Sites, sounds and another chance meeting
On Tuesday, I ran into a former Seahawk on Broadway. On Wednesday, it was the creator of my favorite TV show.
You’ll never guess who I ran into on the streets of New York.
I mean besides Quinton Jefferson.
David Simon. Now this probably isn’t as random as it seems. I’d seen Simon twice before in my neighborhood while I was walking our dog, Simba. The first time, I doubled back to say I was a big fan of his work, which is absolutely true. “The Wire” is my favorite television show, and there was a time I was completely obsessive about his work. He was grateful, but somewhat preoccupied with figuring out the admittedly confusing parking restrictions on our block.
So I came up with a plan: If I saw him again, I was going to do a double take and exclaim my surprise to come across him. Then, I would mention a very specific detail from deep inside his first book, “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets,” which was published in 1991. I figured this would distinguish me from the people who love him for “The Wire” or “Generation Kill” or “The Deuce” or “We Own This City.” As much acclaim as his work in television has received, I do believe Simon is a writer in his heart, and I thought that mentioning his book would give me the best shot at striking up a conversation. Turns out, I was right, but before I explain what happened on Wednesday morning, let’s get you some links to this week’s podcast appearances:
Mitch Unfiltered: Episode 261P where the ‘P’ stands for ‘pummeled’
Now, back to my stake out of Simon: