Roger Greenberg

Living… in his brother's house in Los Angeles. Greenberg is house-sitting and dog-sitting while his brother’s out of town. His plan is to only be here for a few weeks. L.A. is not his kind of city. He hates how the men all dress like children. His usual longing to live in Europe is at its zenith out here.

Profession… carpenter, though not a very enthusiastic one. He’s actually transitioning between jobs right now, from carpentry to doing nothing. He’s really trying to do nothing for a while. He’d like his career to be sitting around his brother's house and catching up with old friends. Most of his energy and time goes toward building a doghouse for his brother’s dog.

Interests… writing complaint letters to various organizations and people that wrong him – The New York Times, American Airlines, Mayor Bloomberg, Starbucks, all the negative forces in the world that are determined to keep him down. Rather than email or tweet, Greenberg likes to kvetch the old fashioned way, with pen and paper.

Relationship Status… confusing. He’s started up a courtship with Florence, the girl who walks his brother’s dog, but it might all be a mistake. Florence is obviously into him but she insists on taking it slow, and he’ll be gone by the time she’s ready. He’s not even sure if he could get involved with someone so young. As Greenberg puts it, “Sex is still an event for her. I wish it would be an event for me.”

Challenge… letting go of the past, accepting his mistakes, and letting people in. When Greenberg was young he played music, and passed up opportunities because they never seemed good enough for him – he wanted great, even perfect, not good. Then before he knew it, he looked up and he was 40. He’s burned most of his bridges just by not caring. He longs to feel enthusiasm and for a chance to matter to anyone outside of himself, but he can’t get past his own sour nature.

Personality… neurotic and bitter. Greenberg’s misanthropy has an air of superiority to it. He believes other people are mostly stupid, and he refuses to meet them on their level. He’s death-obsessed, but for someone so afraid of dying, he’s not even that big on being alive. He over-thinks everything, leading him to seem emotionally distant and unavailable in most situations. He’s not the guy you go to for cheering up. He’s the guy who will tell you it’s not even worth it.