Another post rescued from the archives. This is a blast from the past post which includes an author interview & an ode. The author interview was with Anita Nair (Ladies Coupe) while the ode is to a building that once was.

Author Interview with Anita Nair

This was my very first author interview!!!! Thanks a ton to the wonderfully talented Anita Nair for answering my questions and for her prompt responses in her busy schedule. I had read Anita Nair’s ‘Ladies Coupe‘ a few years ago and I loved it. This was way before my blogging time else there would have been a glowing review for that. Recently – or as the October 2020 update should read — years ago, I read ‘The Lilac House’ and totally enjoyed the read – my review is here. I wanted to do a mini-interview with Anita after reading it and her prompt response to my email resulted in the following interview. Enjoy:

What do you do when you are not writing?

AN: I am a serious movie buff and so when I am not writing I am either watching films or reading. I also find great pleasure in swimming and occasional forays into the kitchen.   

What were your favorite books as a child?

AN:The Anne of Green Gables series, The Coral Island, William books and all of Enid Blyton

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

AN: The only advice I have to give to aspiring writers is to just keep writing and to try and write in your own style rather than imitate a favorite writer.

Which of your characters would you love to have as your friend? 

AN:I think that of all my characters, the one character who I would like for a friend would be Jak (J A Krishnamurthy) from The Lilac House.

Note to the reader: Another question I asked Nair was about her next project at the time, and she mentioned that it was a book titled Cut Like Wound. I am yet to read this book though I have read a couple of others since.

Homage to Art: Defenestration

Ages ago

When I first wrote this post, this is what I wrote:

One interesting spot that should not be missed in San Francisco is a building, a really old building which is currently claimed by the city under eminent domain. If you already know what I am talking about, then good for you! If not, then drive to 6th and Howard and see it for yourself – it has a name as well – Defenestration – and if you know what the word means, you will see why the building is named that.

Defenestration means the act of throwing out someone or something out of the window. This building is ‘Defenestration’. As part of saving the building, a group of local artists turned the building itself into a work of art – this is what makes San Francisco uniquely itself. Whimsical, and at the same time, ghetto – this building manages to capture my interest every time I drive by. And keep hoping that, in spite of all the things that make it reclaim-and-rebuild worthy, I will still see these odd pieces of furniture out of the windows the next time I am here.

Time Passed By

In 2014, San Francisco said good bye to Defenestration. The building itself was finally demolished and the furniture pieces rescued. Some of the pieces are still available for purchase at a SF art gallery (at least as far as I can see on their website). You can read more about Defenestration itself ‘going out the San Francisco window’ here.

Now

As we drove back home after picking up food at that heavenly hole-in-the-wall restaurant Shalimar this past weekend, Waze directed us through Howard and 6th street.

And while the original building has long been replaced, somehow there was something about the new building (image below – building on the left) in the location that triggered my memory. I recalled Defenestration and went hunting for this post. Realized it could use a refresh and a repost. So here it is!

And Now, the End of this Post

Dear reader, what questions would you ask an author? Anything interesting, anything that might help others? What interesting spots do you know of in your area – weird, whimsical, cute, otherwise? Do let me know in your comments.. Also, what did you think of this post? Always love to hear from you..