An acquaintance recently said to me, “I really like the fact that you’re bartending, with an Ivy League degree! Interesting and down to earth.”

I’d add that bartending is one of the most direct forms of grassroots-level anthropological research for any writer. It’s a very privileged glimpse into the human condition, a constant source of story ideas and characters to flesh out. It’s like people-watching for a living.

I love my job. In what other profession can you sip single-malt whiskey while working, banter with admiring clientele, and have large wads of cash thrown at you for smiling and serving them alcohol?

I don’t intend to sling drinks forever, but, in the meantime, it revs up my writing engines, and the money ain’t too shabby, either.