HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING Travel. Host. Correspond. COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE pre-2015 One great stay, several swell guests; many coffees, some brief, some lengthy, some truly bizarre, all worthwhile. Typical couchsurfer: Can I buy you a meal? post-2015 With a handful of exceptions, one couchsurfer after another seems to have forgotten who's doing whom a favor. Typical couchsurfer: when's dinner?

Films: Black Narcissus, Open Water, Mystery Street, The Browning Version, Havana. Books: Malvern (malvernthenovel.com), Waterland, Lolita, Disgrace, The Honourable Schoolboy. Film noir, Val Lewton, the Beatles, Johnny Hallyday, and, yes, Yes.