William Blake once wrote he could see the universe in a grain of sand. I come to view The Park as a book that never stops, a stream in a constant state of change of which the pages are one “catch” after another. 

To look closely at the book covers, and to listen to the voices from the benches offers a microcosmic mirror of a community and its multiple characters, with their own loves, politics and dreams.

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A woman in an orange sweater sits on a bench reading "The Crying of Lot 49" outdoors, with other people relaxing nearby.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

What’s it about? 

It’s absurdity, the absurdity of everything. Many people read Gravity’s Rainbow. I have not. 

Where did you go to college?

I went to Cornell. 

Isn’t that where Pynchon went to school?

Yes. 

What do you do for work? 

I am a union organizer for grocery clerks.

Were you here yesterday for the demo in the park? 

No.

Can I ask your name? 

Althea. 

I never heard that name before. 

The Grateful Dead. It’s a love song. My parents were hippies.

A person in a black hooded jacket sits on a wooden bench, writing in a notebook with a yellow pen. A green backpack is beside them.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

My name is Seyd. I am from India. 

I don’t think I photograph well.

I write to try to figure out things.

A person with dreadlocks and glasses sits outdoors, smiling and holding the book "The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

The Marathon Don’t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle by Rob Kenner

I’ve been in both jails and college. My name is Jeremiah. 

Where did you go to college? 

Morehouse. 

Did you know Ida Rousseau?

What? You know Dr. Rousseau? She was my sociology professor. That’s amazing.

We both went to Richmond High School across the Bay. She was straight As, the valedictorian at our graduation.

I don’t believe this. That you would know Dr. Rosseau. Life is so random. She was tough on me. But real good.

Two people sitting on a bench outdoors; one is holding a book titled "Valencia." Both are wearing sunglasses and red jackets, and sunlight is casting shadows on the ground.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

Valencia by Michelle Tea

What is Valencia? 

It’s a book about lesbian life in San Francisco in the 1990’s It was right here around the Park. Gay men were up the hill in the Castro. 

What are your names?? 

I am Miranda. I am from Sweden. 

I am Sebastian from right here. 

When did you meet?

September, Can you move on. We want to keep reading.

Man in black hoodie and cap sits cross-legged on a bench reading a book outdoors in a park on a sunny day.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

L’armée du Salut by Abdellah Taïa

It’s in French and in Morocco. 

I have read him before. He writes about his youth. 

What did I study? Linguistics. 

What do I do? Project management. Do I like it? It’s OK.

A person dressed in black sits on a grassy hill reading a book, with palm trees, parked cars, and buildings in the background.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

Off the bench reader among the palms and on the grass, the day warm again. Too far down the hill to call out to ask what could she be reading.

She is part way through the thick paperback, firm and bent to her grip.

A man wearing sunglasses sits on a wooden bench outdoors, holding an open book. A red bag and a pack of LaCroix are beside him. Cars are parked in the background.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

Vineland by Thomas Pynchon

My name is Asher. In Hebrew it means happy. My Jewish parents wanted a happy child. I am a musician. The oud is my instrument. It’s Arab in origin. It becomes the lute in Northern Europe. I love Pynchon. 

I have read Gravity’s Rainbow and everything else. The writing is like mirrors of where we are as well as a prediction of where we will be. It is also very funny. Vineland. Yes, in Northern California. It’s about ‘back to the landers.’ I want to go up there sometime to see what it is like.

A man stands outdoors near a bench, holding a book and wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts, and a sweatshirt draped over his shoulders. Other people and cars are visible in the background.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

El Infinito En Un Junco by Irene Vallejo

It’s in Spanish. It is about the origins of language and writing in Mesopotamia. 

You mean hieroglyphs? Yes. 

You are so tall with such long arms. What do you? I dance in the San Francisco Ballet. 

Beautiful! I am from Spain. 

Is ballet still cruel among the dancers fighting for parts? 

No, that is an old history; things have changed. It is competitive, but no one is trying to break any one’s ankles to become a lead. I love the work we do. 

Why are you reading this particular book with the papyrus plants on the cover. I am just curious by nature. It’s about words.

A person sitting on a bench outdoors, smiling and holding a book titled "The Crane Wife" by CJ Hauser, with a tote bag and phone beside them.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser

I work in the legal end of tech. 

Does that mean you work with the titans, the big guys in the industry?

They might think they are big, but they are not that big.

This book, what is it, what is it about? 

It’s an appreciation of the forms and varieties of love.

I am silenced. I ask no more questions. The expressions on her face, don’t they say everything? 

View of a city skyline with tall buildings under cloudy skies, palm trees and a park with a red bridge in the foreground.Photo by Stephen Vincent.

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Most neighborhoods don’t have that. Yours could. 

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