Bummer & Lazarus Monument

Christopher Moore and the food guy! If you have read anything Christopher Moore then you should check this out. Chris D.‘s review below gives more of the details that are not worth repeating — you recognize the names already, now go see the monument!

I first heard of Bummer and Lazarus (hereafter «B&L») through their frequent appearances in the stories of Christopher Moore. While I knew he liked to incorporate local tidbits in much of his writing I didn’t know that they were in fact real dogs… that had a real story of their very own. However, Mr. Moore does take a little poetic license with their background he does so in a way that is plausible for the reoccurring character they travel with-​the Emperor Norton. The Emperor is a homeless man and a self appointed protector of the City. In these stories Bummer and Lazarus are his trusty faithful companions who too protect their beloved city… One would get the impression that their may have been a prior relationship of the real person/​dogs…
Turns out that the Emperor and B&L were of different time periods in the late 19^th century and most likely never crossed paths. However, as I write about it, I can see where and why Mr. Moore used these beloved San Francisco characters as they could have been reincarnated into his creations… whereas the essence of them embodies the Soul of the City and they protect what we all love about living here. Kudos to Mr. Moore for enhancing the already rich culture of our City through these great stories and characters.
As to the monument… first of all it is situated in a great POPOS (Privately Owned Public Open Space). I am pleased to see the foresight the developers and Planners had in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s to use this valuable land for a great urban open space complete with redwoods, fountain, and plenty of seating.
The actual placement is rather non-​descript. I’ve been walking by it every morning for roughly three years and only really «found» it last year. Basically, it is a bronzish plaque with B&L’s great story. I will not ruin the fun of the pilgrimage by repeating it verbatim here but it does deserve a very brief mention to serve as a teaser…
B&L were strays that wandered this neighborhood in the late 1800’s. Apparently, they were inseparable… and both had ample amounts of charm. They etched their place into this city’s heart and soul as much as they did for each other… they were known as «two dogs with but a single bark, two tails that wagged as one.»
This place is a nice spot in general, plus local flavor, plus a pilgrimage for Moore fans… great spot in a great City.