Brandon Jernigan
Williamsburg resident Simon van Booy’s second collection of stories, Love Begins in Winter, was released this month and is sure to be this summer’s must read, but the dapper writer doesn’t have much time to rest. As he told Adam Rathe, he’s got a book tour to complete, a novel to finish and Pinkberry to eat.
What are your plans for the summer?
Touring the West Coast and Pacific Northwest as well as some things in Italy, Britain and Paris. Two words: room service. I like a club sandwich—with hotel food you’ve got to stick with the basics. I’ve also got to deliver a novel by the end of July, so I’m working on that right now, and it’s going pretty well.
That’s a lot of traveling!
I always go to Europe for about seven weeks, so I will go there and I take my daughter to a little house in France. We’ll just spend time in the country, build fires in the evening, wander the woods, go swimming and fishing. I’ll go to Sicily for a week by myself and just swim and read and think and gather my thoughts.
Does anything closer to home appeal to you?
I really like going to the Hamptons, but I also like going to Kentucky. It’s an unspoiled wilderness. I like the people there. We go to [East Hampton’s] Main Beach really early—we get bagels and sit in the front seat. You can just walk and have a chat. The summer for me in New York is having late dinners and staying up late talking. It’s all very nice.
And reading! What’s on your list to read this summer?
I’m going to try and tackle some more Proust. I read a volume or two if I’m lucky and then look back and open the books at random and realize that I haven’t understood anything. So I’ve been re-reading the first book over and over and over again, and I’m still no closer to being able to dip in and realize that I’ve not missed something. I’ll also read some Virginia Woolf.
How are you planning on staying cool—frozen drinks?
Year round I drink Bloody Marys, but I have to tell you that I can’t resist Pinkberry; whenever possible, I have to go. I like the Bloody Marys at Gino on E. 60th and Lexington, but I go mostly to Sweetwater in Williamsburg.
What are your plans for the summer?
Touring the West Coast and Pacific Northwest as well as some things in Italy, Britain and Paris. Two words: room service. I like a club sandwich—with hotel food you’ve got to stick with the basics. I’ve also got to deliver a novel by the end of July, so I’m working on that right now, and it’s going pretty well.
That’s a lot of traveling!
I always go to Europe for about seven weeks, so I will go there and I take my daughter to a little house in France. We’ll just spend time in the country, build fires in the evening, wander the woods, go swimming and fishing. I’ll go to Sicily for a week by myself and just swim and read and think and gather my thoughts.
Does anything closer to home appeal to you?
I really like going to the Hamptons, but I also like going to Kentucky. It’s an unspoiled wilderness. I like the people there. We go to [East Hampton’s] Main Beach really early—we get bagels and sit in the front seat. You can just walk and have a chat. The summer for me in New York is having late dinners and staying up late talking. It’s all very nice.
And reading! What’s on your list to read this summer?
I’m going to try and tackle some more Proust. I read a volume or two if I’m lucky and then look back and open the books at random and realize that I haven’t understood anything. So I’ve been re-reading the first book over and over and over again, and I’m still no closer to being able to dip in and realize that I’ve not missed something. I’ll also read some Virginia Woolf.
How are you planning on staying cool—frozen drinks?
Year round I drink Bloody Marys, but I have to tell you that I can’t resist Pinkberry; whenever possible, I have to go. I like the Bloody Marys at Gino on E. 60th and Lexington, but I go mostly to Sweetwater in Williamsburg.
