1
(a book store)
WOMAN:
Do you consider the book to be autobiographical?
JESSE:
Uh-hum, uh, well, I mean, isn't everything autobiographical? I mean, we all see the world through our own tiny keyhole, right? I mean, I always think of Thomas Wolfe, you know, have you ever seen that little one-page "Note to Reader" in front of Look Hameward, Angel, right? You know what I'm talking about? Anyway, he, he says that we are the sum of all the moments of our lives, and that, uh, anybody who sits down to write is gonna use the clay of their own life that you can not avoid that. So, when I look at my own life, you know, I have to admit, right? That I, uh, I've never been around a bunch of guns or violence, you know, not really. No political intrigue or a helicopter crash, right? But my life, from my own point of view, has been full of drama, right? And, uh, so I thought if I could write a book that, that could capture what it's like to really meet somebody, you know, I mean, one of the most exciting things that's happened to me is to, is to really meet somebody, make, make that connection, and is I could make that valuable, you know, to capture that, that would be the attempt, or.....Did I answer your question?
WOMAN1:
I'll try to be more specific. Were there ever a French young woman on a train you met and spent an evening with?
JESSE:
Uh...umm, see, to me, that.....I mean, that's not important, you know?
WOMAN1:
So that's a yes?
JESSE:
Alright, since I'm in France and this is the last stop of my book tour, yes.
WOMAN1:
(laughter) Thank you.
MAN1:
Mr. Wallace, the book ends on an ambiguous note. We don't know. Do you think they get back together in six months like they promise each other?
JESSE:
Like they promised? Uh...well, I think how you answer that, you know, is, uh, it's a good test, right? If you're romantic or cynic, right? I mean, uh, you think, (pointing Woman1) you think they get back together, right? (pointing other man)you don't, for sure. (pointing Man1) And you hope they do, but, you know, you're not sure. That's why you're asking the question.
WOMAN1:
Do you think they get back together? I mean, did you in real life?
JESSE:
.....Did I in real, uh.....Look, in the words of my grandfather, okay, "To answer that would take the piss out of the whole thing."
WOMAN1:
Oh, no....
BOOKSTORE OWNER:
We just have the time for one last question.
MAN1:
What, what is your next book?
JESSE:
Uh.....I don't know, man, I don't know. Uh, I've been, I've been thinking about this.....well, I always kind of wanted to write a book that all took place within the space of a pop song, you know, like three or four minutes long, the whole thing. The story, the idea is that there's this guy, right? And he's totally depressed. I mean, his great dream was to be a lover, an adventurer, you know, riding motorcycles through South America. And instead he's sitting at a marble table eating lobster. He's got a good job and a beautiful wife, right? But that, you know, everything that he needs, but that, that doesn't matter. Cause what he wants is to fight for meaning. you know, happiness is in the doing, right? Not in the getting what you want. So, he's sitting there, and just that second, his, uh, little five-year-old daughter hops up on the table. He knows that, that she should get down, 'cause she could get hurt. But she's dancing to this pop song, you know, in a summer dress. And he looks down and all of sudden, uh, he's 16. And his highschool sweetheart is dropping him off at, at home. And they just lost their virginity, and she loves him, and the same song is playing on the, on the car radio, and she climbs up and starts dancing on the roof of the car. Now he's worried about her. And she's beautiful with, uh, a facial expression, you know, just like his daughter's. In fact, you know, maybe that's why he even likes her. You know, you see, you see, he knows he's not remembering this dance. He's there. He's there in, in both moments, simultaneously. And just like, for an instant, all his life is just folding in on itself. It's obvious to him that time is a lie. (finds Celine in sight) .....uh, that it's, that it's all happening all the time and inside every moment is another moment all....you know, happening simultaneously. Anyway, that's, that's kind of the idea, anyway.
OWNER:
Well, our author has to be going to the airport soon, so thank you all very much for coming over this afternoon, and a special thanks to Mr. Wallace for being with us.
JESSE:
Thank you.
OWNER:
We hope to see you here again with your next book. (few more in French)
JESSE:
Thank you all. (to the owner) How much longer bofore I have to go to the airport?
OWNER:
Oh, you should leave at 7:30....7:30 at the very latest.
JESSE:
Okay. (leaves the table and approachs Celine) ....Hi.
CELINE:
Hello.
JESSE:
Uh, how are you?
CELINE:
Good, and you?
JESSE:
Um, I'm good, yeah, I'm great, I'm, uh.....uh, do you wanna, maybe, get a cup of coffee?
CELINE:
Didn't he just say you have a plane to cauch?
JESSE:
Uh.....yeah, but, uh, but I mean, I have a little time.
CELINE:
Okay.
JESSE:
Yeah? Well, let me, uh....
CELINE:
I'll meet you outside. Okay.
JESSE:
(to the owner) Excuse me. I'm just gonna go out to get a cup of coffee and I'll be back at 7:15.
OWNER:
Did you sign all these?
JESSE:
Um, yeah. Sure I did, sure I did.
OWNER:
Well, get your driver Philippe's card so that, uh, you can call his cellphone if you're running late. We will put your bags in the car so you're not late, going to be....
JESSE:
Alright, thanks for everything.
OWNER:
Thank you.
