Based On A True Story

The year 1926 is engraved on an emblem on the facade of the train station; the building is large and mission style. It has become more exotic over the years following the razing of other structures of that vernacular in the vicinity. Now it looks more like it should be in Latin America. It’s less than two miles from my house, but it feels much further. It’s one of my favorite buildings in Orlando. I was headed to another place that feels like Latin America. Miami.

On the train I was reading David Foster Wallace’s short story, Girl With Curious Hair. I had two seats to myself. I had a few pages left, when a woman, who may have been in her sixties sat next to me. She asked if she could sit next to me. I said yes. I didn’t really want her to sit next to me. I was happy with the extra empty seat. Then she started to tell me about the noisy person next to her. I ignored her and continued to read. She left a few minutes later.

That night in Miami I was at Churchill’s in Little Haiti. It was the first night of the International Noise Conference. I was supposed to play the next night in my new band Dos Geniuses. I saw Jeff from the Miami band Curious Hair. I told him about me reading Wallace’s short story on the train. I asked him if that title was the inspiration for his band name. He said yes, but he had never read it.