Q: You’ve recently moved to San Francisco, but it seems like you know your way around pretty well already. As a New Yorker, how do you find the lifestyle out here in the Wild Wild West?

EGS: Well, thank you. But actually, I’m not sure that I really know San Francisco that well at all. After more than a year here, I feel like I’m still trying to get a clear sense of this town and to put my finger on the West Coast mentality. But for me that’s a good thing. I like newness. I like exploring. I like approaching where I live as a traveler, writing about what I see in my journal, or just in my head, and tying to come up with observations that ring true.

Q: But you seem to get around the city so effortlessly.

EGS: Well, if you’re comfortable living in New York City, the rest of the world is a breeze. At least that’s what I’ve found wherever I’ve traveled. Plus, when I arrive in a new place I get pretty aggressive about orientating myself. I carry a map with me wherever I go (as he pulls a map out of his camera bag), and I refer to it all the time. I always try new routes to the same destinations, and I intentionally get lost just to see what I will discover when I try to get un-lost.