An excuse to spend an evening in West Hollywood!
Tonight, at 7 pm, I will be at Book Soup in West Hollywood, California reading a passage from Cocaine + Surfing and answering “questions” usually from older people who grew up near the beach and enjoy talking about their experiences. I would never, normally, invite anyone to this sort of thing BUT I’m inviting you now because… because… well, because in this digital age the analog feels like a wonderful breath of fresh air.
When was the last time you were actually in a book store? Smelling that particular must? Dreaming those particular dreams? Were you ever a reader?
I spent my 20s and half of my 30s dreaming only literary dreams. My heroes were writers. Albert Camus, George Plimpton, Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, Hunter S. Thompson, John Horne Burns, Derek Rielly. My own writing aping all of them ruthlessly without any self-awareness. I breathed their words and spat them directly back into my computer, imagining I was somehow a true original.
Any man or woman who paints pictures, takes photographs, creates music or writes books moves though imitation, I think, before growing into their own voice. I sure hope I have though my heroes are all there. Always there.
I don’t read like I should anymore. Any spare second gets poured here or into starting book number three but being back inside a book store makes me fall in love all over again and that’s why I’m inviting you. Not to listen to me or the older people but simply as an excuse to enter a book store once again, to browse spines, to pull one down and to dream big big big.
Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
7 PM
And if you can’t make it tonight go and see RuPaul there in October!
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Hey Chas, found a review of your book in the local bookshop 🙂
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Do a uk tour e.g. at edinburgh comedy festival. I will come and heckle the fuck out of you, then embrace you, then you cwn look up my kilt
I’m 2/3’s through the book best I stop swiping the phone and do some real reading
West Hollywood is the hipster gay area of LA right? You’ll probably pick up Chas.
Don’t drop your wallet!
I fear that your shirt sleeves are vampires, Charlie, as they seem to disappear from every photo ever taken of them.
Ashton will win the book signing.
Ashton desperately needs a win, any win to quiet the naysayers who challenge his questionable placement on the WSL list of pro surfer athletes, seeings how under his name it shows zero competition results. Ashton is a fucking douchebag! Bet he asked Speaker to put him on there so he could call himself a pro surfer. What A Fucking Tool!
WHAT? What is this? Can it really be as you say?
If so I think it would have to rate as the biggest douche act in surf media history.
http://www.worldsurfleague….
I would never trifle with your emotions Nick. After reading in the comments that Ashton may gatecrash Chas’ book signing, I googled “Ashton Goggans” to pull up his IG to see if he was commenting he would attempt to ruin Chas’ gig. About the 4th or 5th search result down I saw worldsurfleague pro surfer bio for Ashton Goggans. Google it. What a fucking weirdo! I tried to post a link but such posts require second round of scrutiny. It’s awaiting Beach Grit’s approval. Ugh!
In memory of Andy irons…. with the blow all …well that would cover the whole industry actually! Well done mate! See you at midnight with the gals.
I hear Rory, Zach and Ashton are going to gatecrash, bring some extra security!
No need. Chas just needs a videographer there to get footage. Put up small sign giving attendees notice that there is a filmer and consent is implied and footage may be used for commercial purposes. If they show, film them. Then post publish it on BG Hot Cinema.
It would be a PR coup, really could help with the sales! I’d love to make it but 6000 miles is a bit too far!
Footage with Chas just clubbing that trio with a copy of “Cocaine and Surfing”. Being beaten with a book akin to open hand slap – be epic!!!
Cocaine plus surfing?
To this day, I’ve never read a digital book. There’s something about physically holding a book, turning pages and finding the most inappropriate bookmark cause dog-earing a page is sacrilege. Audio versions are great for road trips but hardly ideal otherwise.
Recently I stopped by a small local library situated in a neighborhood. I used to go to it when I was a kid. 35+ years later, I walked through the front doors and it was exactly the same. And it was perfect. Brought back fun memories.
Can’t make it but have fun reminding people that surfing is fun and dumb and anti-depressive to no end.
paper books are the greatest!
Sure but:
– sometimes, you’ll never find a copy of this book you always wanted to read, and you know you can use this old PDF of such a book and read it on a kindle or else, and I must admit I never resisted
– sometimes, you can’t accept to pay 10 euros for the edition of a book written by a guy who died 2000 years ago, when this edition does not bring anyhting else than the book cover and the author’s bio.
This hasn’t happened to me yet, but a book from a computer is better than no book at all, in my opinion!
If you live with them and don’t travel . I have a a treasure chest of books in Oz and another 20 years of books left behind in France . A kindle is a little like a cremated loved one in an urn you can carry around with you . No need to dig them up when you finally find yourself at the graveyard of lost books ? Ps I miss the odours of paper books and the little notes left by myself , loved ones and totally anonymous ex owners .
I have also never listened to a single minute of a podcast. And every amazon order I place to this day always ends with me picking a single paperback/hardback book to add to my ever expanding collection of books.
High security and all?
Creativity is the enemy of the Deepp State
oh this sounds super anti-depressive! i wish i could be there!
Well Chas in comparison to your literary heroes you and Derek are the last left alive . The powerful play continues and you may (still) contribute a verse . Break a leg and not a shoulder and enjoy the crowd .
Would if I could fella. Hopefully you get to arm wrestle one of the People™ over a coffee table.