missed connection no. 15
airing out my dirty laundry...
welcome to missed connection where I recommend a book to someone I was too distant from or distracted by or shy to actually… recommend a book to.
Dear La La patrons,
My new favorite errand is Laundromat. I am 1000% positive this will last thirteen seconds. a week from now I’ll be bitterly complaining about how luxurious my old apartment’s washing machine was. But now is not a week from now! I am writing to you live, from La La Laundry in the East Village. I love how good it smells in here, how the ceilings are painted Sky, how we’re all doing this incredibly intimate thing with our shoulders brushing. I schlepped three bags of dirty sports bras past a television set to get here. Sometimes things ARE exactly how you imagine, even if for just a moment. In that spirit, everyone gets books today! All of you, my laundresses in arms, are my missed connection(s) this month. Something about summer makes me want to make out with everyone, wbu…
The sweet young guy at the counter who said it was a cash only laundromat, then when my eyes widened in horror1, said “well…you can pay with card in the back.”
Reader, I didn’t even need an actual card! They have tap to pay in the back corner! What a sneaky little sweetheart. I think he blushed when he admitted that they were not, in fact, cash only. And blushing deserves nothing less than Edith Wharton. I would love to let you borrow my copy of The Buccaneers, Mr. la la.
The man in an unseasonable orange cap who is pacing, drinking iced coffee, having hushed conversations on his phone:
It doesn’t seem like you are actually doing laundry, which begs the question…why are you here? Why are you wearing a beanie in June? And have you ever read Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead? It’s one of my favorite books about summer and perhaps it will inspire you to get into the season of things and remove woolen cap. Have a popsicle! Go sit on a park bench! Summer is fleeting!
The woman who watched me pour far too much detergent into the wrong little compartment whose raised eyebrow I could FEEL.
I respect you for letting me figure this out myself! I’m afraid I did in fact just pour a metric ton of detergent into the bleach compartment, I can’t wait to see how this turns out! however, sometimes it’s nice to not waste 1,000 years wrestling with something that someone smarter has already mastered. I just finished reading Meander Spiral Explode which is one of the least annoying, most fascinating books about writing I’ve read. I actually really wish I read this before writing my first novel. Or writing anything, ever, actually. I’m not sure, raised eyebrows, if you’re a writer, but as someone who has no patience for bullshitty aphoristic advice and wants to get to the meat of things, I do think you’d appreciate this book.
The guy reading V. by Thomas Pynchon
I am so sorry I actually have no recs for you. I’ve read 16 reviews of this book and still don’t really get it. Perhaps you should instead recommend something to me…
Whoever made the artistic decision to play Norah Jones and only Norah Jones through this establishment’s sound system right now (sunRIIIISE sunrise)
I almost exclusively find myself listening to this song when I miss my mom, for some reason. Do you miss your mom? If you do maybe you should read one of Elizabeth Strout’s gorgeous books like My Name is Lucy Barton.
The gorgeous girl with perfect fitting jeans and black mary jeans wearing wired headphones and folding clothes like the leading lady in an early aughts indie film.
Where are your jeans from? More importantly how do you find jeans that fit you in a normal and flattering way? I will trade that information for a book with a cool cover and a complicated, gutting storyline which is Brutes by Dizzy Tate.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Obviously Carrie Bradshaw was not IN the laundromat, but she was filming Sex in the City or whatever we’re calling it now in the park when I walked over here. I’m sorry it just is that amazing to live here sometimes!!!! SJP you should read Little Rabbit, a sexy pink novel that is probably reading for a private jet to a luxurious vacation. I couldn’t help but wonder (sorry had to) whether or not anyone should actually ethically be on private jets but as we’re existing in reality here Little Rabbit is the perfect novel for a plane/vacation/long luscious weekend breakfast. Selfishly I also think this book would make an amazing HBO miniseries so do with that what you will. It includes lots of dancing and even more sex and a really devastating friendship breakup.
Happy laundry day!
Stuart
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as always, you can find any and/or all of these books here.
cash is king……it’s terrible that i never have any…sorry!
not stuart making me miss the laundromat!
I really enjoyed this! Did you really see SJP?! And what a hip laundromat!!