The Devil and A Profanity-Spewing, Gun-Shooting, HInd-Leg-Walking Black Cat Come to Moscow...

As much as I love design, I am equally enamored with literature. I love to read. And am dangerously obsessed with books. And reading in a cozy coffee shop with a mug of quality light-roast coffee or an expertly made dry cappuccino while reading an actual, physical book? Well that's like jumping on a trampoline after an incredible yoga class just before a gourmet brunch. It's ideal, in other words.

Nessum Dorma. MKE, WI

A graphic I liked of Behemoth, the novel's black
gun-slinging, fully speech capable
cat on the interwebs a while ago.
Once I locate the artist or site it belongs to, I'll post it here.

One of my favorites is The Master and Margarita, a unique novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. A satire with acute cultural & socio-political criticism on the ills of Russian life in the 30s and Moscow's literary circles, the book is an epic, glorious tale of absurdist hilarity. It's in my opinion one of the mindblowing pieces of literature this side of the century. 

coffee + book.

After reading two English translations I picked up the Russian original, and it took me over a year to finish it, since at best, I read Russian at a 4th grade level. But it was stunning, and it is profoundly disappointing just how much of the subtle yet stabbing humor is lost in translation.