22 Comments

I bring my journal and a few interesting books to local cafes three or four times a week.

I walked into my first Cafe 50 years ago in 74. The Caffe Trieste in North Beach, San Francisco.

Expand full comment

I remember seeing Gregory Corso one morning just stick your lighting like he does,,,but to tell you the truth I

ran into a lot more personas famosas at the Caffe Tazza in Taos NM, girlfriend and I opened in 83,, ran for a few years but had to close because of high rent, and during the interim became friends with Dennis Hopper who wanted to open a place in Ranchos de Taos, where he edited that horrible film

The Last Moviel, but it being Dennis Hopper

the whole thing fell through.

We eventually found a great little spot with an outdoor courtyard where we had poetry readings music and people like Mike Nichols read from his works.

The model Lauren Hutton and her Italian boyfriend would sum up on a motorcycle and spend hours sipping coffee and reading the New York times which we carried.

It was a very hang loose spot and my two daughters kind of grew up there.

Julia Roberts lived on the Mesa next to ours and she would come in every now and then and was exceedingly nice

The last celebrity I remember was Claudia Schiffer who was there to do a photo shoot in our adobe courtyard.

The cafe was an oasis of tranquility as was Taos, except during high season and late summer.

The name of our street was Kit Carson road naturally

Because he was buried a few hundred yards away in Carson Park. Adios amigos!

Expand full comment

Feel like I’m there in that coffee house with the author. Simple poem yet deeply human.

Expand full comment

You've captured the feel of the place beautifully.

Expand full comment

yep!

thank you Erik

Expand full comment

Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmuch is all about this

Very cool post

Expand full comment

I love Coffee and Cigarettes. Very quirky film

Expand full comment

Love that photo.

Expand full comment

Oh yes. Every cafe needs a poet at the corner table, scribbling away.

Sometimes it's me.

Expand full comment

The poem resonates with real and wannabe coffeehouse poets.

Expand full comment

Reminds me of a little "meat and three" cafe in the small town I grew up close to. Husband and wife opened up every morning except Sunday at 6am and closed at 2pm. No phone so everyone that didn't want to be bothered would eat there. This was before cell phones.

Expand full comment

Hi Albert Huffstickler,

This poem is precise yet mysterious. A controlled, adept piece which is gorgeous and general and particular at the same time! So much to learn about technique from this poem, and so much to enjoy about those smokey spaces which you conjure.

Expand full comment

Nicely done! They want to pay exorbitant amounts for their coffee klatch musings.

Expand full comment

They want to and they do 😊

Expand full comment

I wasn't aware of Albert.

Loved this poem so much. Its very atmospheric and as a people-watcher myself I could imagine him sitting there in a diner with his coffee, watching comings and goings and scribbling notes as he sat - and sat.

I'm in the UK so my diner is a cafe. (Are they one and rhe same? A big pond divides us.)

Was taught from an early age that "It's rude to stare," so my people-watching has to be subtle, almost surreptitious.

Oh dear. Now I have made my observation of others drinking tea sound a bit furtive, stalker-ish.

You introduced him a while ago (thank you) and as a result I bought the book.

Expand full comment

That sounds like my kind of place.

Expand full comment

I hope you're doing well! I’ve been following your journey and truly admire the impact you’ve made. While my current audience is around 34k, I believe my content—focused on self-improvement and psychology—has the potential to resonate with yours.

If you're open to it, I’d love for you to take a look at my profile and newsletter. If you find any value in my work, I’d be excited to discuss potential collaboration opportunities. I’d also be happy to offer something in return.

Expand full comment

Totally relate

Expand full comment

Sounds like me!

Expand full comment