Jim Gladstone's Party

What has been so incredible so far is how friends, old and new, have gone out of their way to make this journey special.

Take Jim Gladstone. We met in Paris where he was working on his second novel and generally living the good life. He is a writer - The Big Book of Misunderstanding, Gladstone’s Games to Go, Skin & Ink (editor) - and an idea man of astonishing capacity. Anybody in search of a million dollar idea should just stand near Jim for a half hour or so and wait with an ear cupped. Fortune and fame will ensue, so long as you can execute well.

Jim lives in a brilliant apartment in Philadelphia that could pass for a solarium. It is about 150 feet long, which means you can dash about with abandon, and there are windows everywhere. He threw me a party (we were soaked in wine and cheese) which attracted a great swath of Philadelphia’s more interesting folk, including an opera singer who awed us all.

If you are going through Philadelphia, Jim will probably even give you a tour of the Eastern State Penitentiary, one of his favourite spots in the city. It was built by Quakers early in the 19th century and is the first modern vision of a prison. Just contact him through his website, www.jimgladstone.com.



(Note that the picture of Jim and myself was taken by Jim’s old friend Jeff, who is in the other photo. I was in such a fever party state that I forgot to take pictures, except for the opera singer, who you can see in full flight.)