All of these quotes are in the stairwells at the Museum of the City of New York...
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
And this then, is New York City...
All of these quotes are in the stairwells at the Museum of the City of New York...
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Camera Obscura: Curbed NY
I met Nathan Kensinger at the art opening for Rising Waters on Monday. He had one image in that exhibit. He also had two images in the exhibit I attended tonight at the Brooklyn Historical Society building on Wednesday.
Nathan's work is inspiring to me both as a writer and as a photographer. After the hurricane, he traveled all over the city on his bike, capturing some great images of people and places. He continues to do so...
See his blog here: http://kensinger.blogspot.com/
and more of his work here: http://ny.curbed.com/tags/camera-obscura
Some of you have asked if the various boroughs are back to normal after the one year anniversary has now come and gone. I think that Nathan's photo below tells the story better than I can describe in words:
Nathan's work is inspiring to me both as a writer and as a photographer. After the hurricane, he traveled all over the city on his bike, capturing some great images of people and places. He continues to do so...
See his blog here: http://kensinger.blogspot.com/
and more of his work here: http://ny.curbed.com/tags/camera-obscura
Some of you have asked if the various boroughs are back to normal after the one year anniversary has now come and gone. I think that Nathan's photo below tells the story better than I can describe in words:
This photo appears on the Camera Obscura website.
Far Rockaway Joe
I wrote this poem last year for
a man I met in Far Rockaway on my first post-hurricane visit.
Ducking behind a corner to shield my tears and shock from the residents as they
dumped their ravaged belongings on the sidewalks, Joe took my arm and guided me in to his store, where he was giving away pizza
and coffee that had been donated to him. Embarrassed to be seen in my state of
grief because I was a visitor and not a victim of the hurricane, I stumbled
over my words while wiping the sorrow from my eyes and desperately trying to
compose myself.
I will never, ever forget the kindness in this man's eyes and
his soothing words as he openly shared his story with me. "It is good that you are here. We think that we have been forgotten. When
you come here to see what has happened, you can share this with others, so they
will know that we suffer. Don't forget us." And I haven't. Today, I stopped by the store to see Joe, only to find out that he passed away last month... In honor of Joe, here is this poem again.
For Joe
Your features are a palette of dirt
Layers of days smudged across your skin
Settling in to the furrow of your brow
Where it all rests
Mixing with the lines of worry and fear.
Your spirit is as damp as your house
A heart flooded heavy with emotions you won't express
There's a cold that seeps in to your bones
Slipping in beside you, to nuzzle your neck at night
It's in your eyes, this grief, circling your pupils.
Your guilt is weighing you down
And you slowly sink, holding tight to the shovel, to the mop, to the broom
And even more tightly to the pain of what you think is yours to carry alone
With all that rawness slung about your shoulders, filling your pockets, cementing your boots
Who's holding you Joe?
For Joe
Your features are a palette of dirt
Layers of days smudged across your skin
Settling in to the furrow of your brow
Where it all rests
Mixing with the lines of worry and fear.
Your spirit is as damp as your house
A heart flooded heavy with emotions you won't express
There's a cold that seeps in to your bones
Slipping in beside you, to nuzzle your neck at night
It's in your eyes, this grief, circling your pupils.
Your guilt is weighing you down
And you slowly sink, holding tight to the shovel, to the mop, to the broom
And even more tightly to the pain of what you think is yours to carry alone
With all that rawness slung about your shoulders, filling your pockets, cementing your boots
Who's holding you Joe?
Who's holding you?
Remembering Sandy
I spent the day alone, remembering what it was like last year after the Hurricane passed... stepping out my door for the first time and seeing the devastation first hand.
I first spent time at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a beautiful, quiet place that was just what my soul needed after the hectic exhibit opening last night. This is an oasis of tranquility in a city of noise and people and on more than one occasion last year, saved my sanity.
Leaving the Refuge, I caught the bus to wander the streets and beaches of Far Rockaway as the sun set, talking to locals who were eager to share their stories, watching the light change and listening to the surf.
The highlight of my day was talking to nine year old Marcos who was selling chocolate bars to help raise funds to replace the books that were damaged in his school.
"I love reading. I don't like sports. Other kids are raising money for soccer balls, but I think books are more important than soccer balls," Marcos.
I was told their was a candle light vigil, but when I tried to find it, no one seemed to know anything about it and when two young guys told me I probably shouldn't walk further down in to the neighborhood, I thanked them for caring and caught a bus back in to Brooklyn...
I'll return to the Rockaways on Saturday to have more time to wander and to visit with some of the families I met last year.
I first spent time at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a beautiful, quiet place that was just what my soul needed after the hectic exhibit opening last night. This is an oasis of tranquility in a city of noise and people and on more than one occasion last year, saved my sanity.
The highlight of my day was talking to nine year old Marcos who was selling chocolate bars to help raise funds to replace the books that were damaged in his school.
"I love reading. I don't like sports. Other kids are raising money for soccer balls, but I think books are more important than soccer balls," Marcos.
I was told their was a candle light vigil, but when I tried to find it, no one seemed to know anything about it and when two young guys told me I probably shouldn't walk further down in to the neighborhood, I thanked them for caring and caught a bus back in to Brooklyn...
I'll return to the Rockaways on Saturday to have more time to wander and to visit with some of the families I met last year.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Untapped Cities - Feature I'm Mentioned In
Here's a link to a story on the Rising Water's opening reception. I'm mentioned twice - woohoo!!! Some of the information is wrong, but put one guy with a notebook in a room full of photographers and guests and the public and it's any wonder he could hear anything... What an honor to be included...
http://untappedcities.com/2013/10/29/rising-waters-photographers-share-their-stories-and-photos-at-the-museum-of-the-city-of-ny/
http://untappedcities.com/2013/10/29/rising-waters-photographers-share-their-stories-and-photos-at-the-museum-of-the-city-of-ny/
My Opening Night Cheerleading Squad!
Thank you to Jared, Rashelle, Avi, Besty, Ai, Nancy and Francois, for coming out to the Museum exhibit and supporting my accomplishment. You guys are amazing!
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| Jared, Rashelle, me, Francois and Ai |
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| Jared, Rashelle, Avi, me, Betsy, Ai and Francois |
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| Rashelle, me and Francois |
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| Jared |
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| Rashelle, Francois and Ai |
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| Betsy, me and Ai |
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| Nancy and me in front of my streaming videos |
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| Betsy and Avi |
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| Ai, Francois and Jared |
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