Coffee Novelist

I don’t write about coffee, I write about what coffee does. How it collects us, unites us and affects us.

Question for Kevin–If Howard (Schultz) had stayed at Xerox, would Starbucks have come to be? In other words was a company like Starbucks inevitable to some degree? Answer – Without a doubt Starbucks would have remained regional without Howard. I had a conversation with Jerry Baldwin after the buyout and his move down to Peet’s …

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Jay kept his place in line at the Palm Springs Starbucks. He remembered when they used to sell coffee. He remembered all the varietals under the counter. The shiny dark beans, dated and organized by growing region. Such great coffee. For now the line that held Howard Behar and him was not moving very fast. …

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“There must be a game at Wrigley tonight. It is Monday and there are more people around than usual. Looks like they plan on having some fun. I love living here, walking these streets and making them mine. I am beginning to realize that my job at Cosmodemonic * gives me something of an edge …

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“It is him.” Jay thought to himself. ‘Damn if it isn’t. Howard Behar. My old boss. Should I say something to him?“ Jay was in Palm Springs for work on a fluke brought on by the Pandemic. He hadn’t been able to travel for work since he became a single parent around eight years ago. …

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I recently caught up with two men who were working for Starbucks before most anyone knew or cared about much about coffee in this country. I wanted to provide a unique look back at the now legendary company through the lens of my historical fiction novel, Tripio. By that I mean, I hope that this …

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                                    “I’m sittin’ in first class and they can all kiss my ass, ‘cuase I’m goin’ back baby, back outta world.”           Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band – Back Out Of The World – 1987 album – Amerasia       In Tripio, Jay is writing his first novel. It is a road book. One of Jay’s literary …

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Recently, I have been resisting working on “Back outta the World. Oh sure, I can tell myself that work has been busy. True. I have been paying more attention to the blog. Also true. This afternoon I spent a good deal of time letting as many people as possible know that I have just appeared …

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A Red Apron Recipe- practices to keep the mind in writing shape ‘I’m now finished with “Back outta the World” and feel good about it. I don’t really mean I feel great about the stuff on the pages but rather how it got there. Plus, I had the thought towards the end that I really …

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                  WE SUFFER MORE IN THE IMAGINATION THAN WE DO IN REALITY                                                         -Seneca Sure, but he didn’t live in my neighborhood. Actually my neighborhood rocks. It is a throwback to before the time when houses were built around garages that swallow up neighbors. Neighbors that I have experienced take your kids to school in …

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