Today I welcome J.L. Bryan, author of Jenny Pox, to the blog!
The Fifth Food Group: Caffeine
You know why I love the Caffeinated Diva blog? Coffee. It’s an integral part of the writing process. I’m even having some Einstein’s Autumn Roast as I write this guest blog for Kim. I’ll brew more at home, later today, when I’m revising my latest book.
Why the deep connection between coffee and books? Coffee first showed up in Europe in the fifteenth century and brought a whole new realm of social life to the European cities. Previously, going out meant hitting the local tavern, where alcohol make people more social and talkative, and had an interesting effect on one’s sex life, but it also dulled the intellect. It’s rare to find a group of drunks having an elevated conversation about arts, sciences, philosophy and history. The coffee shop changed all that. Coffee stimulates and wakens the mind, rather than putting it to sleep. Coffee shop conversation was radically different, bringing us the philosophical developments of the Enlightenment, and eventually political revolutions that toppled the established medieval order of Europe, which had lasted since the collapse of the Roman Empire. Coffee stands for exploring ideas at length (and in depth), debating others on an intellectual rather than emotional level, and getting productive with your time. It’s no coincidence that half the people in a coffee shop are either working away on their computers, or enjoying a good book—try that at a medieval tavern, or your local sports bar! That’s what coffee means to me—it’s core to how I write and even how I think (that is, slowly at first, then faster and faster and faster as I get going…). I drink coffee to wake up in the morning and to relax in the evening. It’s a strange drink that way. What does coffee mean to you? Do you have a favorite coffee shop where you like to read or write? We can discuss coffee and books further in the comments below—just let me grab a quick shot of espresso first.
About the Author
J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, and then studied screenwriting at UCLA. He is the author of Jenny Pox and three other novels. His Haunted E-Book International Blog Tour will begin in January, with great giveaways like an Amazon Kindle and The Haunted Library ebook collection.
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