You are currently viewing the stories for “July 2004.”
Bill Licht (not his real name) was an obese bookish fellow who had impeccable taste. He would come into our shop choosing first editions of Graham Greene and E. M. Forster, Paul Bowles and Eric Ambler, inscribed Somerset Maugham and Gore Vidal, twentieth century British poets of varying stripes, the odd contemporary American writer. He did not seem to have [...]
In February 2004, when the New York City Council passed a non-binding resolution-by a 36-13 vote-denouncing certain provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, what was more interesting to me than a symbolic defense of civil liberties was the fact that one of those 13 dissenters was Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr. Pete and I were friends years ago and even played [...]
Midtown is the part that nobody loves, that nobody thinks of as home. The bars have no character and the delis are as uniform as cartoon nurses. If there is an all-night bodega, it must be a joyless one. (I like all-night bodegas. They are an unfailing source of joy and surprise to me. I can spend half-hours marvelling drunkenly, [...]
I stepped into the crowded subway car and a little girl sitting next to the door yelled something at me. "Hey Mister..." I shot her a look that said: "I don't know if I'm going to pay attention to you, but at least let me claim my standing spot and my pole before I decide." But then my hand met [...]
Dear Angela Cardinale: Sorry to write to you months after the fact but I only just read your piece that was e-mailed to the NY Companion Bird Club. Why didn't you tell us that you were interviewing our club for your article? And the details, Angela, did you write from memory or tape-record us? It was brilliant! I had no [...]
It is winter, it is night, it is cold and I can feel deep down inside of me a bug of some sort beginning to develop. It is far away in my feet, beginning to make my feet ache, but soon I know it will creep up my legs and into my torso and that will be the end of [...]
My Uncle Ayman is out of Lemon Snapple. I fish through the drink compartment, a deep bin on the far left of the hot dog cart, and settle for a Diet. "Please. Courtney. Take whatever you want." He always says my name like it’s a sentence all its own. He’s selling hot dogs, lukewarm pretzels, iced teas, and sodas on [...]
In the song "New York, New York," Frank Sinatra claims that "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." Theoretically, this might be true, but practically speaking, I think it should read "anywhere [reachable by public transportation]," since New York is one of the only places in the United States where it’s possible to be a fully- [...]
With the groundbreaking of the Freedom Tower at Ground Zero, this past Fourth of July marked the latest phase of post- 9-11 recovery. “As we commemorate the foundation of our nation we will lay the foundation for our resurgence,” Gov. George Pataki hopefully explained about the event. But while Pataki may feel it is high time for new beginnings, to [...]
Midway through The Warriors, a lesbian gang called The Lizzies lures a detachment of Warriors back to their party pad, treacherously plying them with music, dancing, and the promise of good loving. Waylaying the Warriors just as Circe waylaid Odysseus and his crew, these jaunty lesbians proceed to transform the street-tough Warrior boys into randy and helpless Sweathogs. That’s when [...]
