Lawrence Ferlinghetti is sitting in the back of one of the old
hangouts, Caffe Trieste, when he is cornered by a waifish young man
with a British accent who cannot believe his luck.
The tourist has spotted the famous founder of City Lights Books,
one of the biggest attractions in North Beach, just a block away from
the store. Best of all, Ferlinghetti, looking very Beat-cool with his
dapper white beard and a small silver hoop in his right ear, proves
as welcoming as your favorite high school teacher. Several
sputtering, honor-to-meet-you moments later, the young man
practically skips away.
"A passing fan," Ferlinghetti says, with smiling, clear blue eyes.
"Though usually," he adds after a ...