Bagdad Theater, SE Hawthorne.
I love the periwinkle sky and circus-like lettering on the theater sign. And it's so perfect that "Adaptation" is listed on the marquee - a movie about the struggle between process and product, the ultimate internal battle for writers.
More than once, I have arrived at this street corner with a deep sense of sadness and anonymity - on Hawthorne, everyone seems to know each other. Groups of two or three huddle on the crowded sidewalk, making plans for the weekend, or talking about books they recently read. People stop mid-crosswalk and say hello, as their dogs sniff each other's noses and bark. When I stand alone in front of the Bagdad, I feel like something is about to happen, as if a whole new set of possibilities has opened up for me. Maybe it's the whimsical architecture. Or maybe it's just something about the movies, especially when they have a real marquee, not those ugly signs that jut out from Regal Cinemas.
I will walk several bocks out of my way just to cross Hawthorne at this intersection.