This is an archived thread. Please use the new "St. Jerry's Virtual Scriptorium ... a new beginning" discussion for posts and comments. -thanks!St. Jerome is the patron saint of writers, journalists, and librarians. After a long career of
preaching under the protection of Pope Damasus (and after scandalous rumors involving St. Paula) he fled to the east, where he and St. Paula founded separate (but presumed equal) monasteries and he wrote the Vulgate (the official Catholic Bible until replaced by the New Vulgate in 1979). He's recorded as having died in 420 but this, he tells me, was strictly to throw people off to the fact that he and Paula had stumbled onto the benefits of good diet and regular exercise.
St. Jerry's Virtual Scriptorium and Coffee House sits on a side street in a nondescript part of town. I'm pledged not to say where, unfortunately, but--thanks to the wonders
of Internet Technology--you can be there.
Nowadays, Jerry affects a B-movie British accent, a neatly clipped beard, and has a predilection for good scotch. I expect he may be by, now and then, but he and Paula were planning another vacation (southern France, I think, but I'm not sure for how long) and he left me the keys.
The lighting's none too good, there are bookcases everywhere (like in a good, old fashioned, used bookstore) with books, and more books, old books and new books, stacked, scattered and strewn hither and yon. And there is a PC, or two, on a back table.
The chairs are old, upholstered and overstuffed in oxblood leather with dull brass nail head trim. Most of the other furniture is even older, stuff Paula picked up in their travels, so please do be careful. The Coffee House bar is an old oak library circulation desk. You'll usually find me behind it, fussing with the espresso machine.
The food's passably good, the coffee usually even better. You need only ask. (The residuals on the Vulgate were, ah, considerable.)
The fireplace is always lit.
What's the deal you ask?
Oh, sorry, I hadn't mentioned that part yet. Jerry thinks good conversation's fun and asks that we bring up quotes, or ideas, and discuss them at our leisure. Quotes won't buy you a cup of coffee (just ask for that), but they're likely to start off an interesting conversation.
And, I almost forgot, there's that time machine back behind the coatroom--you never know who might be coming by with a comment or two. All I know is that Jerry and Paula have friends everywhere, and everywhen.
You might know some of them, too.