the best of leiris

"This was the period when i spent most of my nights in Montamartre, hanging around nigh clubs like Zelli's and preferring the Negro bars to all the rest. I had new friends with whom I drank and philosophized , for drink, smoke, music, and crowds constituted the mental stimulants we considered most favorable to inspiration. Quite often I got drunk, more convinced than ever of alcohol's value and appreciating, moreover, the bitter sweet flavor of cocktails, the snowy taste of champagne, and the sharp tang of whiskey."

"The girl was not without charm, but lisped and slightly resembled some kind of nocturnal bird because of her way of closing one eye without narrowing or even winking the other. Perhaps for this reason, we called her Owl."