Peter Altenberg

Perhaps the morning is not working out the way you'd hoped.

The newspaper came late or not at all; and if it came it came filled with unpleasant news.

Pictures cannot be uploaded as all the servers are jammed.

What would Peter Altenberg do?

Find the nearest coffee shop in fin de siecle Vienna, order an espresso and pour a little whiskey from his flask into the dark brew.

There is no evidence that Altenberg did his writing in coffee shops, though his praise for them can be read in his book, Telegrams of the Soul, The Selected Prose (Archipelgo Books, 2005), which is highly recommended but cannot be found in bookstores anywhere.

Among Altenberg bon mots is his definition of a happy couple: he does what she wants and she does what she wants.