Emerge from union station at midnight
Glide past flashing lights, police cars, fire trucks. Tired firefighters open and shut drawers, compartments, cabinets in revolving red and blue and yellow like stewardesses cross checking a flight about to crash into the ocean. Go to the edge of downtown and wait under broken streetlights, stand on the thin peninsula jutting into dark unknown. Streaking lights, motors, traffic sounds like crashing waves. Searchlights play in twins, illuminating gray clouds. A man in the distance gesticulates wildly, angrily, soundlessly. Stand still in the cold. Don't play music, read, shuffle, distract yourself. Listen, watch, feel. Let the city be itself.Replies
Though they made a crapy movie out of it I read "Ask the Dust" first. Its one of my favorite books.

This made me think of John Fante.