Garrets and Pretenders

These days I find myself in La Vie Boheme or as Boheme as things are every likely to get around here. While we may lack cheap garrets and sidewalk cafes serving absinthe, there are many genuinely artistic people and Michael's has that dim, cozy atmosphere very much like somewhere in Monmartre in the 1900s or San Francisco in the 1950s. And then there's Peake's Pub, just up the street from beautiful downtown P.A., which will be hosting, unbeknownst to them, this writing group I have become a part of. Ah, La Vie Boheme!

I park my car around the corner from Peake's Pub so I walk past it in the morning and in the evening. At one time it seemed very busy, but these days it seems very quiet. As in there's hardly anyone inside. I'm not sure what happened, but things seem to have changed once they began a non-smoking policy and a sign was put up stating no minors allowed ... I thought that was standard policy anyway. Peake's is also a microbrewery ... beer, writing group. You can see how the two go together.

As for other Bohemian activities, I had my third acting class last Wednesday. The lovely Gina joined us for a reading of Ondine, a part to which she is emminently suited. It was rather fun and she did very well once she got into the spirit of it. I find I am improving in my cold readings. Then Rose and I did our scene from Hapgood. This time we had to stand up and try blocking the scene out with movement and gestures and such. I suddenly found myself overcome by nerves, so much so that my hand holding the script began to shake uncontrollably. Next I had my two small monologues from Pygmalion to do. Again I was standing up in front of everyone and I was expected to do ... something. Once again I found myself overcome by nerves. It's a hard thing to do with three people staring at you, even three people you know and consider friends. Still, I'm told I'm doing well and it has been related to me through another person that I am "a natural" at this. Well!

For the past month and a half I have been carrying a Moleskine journal about and jotting down this and that at such diverse places as the IBB, Michael's and on my breaks. My intention was to use the Moleskine as a kind of anterior blog but it has also turned into a proper journal. So people see me covering a page with my peculiar cursive and while no one is leaning over my shoulder reading what I'm writing, they can at least see my penmanship. Personally, I think it's a step up from scribble, but not so accoriding to others. The words "elegant" and "very nice" have been used. Interesting.