Sometimes I just have to get out of the Home Office; a change of scenery can provoke renewed creativity.
Tonight, I’m working at Hollywood Cafe. There’s a Jackie Chan movie on and plenty of patrons chattering, but for some reason, I can still work here.
This used to be Hollywood Cafe and Books. Now the bookstore is around the corner on Fairview; it’s the only surviving GLBT bookstore in Houston. As far as I know, Marlon still works there. I adore Marlon. Stop into the bookstore and say hello to him sometime, or to the equally fabulous Ryan.
The affiliated restaurant next door once gave me some fortune cookies late at night because I was shooting photographs for possible use on the jacket of THREE FORTUNES. Alyson went with their own cover, but I still appreciate the generosity of the restaurant.
Check out Hollywood Cafe for coffee, a snack, their wifi connection, the gigantic TV screen, or conversation on the outside patio, where you can keep an eye on people going in and out of the bars, or maybe get Merlyn to read your Tarot cards.
i need somebody to kickstart my creativity..unfortunately there’s no hollywood cafe nearby.
A lot of writers write at Starbucks. I know you must have one of those close by. I think that’s in the Constitution now.
R and I have never been huge fans of Hollywood. We’re diehard Lobo fans — it’s a shame what happened to the place. Hollywood just doesn’t have that intimate “Cheers” feeling that Lobo did. It’s hard to make the transition. Since Lobo left us I’ve been hanging at Cafe Artiste — it feels homey. I do love the Hollywood bookstore though. 🙂
I was a Crossroads girl until it closed, then I went to Lobo. (Although I always bought my books in both places.) Hollywood definitely lacks the ambiance of either place.
For conversation, Hollywood’s patio is better than their cavernous interior. But if I’m on my laptop, they have a nice setup inside. The space means that people aren’t too close; I don’t feel like everybody and their gay brother can see my screen, and that’s important to me. Plus they have wireless, so I can get online. And there are a lot of other people there on laptops, too, so I don’t feel weird.
The last time I was in the bookstore, it seemed like the book space was shrinking for other non-book merchandise. They didn’t think they had a good setup for doing a signing, although they were really great about stocking a lot of THE DEAL for us. I hope they survive; GLBT bookstores have it tough.
Under a kind of peer pressure, I felt like I’ve had to like Hollywood. The owners have been good to the community, and it is the only gay bookstore/coffee shop left. I’ve tried to like Hollywood. I’ve gone on more than one occasion, but it’s no use. I can’t seem to like the place. I just haven’t had the welcoming, homey feeling I had at Lobo, even though some of the old Lobo staff and customers are there.