Books To Jump Up and Down Over
The Call by Yannick Murphy: The always interesting author of Here They Come and Signed, Mata Hari returns with a novel that whips up a worldview from a rather quirky set of limitations: namely, the call logs that a veterinarian maintains as his son is unexpectedly put into a coma and an unforgiving economy denies him work. What emerges is a surprisingly optimistic, often funny, and very moving account on how one family uses acceptance and forgiveness as a way to atone for hard knocks. (Bat Segundo interview with Murphy)
Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber: Forget Franzen and Eugenides. If you're looking for a social novel that counts, Diana Abu-Jaber is the author you're looking for. Building from the free-form exploration of consciousness and identity in Crescent and the gripping procedural structure of Origin, Abu-Jaber's latest novel is her finest, equally fluent with gutterpunk culture and smarmy real estate men. It has been suggested by The Washington Post's Ron Charles that you will likely gain some pounds while reading this novel. This is certainly true. Abu-Jaber's description of food is so precise that it often made me want to do more cooking. But I very much admired the way in which Abu-Jaber presents all her characters as unwitting victims of rough capitalism, which permits them some dignity even as they perform terrible acts.
The Last of the Live Nude Girls by Sheila McClear: This memoir isn't so much about the decline of the Times Square peepshow, as it is about one young woman's efforts to pull herself up by by her bootstraps when presented with few economic options. Filled with self-introspective candor and a quiet dignity, McClear's story is one that might befall any of us in these volatile times. While McClear does get back on her feet, her book leads one contemplating the terrible fates of other young women now moving to New York and falling into deadlier vocations. (Bat Segundo interview with McClear)
New York Archive
-
Occupy Wall Street: Was the NYPD Authorized to Pepper Spray Peaceful Observers?
Posted on September 25, 2011 | 7 CommentsAn inquiry into excessive pepper spray use at the Occupy Wall Street protest reveals much -- including the NYPD's failure to abide by its own guidelines. -
Five Three Oh
Posted on October 30, 2009 | 1 CommentAt 5:30 AM, you know who is truly fearless. Early birds shuffle into the guarded lobbies of fitness centers, jutting their chins and sticking their hands into hoodies not for... -
Subway
Posted on July 15, 2009 | 1 Comment“Subway” — the fourth installment of my “Anthropological Film” series — was shot and edited on July 14, 2009. For some unknown reason, I took my camera with me for... -
Golden Hour
Posted on July 10, 2009 | 5 Comments“Golden Hour,” which was shot at and around Riverside Park, is the third of what I’m calling my “anthropological films.” You can watch it above or click through to YouTube... -
Dia de los Vivos — Flower Parade 2009
Posted on June 28, 2009 | 1 CommentOn June 28, 2009, I attended The Flower Parade. I knew nothing about the parade, but learned very quickly that its intent was to celebrate Colombia. The above film, “Dia... -
Bubbles: A Consideration
Posted on June 13, 2009 | 13 CommentsOn June 12, 2009, I attended a bubble battle in New York. But the event wasn’t really a battle — at least not in the traditional sense. Hundred of people... -
C Rock
Posted on February 1, 2009 | 6 CommentsThe cracked light turquoise paint clings to the gneiss on the Bronx side of Spuyten Duyvil Creek, forming the canvas for a stenciled C, a character cloud with a silver... -
When Is a Bar Not a Bar?
Posted on January 15, 2009 | 1 CommentIt changes its hours, its temperament, and its reasons for existing faster than the seasons. Faster than some contemporary hostler can rustle up fresh horses or the unseen manager can... -
Crave
Posted on October 28, 2008 | 1 CommentThe economic downturn is shaking up the rabble just south of Times Square. I was walking along Eighth Avenue, and a man leaped at me some fifteen feet from the... -
NYPD Police Brutality
Posted on July 31, 2008 | 2 CommentsWCBS: “Cephus said he was bringing ice into a park, when he encountered two police officers checking for liquor. He dropped his bag, and says he was hit 10 to... -
Subwaymarine
Posted on July 4, 2008 | No CommentsEver wonder what happens to abandoned subway cars? Well, apparently, retired subway cars have proven to be quite helpful to the fish population just off coast of Delaware. Cars are... -
Henry Miller on New York
Posted on June 10, 2008 | 1 Comment(via The Publishing Spot) -
Forgotten Statue, Forgotten Spirit
Posted on January 14, 2008 | 3 CommentsLike many statues nestled along the rectangular trestles of Manhattan’s parks, Karl Bitter’s bronze depiction of Carl Schurz — situated at the corner of Morningside Drive and 116th Street —... -
First Year’s Snow
Posted on December 2, 2007 | 1 CommentTo say that I was a gleeful and spellbound little monkey this morning upon seeing the first year’s snow in New York City would be an understatement. My first impulse... -
The NYPD Cracks Down on Human Decency
Posted on November 28, 2007 | No CommentsNew York Times: “In fact, all three items had been planted by police officers in plainclothes during the previous six weeks. And the three people who picked them up were... -
Along Central Park’s Perimeter
Posted on November 18, 2007 | 2 CommentsSaturday morning’s walk extended, to my surprise, across six miles in Manhattan. Mammoth bleachers for the Thanksgiving Day Parade were settled and half-unpacked by imposing tractors, stretched in sequential array... -
Six Years Later
Posted on September 11, 2007 | No CommentsIt is just a day. Why don’t they understand this? Yes, it’s a Tuesday. The same third day of the week it was when it happened. But this doesn’t mean... -
The Death and Life of a Great American City?
Posted on January 30, 2007 | No CommentsRobert Sullivan: “For the past two decades, New York has been an inspiration to other American cities looking to revive themselves. Yes, New York had a lot of crime, but... -
The High Cost of Being at the Center of the Universe
Posted on October 31, 2006 | 1 CommentNew York Magazine: “Our dollar looks the same as the better-known U.S. version, but it doesn’t go nearly as far here as anywhere else. How much is it really worth?...