Since the proof copy of my next book was caught in the Christmas crunch at Amazon, I needed something to read to fill time during the day. I chose
Starbucks Nation, a satiric novel by Chris Ver Weil, who has experience in the film business. It is the story of a successful screenwriter who feels he is a sellout to the pop culture he deplores, and excoriates throughout the narrative. Unable to sleep, he takes a concoction recommended by a bartender, The Secret Handshake, which consists of over-the-counter remedies mixed with alcohol. He has a bizarre dream that includes the cast of a morning show, its studio audience, Starbucks, a big black hole, his mentor resurrected as a chihuahua, elves, the cast of his wife's latest sequel, and others. It lasts for most of the 241 pages. Apparently, he has lost the fast-forward button available to all who wish to screen out what one doesn't like, which, in his case, is almost everything. He's like someone on Facebook who reads every post rather than scrolling past that which might irk or infuriate. Although the prose and dialogue are solid, I found the going tedious. I do not want to stereotype as the author does, but this seems like the rant of someone, the writer himself, not the character, who is angry that he is not more successful and blames it on a society that has embraced mediocrity. Of course, there may be other reasons why Ver Wiel is so jaundiced. The protagonist mentions that his father was murdered, but never says anything beyond that. Who knows if that happened to Ver Wiel? It would certainly explain a person's anger.
Starbucks Nation was published in 2008. Hopefully the author has found a measure of happiness since then. He wrote two screenplays and collaborated on two others. He also directed two full length features and has one credit as an actor. According to IMDb, his last credit came in 2001. The novel is his one and only. It is not entirely without merit. I loved this line: "...the cell phone was the twenty-first century's second hand smoke..." Fortunately, politics is only a minuscule part of the equation. Most of those comments blast "rightists": "... pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside - like the Republican Party..." Five readers have rated it at Amazon, forging to a consensus of 4.2 on a scale of five. I rate it 1.5. It is one of the most disappointing books I've ever read, especially since the author's writing is top notch.
How's this for creativity? According to the
Weird But True column in today's
NY Post, officials of a coal mining town came up with a solution for soot-covered snow - they had it painted white.
Three
Post articles reveal interesting info. The profession with the highest rate of suicides is veterinarian. Stress over student loans and the euthanasia of animals is cited... From July 2017-'18, 180,306 folks moved out of NY. 70,000 emigrated. Since 2010, one million have moved away... According to the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, nearly half of the world's most ridiculous lawsuits originate in NY.
The floating book shop was rained out today, but it still found some action. My thanks to Eddie, one of our co-op's stellar supers, who led me to a vacated apartment that had a cache of 29 hardcovers in excellent condition by Stephen King, and a bunch of marketable DVD's.
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