My first trip to San Francisco was during the summer of 2007. Although I went with a co-worker, I had a good bit of time to wander around the city by myself. At one point, I found myself searching the internet, trying to figure out what things I needed to make sure I didn't miss while I was there. I kept getting this nagging feeling that I was overlooking something, that there was SOMETHING in San Francisco that I'd always wanted to see, but so far hadn't come across.
Turns out that something was City Lights Bookstore. I'd heard of City Lights years earlier, after reading On the Road and The Dharma Bums for the first time. I've always wanted to visit, but when I actually had the chance to visit SF, I almost forgot about stopping by. Go figure, huh? Those two novels, and the other works written by writers of what was known as the "Beat Generation" aren't for everyone, I'm aware. But when I read them, fresh out of high school, thrust into college life and desperately trying to keep my feet and figure out who I was supposed to be now that I was removed from everything and everyone who had previously helped me to define myself, these writers and their words were a real draw to me. Part of it, I think, was an appeal to the hippie hiding inside me, nurtured by my dad. The other part, though, was just the sheer joy and exuburance of much of the writing -- a celebration of language and living.
Cassidy's name, in part, comes from Neal Cassady, who was Kerouac's inspiration for the character of Dean Moriarty in On the Road. Granted, his character is pretty shady and not a role model by any means, but he served not only as Kerouac's muse but also as John Barlow's inspiration for the Grateful Dead song, Cassidy. I've loved it since the first time I heard it, and since her last name was going to be Neal, it just made sense to me to combine two of my favorite things as part of her name.
When Chris and I recently traveled to SF in July, I told him over and over that I wanted to spend some time just hanging out at City Lights before eating at an Italian place in North Beach. That, to me, was the perfect end to a great day of sightseeing in the city. Thought I'd share some of the pictures I snapped inside the store. Enjoy!
