Man sitting beside me at Parker and Otis: What’s the big book?
Me (flipping book over so he can see the cover — at least as well as you can “flip” a 1000-page novel): David Copperfield
Man: It’s good to see people reading real books.
~~~ Interval in which T & K, their new housemate S (a first year in the program) and his fiancee stop by my table to chat for a while ~~~
Man: So not only do you read good books, but you’re popular, too.
Me: ::uncomfortable laugh::
Man: Do your friends read real books?
Me: We’re all Ph.D. English students.
Man: Oh, I see. What’s your specialty?
Me: I’m a Victorianist.
Man: I didn’t know they made those any more.
