Ben Greenman Picks Up Literate Boys

I am almost certain that Ben Greenman is straight, so he isn't the one who actually picks up literate boys. It is the act of reading his stories that enables a certain degree more flirtation with boys with literary proclivities than might otherwise take place. Yesterday, I took his forthcoming book of short stories, A Circle is A Compass and a Balloon Both down to the local hipster coffee haunt for the afternoon. The man sitting across from me on the coffee shop's couch reading On The Road was intrigued by the plain, flourescent green cover on my galley copy of the book. He didn't seem to take much interest in the adorable girl sewing stuffed, felt creatures who was sitting in the chair next to mine. He wanted to know about the title of my book. "I was curious," he let on, "about your book." I humored him. I humored him for much longer than I am used to doing when a stranger approaches me. "Is it good?" he asked. "It's weird," I responded. I told him a little bit about the stories. "One story is about a time when everyone is a pop singer. But everyone is only allowed to record one song." He thought that would be a good thing, not being much of a pop-music man himself. Then he told me about his job. Since I had interviewed for a job at his company, we talked about that for a little while. After some time, he asked for the inevitable: my phone number. I am not accustomed to giving my number to boys. So when I receive a request like this, I freeze enough to provide the digits to my pursuer. But this is a passive agressive way to go about the whole situation which can be thought of as follows: boy meets girl in coffee shop. She is pretty; therefore, she must like boys. Boy talks to girl and asks her many questions, beginning with one regarding the title of the book she is holding firmly in front of her face. Girl talks to boy; therefore, she must be interested in him. Boy asks girl for her number. Girl gives number to boy. Boy leaves. Girl knows she won't return boy's call. What I have determined is that to be open to other people's conversation, and to broadcast a certain level of social or romantic availability is to broadcast it to everyone. Unfortunately, one cannot be particularly discriminating. Attention is attention. And sometimes all it takes is an obscure book to get some.