Brandlore, Larry's newest book, is due out in 2009. Learn how to build a brand, sustain it, and elevate it to win the hearts and minds of key stakeholders. Stay tuned...
First published in 2002, Legendary Brands was Larry's first book and explores the narrative structure of some of the world's leading brands. Drawing upon cognitive psychology and the study of classic mythology, the book demonstrates that great brands succeed by tapping a universal story structure.
Mad Man's Creed is a collection of 33 poems about hope, loss and the curious promise of that which lies in the spaces in between. Written in a three-year span of life-changing experiences, this is a collection of random thoughts and narrative fun.And on the Fifth Day…
It is nearly 6pm and I have found a seat at a long marble bar in the center of Bailey, a fashionable watering hole just off Grafton Street in Dublin. All the middle management Dubliners journey in, usually in pairs and trios. They place their orders with the bar and engage in good craick, the cherished conversational art of the Irish. The weather is unseasonably warm, in the 60’s, so most of the crowd opts to sit outside at one of the popular cafe tables. I keep my seat inside and watch the scene that develops around me. A group of four older patrons, two men and their wives, I presume, gather in a booth by the window. They are smartly dressed. It is a reunion of sorts and they laugh and toast as they share stories. The men sip Guinnesses while the ladies enjoy gin and tonics.
In the next booth a young couple exhausts a bottle of white wine. He is a dark haired young man in a crisp, striped shirt. She is blond, with buttery skin and pale blue eyes. Her hair is tied back and she wears a conservative blouse and jacket. There is a casual, resigned air to their conversation. Every so often he leans over the table and offers a quiet confidence, perhaps gossip, perhaps a flirtatious love offering. Either way, each time he does she warms with a smile and sometimes giggles. They never touch.
To my left a couple of Italian men carry on brashly, their voices filling the room with the musical song of their language. The balding one in the black sport coat is loudest. He effuses about his ragazzi. The other man is an incessant laugher. He laughs at everything. I think he would laugh at the suggestion for another round, or a suggestion to leave. It’s a high pitched laugh with more air than sound.
And then there’s me, with my pint and my journal, scribbling away my random thoughts and observations. None of this is a fit for my current project, but the act of capturing it to recall later makes me happy. The street scene outside is magnificent. The sun has broken through clouds and cast a bright, yellow light on the cobble stones and colorful store fronts. Dublin is alive today, and people pass each other with purpose. The city bustles and rejoices in its sunshine.
It is a grand city. I drink another pint to honor it.
PS: For those keeping track, I finished another 2,100 words on the train ride back from Cork today. I was not scheduled to churn out any words today, so the addition gives me a head start for Friday, my last full day in Ireland.
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