola (here, Coke is Coca-Cola, and the Czechs pronounce each syllable staccato). When I return home in the new year, I want to experiment with Fernet… it seems sacrilegious to ruin Eastern European beer, but I think it could make for a good shandy.
Today I’ll start reading The Cowards, which will hopefully recount the Third Republic and Náchod as Škvorecký knew them. It’s fun to read formerly banned books because you expose yourself to ideas that powerful people beefed with. Saying that, it seems like banning literature must have some positive effects for an author’s purpose—like skyrocketing awareness of a book in a Streisand-Effect type of way, and legitimizing a book’s anti-authority messages. That’s not to say that I support censorship, but it does make me think that if my work were ever banned, perhaps that’d constitute success in some way…
hello worm-world, i am here at last. long-time listener, first-time caller i suppose.
it's a strange experience to have read how people perceive me / their experiences with me. my faves from reading e-worm these past few months:
the blessed view of Griffith past the palm trees from ori and Lukas' los feliz balcony, always sunny on the east side; blood streaming down my arm at the party after a dangerous Lime crash in silver lake, swerving with Catherine on the empty night streets, as embarrassing as it was potentially life-threatening and contemporary, what a way to go!
Last night we went to Palette SF and talked to master sommelier Jeremiah. He kinda looked like Ori and knew so much about wine. We also tried some expensive whiskies at the gallery bar next door. Maybe Ori will become a master sommelier...
pranks....pranking....I want ori to stand out of the roof of my car with a scepter as we drive around SF...
i hope to write here more. see u soon -scepter boy