2008/03/19 New York
[ Previous ]   [ Next ]

The perfect place

Melancholia and lust

I cannot recall when I visited the Bemelmans bar at the Carlyle for the first time.
I went there with many of my former girlfriends, a few women with whom I fooled around for a while, quite a few of my publishers, a captain with whom I traveled twice to Afghanistan, some editors, a secretary who disappeared, a friend who disappeared, an Italian man who had the habit of engaging strangers in conversation, my amante and an agent whom I left.
Tonight I went there after dinner with one of my Dutch publishers.
A couple stood up and started dancing.
Bemelmans is the perfect place for those who suffer from melancholia and those who suffer from lust and anything in between.


[ Add comment ]
19 comments Last_comment
The Carlyle Building is indeed one of the most beautiful skyscrapers in the world. No experiment, pure beauty. The place itself radiates melancholy lust and anything in between, as only beauty can do.
said Jan Thys 19/03/2008 08:07 • x
A few women with whom you fooled around for a while? Staff must be discreet.
said Margot Morgan 19/03/2008 12:22 • x
Arnon,

In which mood you were? Was it lust or melancholia or both? Was is a femine dutch publisher?
said Helen Priso 19/03/2008 12:50 • x
it
said Helen Priso 19/03/2008 12:50 • x
Jan T
The Carlyle is the name of the hotel, Madison between 76th and 77th; are we speaking about the same thing?
said Arnon Grunberg 19/03/2008 14:54 • x
Helen
Male.
said Arnon Grunberg 19/03/2008 14:54 • x
@Arnon
The link goes directly to the Carlyle building, the Bemelmans bar seems to be a part of this building, or am I mistaken?
said Jan Thys 19/03/2008 15:13 • x
Jan
The link goes to the Carlyle Hotel, not so much the building. But I will inspect the building more carefully next time I go there.
said Arnon Grunberg 19/03/2008 15:45 • x
@Arnon,
Yes, go to the site and click on the ‘Photo Gallery’. You will see.

By the way, in De Morgen they announce Tirza, the movie, for next year! I am curious.
said Jan Thys 19/03/2008 18:29 • x
Bemelmans must be my spot!
Although I am not sure what I am suffering from.
said Vera M. 19/03/2008 19:16 • x
Melancholia
Hugo Claus died this afternoon. He chose for euthanasia because of his Altzheimer. As a teenage, he was my idol.
said Mieke Dutoit 19/03/2008 22:12 • x
Your description of the place sounds like a hospital. No offense.
I work at a hospital and the number of collegues who suffer from lust, melancholia or a combination of the two is not to be underestimated.
Today a collegue, a married man in his fifties, made a move on me.
During an operation he whispered: "My little Felix, you are so tender."
said David Martino 20/03/2008 00:03 • x
to David,

I'm sure he did, now all we need is a drunken mother and a few ex's and everybody can start believing in your story, and after that their own.
said M. J. 20/03/2008 01:47 • x
David
Is your name David or Felix? Or both?
said Arnon Grunberg 20/03/2008 02:36 • x
Margot
I stopped fooling around.
said Arnon Grunberg 20/03/2008 02:37 • x
re the filmrights to Tirza
Arnon, as Jan brought it up and you know my liaisons with Dutch film, I have a few questions: were you involved in the negotiations regarding the film rights, or did this happen entirely out of the scope of your interest/influence? Please tell mr van der Berg not to reveal the 'clue' in one big flashback in the end. It's going to be an incredible challenge for him to solve that one. Do you have the approval rights regarding the screenplay?
said noa fenenga 20/03/2008 03:17 • x
Arnon
My name is David, but it was the first time he called me Felix.
I didn't ask why, I smiled sweet instead.
said David Martino 20/03/2008 09:03 • x
M.J.
Do you suffer from melancholia?
said David Martino 20/03/2008 09:12 • x
I sincerely hope that Mr van den Berg will do a better job than Mr Abu-Assad, in 1998.
said Oscar Wilde 20/03/2008 22:00 • x
[ Add comment ]