Darkness, the color of pitch, wrapped itself around the empty street in the town of Hope, Illinois. The beam of a lone streetlamp shone eerily through the foggy mist. Inside the building on the corner of Main and State Streets, Angelo Salducci and his wife engaged in quiet conversation. Happy though exhausted from all the work preparing for the opening of their new diner, they enjoyed each other’s company over a cup of coffee. Their dream of inviting friends and strangers to step into their new diner, enjoy a meal and conversation, had been fulfilled. A new chapter in their lives had begun. [Nighthawks, the Diner]

Researching for a story fires my imagination. Not only are new things learned, but one new item of information often leads to another, –and another, –and another. This was especially true as I began my research of diners in preparation for my current work in progress—Nighthawks:The Diner, from which the above passage is taken.

Nancy Larson was one of several people in our critique group who helped me in many ways as I formulated my story based on Edward Hopper’s painting, Nighthawks. A small town diner, late at night, hosted the owner and three customers. I was well into the story when I mentioned I felt the title needed to be something beside “Nighthawks.” Nancy suggested adding “The Diner” since it was the basis of the story. Check and done! Then she added that there is a diner in Dallas called “The Original Market Diner.” So my daughter and I made a trip to the big city and there it was. We arrived in the late afternoon and decided a piece of pie and a drink were in order. Walking through the door was almost like walking back in time. This diner had the usual window wall along the front. We sat in a booth, scanned the menu which the waitress provided, and began to absorb the atmosphere of the room. While we ate our pies, I looked around and began to take notes. There was a long counter with individual seats lined up before it, and booths along the outer wall. To our left was a large room with tables and chairs. The entire atmosphere was cozy, but spacious enough not to feel crowded. The menu offers such a wide variety and of course, pies are in order for dessert, along with other delicacies. After all, what’s a diner without a piece of homemade pie?

I was able to contact the owner to let him know my purpose. He was very accommodating and approachable, which increased my excitement to get this work done in a timely manner. He even offered to help set up an area for a book signing.

Then Covid reared its ugly head. Travel and involvement with groups came to a halt. “Quarantine” and “masking” became the watchwords for the general population. But now that restrictions have eased considerably, I’m picking up where I left off and making the effort to contact the owner again. (To be continued)