JESSE:
.....Uh, which one's Philippe?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1
新書：This Time
今天五點半，作者傑西‧華勒斯
將來到店裏做導讀及交流
你覺得這本書
是自傳性質的嗎？
呃…
呣，我想…
世事不都帶著點自傳性質嗎？
我們都是透過自己
微小的眼光去觀察這個世界，對吧？
我經常想起作家
湯瑪斯‧伍爾夫
你們有沒有看過他在
《天使，望故鄉》一書開頭寫的
那一小頁
「給讀者的一段話」
懂我的意思嗎？
他說：我們都是
生命中各個時刻的總和
所以
任何人一旦坐下來寫作時
他的筆觸無可避免的
會參考到他的生活經驗
所以當我審視自己的生活時
我不得不承認，我…
我的生活中從未有過槍械、暴力
你們知道的，真的沒有
也沒有政治陰謀，或者
直升機墜機事件等等，是吧？
但若讓我來看我自己的生活
卻仍充滿了戲劇性，是吧？
因此我就思忖著
如果我能寫一本書
把和某個人相遇的
真實情境捕捉下來
在我生命中
最讓我動容的事之一
就是能夠邂逅某個人
彼此心靈契合
如果能讓這種過程變得有價值
你知道的，捕捉住那種情境
這…
這便是我的動機
這樣的回答還可以嗎？
我試著問得更明確一點吧
是不是真有一個
在火車上認識的法國年輕女孩
並且一起度過了一晚呢？
呃…
對我來說，那…
我是說…
- 那並不是很重要
- 那麼答案是肯定的了？
好吧，既然我來到法國
這又是新書發表會的最後一站，是的！
謝謝
華勒斯先生
這本書的結局有些模糊
我們不很了解
你覺得
他們是不是像當初約定的那樣
六個月後又回來相聚了嗎？
像約定的那樣…
我覺得
這個問題該如何回答…
如果你生性浪漫或憤世嫉俗
會是個不錯的考驗吧
我的意思是…
你認為他們相聚了，是吧？
- 你確信他們並沒有相聚
- 嗯
而你則是希望他們相聚
但又不很確定
- 所以你才會這麼問
- 那麼，你認為他們相聚了嗎？
我是說
現實中是不是相聚了呢？
現實中是不是…
呃，好吧
套一句我爺爺的話來說吧：
「話說得太白，反倒沒意思了」
時間不多了
最後一個問題
你的…你的下一本書
準備寫些什麼呢？
呃…
我不知道
真的不知道
我一直…
我一直在這麼構思著
嗯，我一直有點想寫本書
故事是發生在
一首流行歌曲的時空之中
整個過程大約就在
這三到四分鐘裏
故事的構想
講的是一個男人
他…
他絕望到了極點
一直以來，他的偉大夢想
是做個熱愛生命的人、冒險家
像是：
騎著摩托車橫越南美洲
但實際上，他卻坐在
大理石桌旁，吃著龍蝦
他有份好工作，娶了個漂亮老婆
但是，你知道的
他應有盡有
但那一點都不重要
因為他真正想要的
是為生命的意義而奮鬥
知道嗎？
幸福是著重於它的過程
而不在於你得到了些什麼
而他就坐在那裏
就在那一瞬間
他的五歲小女兒
跳上了桌子
他知道，她應該下來的
否則她可能因此而受傷
但是，她穿著夏天的衣服
就隨著這首流行歌曲翩翩起舞
他低下頭來
突然之間
他彷彿回到了十六歲
他的高中情人
正開著車送他回家
他們剛剛失去了童貞
而且她愛著他…
而同一首歌從車子裏的
收音機中播放出來
她爬了上來
開始在車頂上跳舞
現在他開始為她擔心了
她很漂亮，臉上的表情
就像她女兒一模一樣
實際上，也許那正是
他那麼喜歡她的原因
知道嗎？他意識到
自己不記得那段舞了…
他在那裏！他真的在那裏
兩個時空，同時這麼進行著
彷彿就在那一瞬間
他的一生就這麼滲入這一時空
很顯然的，對他來說
他完全不受時間所限
呃…
呃…
這是一直在進行的
一個時空的本身
也存在著另一個時空，呃…
就是這麼同時進行著
總之
大致就是這樣的想法
好了，我們的作者
馬上就要趕往機場了
非常感謝
今天下午各位的光臨
特別感謝
華勒斯先生的光臨
謝謝，謝謝
期待下次您帶著新書
再次來到這裏
謝謝大家
在去機場之前
我還有多少時間呢？
哦，你七點半就該出發了
- 記得，最晚不能超過七點半
- 好的
- 嗨
- 哈囉
- 你好嗎？
- 很好，你呢？
我還好，我很好
我…
要不要…
喝杯咖啡如何呢？
他剛才不是說
你要去趕飛機嗎？
是呀，但是
我還有一點時間
- 好啊
- 是嗎？好的，等我把…
我在外面等你
先這樣
抱歉
我想出去喝杯咖啡
- 七點十五分會回來
- 這些書你都簽過名了嗎？
- 是的，簽過了
- 跟司機菲利普要張名片…
這樣如果你回來晚了
可以打電話給他
我們會先把你的行李放進車裏
可別來不及趕到機場了
- 好的，謝謝你所做的一切
- 謝謝你
誰是菲利普呢？
