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!
You can find Maria here:
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