During the lockdown two years ago, I stumbled upon those adorable bird-box libraries that turned my daily walks into a literary pilgrimage. And guess what? I’m still hooked! Just a couple of months ago, I made a delightful discovery – one of my neighbors is a Very Famous Writer, all thanks to his sidewalk library. I won’t reveal his identity, because privacy is paramount, even for reporters. But let me tell you, his book box is the best in town!
The books in his library are consistently remarkable for their breadth, depth, and unexpected subject matter. From odd bits of history to political musings, and even fiercely intelligent semi-contemporary novels, this library has it all. And if you leave a book in exchange, it better have some weight to it. I once left a hardback copy of David Halberstam’s “The Powers That Be,” and nobody touched it for six weeks. But when I dropped off “A Biography of the English Language” by Melvyn Bragg, it did better.
One day, while I was perusing the library, the owner pulled into his driveway. “There’s not much in there right now, I need to fill it up,” he said. “Actually,” I told him, “this is the best book box in town.” And that’s when he revealed that he’s a writer, and people give him books all the time. I couldn’t resist asking, “What do you write?” He replied, “I write screenplays. Maybe you like my movies?” Oh boy, I could only hope so. But when I told him I didn’t know who he was, he revealed his name, and we realized we had spoken over the phone before, but had never met in person.
We ended up chatting on his porch for a while, and he told me how his front-porch forum had become an institution thanks to Covid. Interesting people of all kinds – filmmakers, thinkers, Nobel Prize winners – would stop by for a visit. And when too many books piled up in his garage, he moved them to his front-yard library, sometimes with distinguished autographs inside the cover.
This encounter reminded me of how much I admire screenwriters. I’ve known a lot of them, some famous, some not. They are the best part of the film business – curious, vibrant, engaging, intelligent, long-suffering, unstoppable people who are, through all the ups and downs, great fun to be with. Actors make your head spin, executives give you the run-around, producers will pick your pocket if you don’t watch out, and directors, well, direct. But writers, like my friend with the book box, tend to be almost painfully human. They have heart – they have to, because without it, they’d have nothing for the business to break. They are interesting, and they are interested in everything.
That’s why it’s so disheartening when writers feel compelled to stop working due to accumulated grievances. I hope their collective differences with those who produce and distribute movies are settled correctly and soon.
