The Gary and Ira Book Club

I know many people like participating in book clubs. I’ve even had the pleasure of meeting with three or four book clubs who chose one of my books for their group. But, personally, I have never been in a book club. That is, until recently. I think you’ll get a kick out of how it came to be!

Last summer, Fran and I spent a week in Aspen to see our daughter perform in Mamma Mia!. On our second morning while having breakfast at an outdoor cafe, a man sitting a few tables away looked at me and gestured in a big “thumbs down” motion. He can’t be directing that at me, I thought to myself. I looked over both of my shoulders to see if he was communicating with someone behind me, but no one was there. I looked back at the stranger, only to receive the same odd treatment. 

“What is it with this guy?” I murmured to Fran, but she was just as befuddled as I.

So I pointed to myself and mouthed the words, Do you mean me? The stranger nodded in the affirmative and pointed to his shirt and then back at me. I glanced down, only to realize I was wearing a Yankees t-shirt. Oh, you mean my shirt, I mouthed. He nodded, so I got up and walked over to his table.

“You don’t like the Yankees?” I asked.

“I love the Yankees,” he replied. “I’m a native New Yorker. Queens. But they’ve lost sixteen of their last twenty-one games. How about you? You’re a Yankees fan too?”

“No, I used to be,” I explained, “but I don’t follow pro sports anymore. What I am is a fan of second hand clothing. There’s a dead man floating out there somewhere who was a Yankees fan and whose wife donated this shirt to Goodwill!” 

I think he liked my irreverent sense of humor because, before we knew it, Fran and I joined the stranger and his wife for breakfast. We immediately hit it off with Ira and Karen, so much so, in fact, that before parting company, we made a date to have dinner two nights later. At dinner, Ira and I found out that we were kindred spirits – not only did we share similar political views but also an appreciation for art and a love of reading. Ira recommended a few books that he loved and also two podcasts about reading: Backlisted and Lit with Charles. I found myself jotting the names of his recommendations down on my copy of the receipt. 

When we parted company that night, we promised to keep in touch. You know, that thing you often say but seldom do. When I got home, though, I started listening to the two podcasts while exercising, and I loved them. I ordered and read two of Ira’s recommendations: Life with Picasso by Françoise Gilot (Ira and I are both fascinated with Picasso!) and The Quiet American, a novel by Graham Greene (I had never read Greene before). 

Long story short, I was knocked out by both books and called Ira to share my enthusiasm. I am now on my fourteenth book since that first phone conversation, all of which came as a result of knowing Ira. Ira and I, consequently, talk on the phone regularly.

And listen: I generally hate talking on the phone, but as I often tell Ira, I look forward to each and every conversation with him. I call it “The Gary and Ira Book Club.” Just about every book I’ve read since Aspen came to me directly or indirectly through Ira, and he hasn’t steered me wrong yet. 

As our relationship has progressed, I have found that Ira offers a warm, genuine friendship along with insights and wisdom, not only about books but also about life. I leave each conversation feeling like a better me for having talked with him.

I experience Ira as a guy who really has his act together and who builds other people up. He kindly read one of my books, and his genuine praise and enthusiasm for my writing made me feel like I was Graham Greene. He continues to encourage me to write, stressing that what’s most important in life is the act of creating, pointing out that Picasso painted every single day of his life, no matter what. 

Another of Ira’s sterling qualities is he’s the best listener I have ever met. (Sorry, Fran, you’ve fallen to the #2 position!) When I am speaking, Ira simply never interrupts until he is certain I have finished my thoughts, and, in return, I do my best to reciprocate. Through knowing him, I hope I have become a better listener. 

There are other added benefits of our friendship. I am reading more and spending less time on social media or listening to depressing newscasts. If something important happens, I’ll find out about it. And our wives have also stayed in touch which is a nice bonus. So it’s a win-win for all four of us.

I feel our meeting that morning in Aspen was fate, and I feel that my friendship with Ira has changed my life for the better. Thank God for that Yankees shirt! I wish everyone had an Ira in their life. I’m grateful for this new friendship and happier still to be a member of a book club. But don’t ask to join. Our membership is limited to two!