The opening of Interpolation: the Safeway at Oracle and Ina:
Absolutely, that was my turf. Less than a mile from the four or five houses and apartments where we took turns living. We did our shopping there. Not that you could tell this from a photograph; you would have to distinguish it from eighty other such parking lots in Tucson, using the configuration of that particular Safeway against that particular Walgreens against that particular Schlotzsky’s Deli, and you only notice such configurations if you grew up there, and had to make them part of your map. The mountains will always give you the compass points, but one Safeway is like another, and at least once a week you end up a block or two awry in some grid direction from where you thought you were. That’s one thing about Tucson
Paul. I highly recommend you read the whole, entire thing.
Evaline Auerbach January 12, 2011 at 4:05 pm
A writer is blessed when he/she can do the details, but cursed when getting one wrong. Sorry, that really is my turf – Walgreens, Safeway, Bank of America (which was robbed a few months ago), La Salsa. But never, ever, a Schlotzsky’s. That’s a few block down into Tucson.
Paul January 14, 2011 at 10:55 am
Mea culpa; I’m sure you’re right. As I said, it’s very easy for things to shift a block or two in your mind, and in Tucson a block is a mile.