Daniel Handler on how he tricked his spouse into transferring to San Francisco
While others are making a big deal about the move, Daniel Handler triples in San Francisco.
On the latest Total SF podcast, the San Francisco-born A Series of Unfortunate Events writer (who writes under the name Lemony Snicket) talks about how he lived in New York when he met his wife Lisa more than 20 years ago Brown got married and he planned to get her to move to San Francisco
That story is below.
Listen to the entire episode here or use the player at the top of this story.
In the episode recorded on Green Apple Books, Handler also shared his pandemic habit of swimming in San Francisco Bay, his favorite spot in town for a stiff drink, and why Prince’s “When Doves Cry” is the best song he can play the accordion.
Q: Did you ever think that you would live somewhere else? And what brought you back here?
A: I married a woman from New England. She comes from a family where you live in Manhattan until you have a child and then move to Long Island. Or if you’re a rebel, Connecticut. Something like that I figured that maybe it would happen.
But I’m also a great propagandist for San Francisco. When she and I first met, we were spending a summer here and I pretended I had stumbled upon every spectacular thing I got her to do. Like, “Oh, I’m hungry, would you like some dumplings here? Could you use a little pick-me-up? Let’s just stop by Cafe Trieste! We’ll have an espresso. I go here sometimes … “
Everything was the most spectacular version. And then I kept saying: “I live everywhere, I don’t really care!”
Daniel Handler is recording a Total SF podcast with Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight at Green Apple Books in San Francisco on July 6, 2021.
Heather Knight / The Chronicle
Q: For example, “Oh look, there’s Paul Kantner from Jefferson Airplane! … ”
A: “… he seems to be enjoying the ginger salad in the Mandalay Burmese restaurant. But I will live everywhere! Anywhere that has great Burmese food is fine with me. ”And then, when we lived in New York, we knew pretty instantly that we would leave if we could.
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Handler is contributing an essay on The End of the Golden Gate, Total SF Book Club’s newest selection, in collaboration with the San Francisco Public Library and Green Apple Books. Handler and Gary Kamiya will host a virtual event with the San Francisco Public Library on August 24, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. along with Total SF hosts Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub.
Register here to reserve your place.
Peter Hartlaub is a cultural critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub
