What is it about Waverly Bryson and Dino’s Pizza?
In my first two novels, Perfect on Paper, and It’s a Waverly Life, Waverly Bryson and her two best friends frequently get together at Dino’s Pizza, located in the heart of the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. While Waverly is not a real person, Dino’s is a real restaurant, and I have many fond memories from the years I spent living around the corner.
Brooklyn is my home these days, but my parents and sisters are still in the San Francisco suburbs, and I visit them often. Whenever I’m in town I usually drive by Dino’s at least once, and I inevitably feel a sense of nostalgia not just for my own past, but for Waverly’s too. The backdrop of her life is based on mine (I like to say that her life is my life if my life were more exciting), and when I see Dino’s I remember the days when my girlfriends and I would plop down at a table, order a pizza and a pitcher of beer, and wonder out loud when we were finally going to figure out our lives. Be it problems with boyfriends or work or family, there was always some sort of drama swirling around, and talking through our angst at Dino’s always made us feel better, even if we rarely came up with any answers. Dino himself was often working when we ate there, and I loved that he would stop by our table to say hello. It made me feel like a part of a small community within a large city.
Fast-forward a few years, and I’ve now written eight novels, all of which I realize share a similar theme: No one really has it all figured out! We’re all just people trying our best, trying to get by, trying to be happy, trying to get the most out of this magical and mysterious experience called life. My characters, like myself, may never know without a doubt that they’re headed in the right direction, but one thing they do know for sure is that with good friends by their side the journey is much easier—and a lot more fun.
Throw in some pizza and beers from Dino’s, and it’s even better! J
p.s. My new book, Bridges: A Daphne White Novel, is coming out this spring. I hope you will check it out!
Thanks for stopping by to share your food for thought, Maria!
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