Alexander from Russia shooting pic of dog sculptures with cameras at Greenwich and W. 9th St.

Never fails/checked in to my little hotel in G. Village, stressed out from Byzantine check points at Toronto airport, slept an hour, hit streets. Man! It’s like plugging into another planet with double the chi flow. Ate at Chinese noodle shop, ended up talking to (and sharing dishes) with people sitting next to me AND it turns out one of them is Nancy Bass Wyden, proprietor (and descendent of founders) of none other than the.venerable Strand bookshop, the 5-story ages-old NYC landmark; we exchanged cards.

Then out into the streets to Washington Square, then random street walking, talked to this guy delivering food for Caviar (Elmer). Then to McDougal St., Cafe Dante now slick, but Cafe Reggio is same dark soulful noisy Renaissance good-vibes place it was when I first came to NYC in 1957 (and rented a room on Morton St. for $60 a week while working the night shift at the Durkee shredded coconut factory in Queens, waiting to take a ship to Europe for a 3-month motor scooter (Lambretta)/youth hostel tour of Europe.

I love it here, the city so energetically inspiring.

Dear Lloyd,

My name is Vera, from San Francisco. Last night I attended your presentation at Mollusk surf shop. I want to thank you for a wonderful evening. On my way home I thought about a very special home that I think you may be interested in.

About a month ago I was biking home and I passed an incredible structure on wheels on the side of the street. I saw a man on the sidewalk doing some woodwork next to it. I was so curious about this beautifully made structure, so I decided to return and talk to the man. His name is Steven, he’s been homeless on and off his whole life. Although, I’m not quite sure you could call him homeless anymore because now he has his box (that’s what he likes to call it). Steven’s box is set on wheels. It is made entirely from materials he has sourced around the city.

I ended up talking with Steven for three hours. Well, I mostly just listened to him. I have a few photos of his box that I’m attaching here, but they really don’t do it justice. He is incredibly innovative, he built his own heater/stovetop and has figured out a way to get clean running water (although the fire chief made him get rid of the stove after complementing his ingenuity). He stained the wood on the exterior a beautiful color using a mixture of steel wool and vinegar. He even has a number and planter box at his front door. Maybe someday you’d like to meet him yourself. He’s helping build boxes for some of his friends now too.

Have a wonderful day, thanks again for your inspiring work.

p.s. Unfortunately I did not take a photo from the other side of the box which has the stained boards of wood that look similar to the sliding front door.

Best,

Vera