January, 1998 (continued): After about 90 minutes of walking the city of London, I decided to check out the post-Christmas sale at Selfridges (one of the largest department stores in all of Europe). Although this was the first day of the traditional, huge annual sale at Harrod’s, I had no desire to join the crowds there.
Instead, I immersed myself for over an hour in Selfridges’ book department in the basement. I hadn’t brought anything in particular to read on this trip, other than magazines and trade publications (none of which I looked at, actually).
After browsing through the entire department, one book somehow caught my attention: a crime novel entitled EVERYTHING YOU HAVE IS MINE, by Sandra Scoppettone.
I had never heard of the book or the author, but some instinct led me to buy the book. (My instincts are not, however, infallible. The book wasn’t very good.)
Some of my favorite books have been discovered by my stumbling upon them in a library or store. When I was 19 and working for the City of Los Angeles Traffic Department, during one lunch hour spent at the Lincoln Heights Public Library I came across an old, unheralded book that launched a lifelong fascination.
The book was WOLF-CHILDREN AND FERAL MAN, by Singh & Zingg. (I’ve always loved the authors’ names.)
I have no idea why I took it off the shelf, but featured in that book was an account of a 19th Century German historical figure named Kaspar Hauser.
For a couple of years, he was perhaps the most famous person in all of Europe and remains well-known to contemporary Germans. Few Americans have heard of him, but to me Kaspar remains a compelling, sad mystery.
Some months later a friend from my Florida high school days (with whom I remain close to this day) came to visit me during his college break. We went to Venice Beach on a hot summer Saturday, and I wandered into a musty, used bookstore there.
For 50 cents, I bought a copy of a small novel written in the 1880s: A LITERARY COURTSHIP, by Anna Fuller.
I have no idea why I chose that book, but it remains one of my favorites, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m the only living person who counts Anna Fuller among his favorite authors.
After making my hopeful book purchase, I wandered through Selfridges’ electronics and video departments.
There I came upon two more treasures:
A new compilation video from HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU, a long-running British television quiz show of which I am inordinately fond…
And a newly released video set of one of the greatest, sharpest, funniest TV comedies ever, THE FALL AND RISE OF REGINALD PERRIN, which originally aired in 1976. I didn’t get where I am today by not buying a newly released video set of one of the greatest, sharpest, funniest TV comedies ever. (Okay, that’s WAY too inside a joke…)
Next: Completing the 90-minute car ride to Cambridge in just 2.5 hours.
