You are currently viewing the stories for March, 2009

They Steal Young Girls

by 03/23/2009
Neighborhood: Chinatown

“You can’t walk around here! They steal young girls and sell them as slaves.” Grandma’s voice hit a higher pitch with each syllable, her blue eyes sparking with agitation behind the dark rims of her glasses. I was momentarily stunned by her vehemence as much as by her words. We were in the backseat of […]

The Most Important Thought In the World

by 03/23/2009
Neighborhood: Across the River, Staten Island

Those given to make art are probably the least well equipped to handle what is demanded of the artist. The criticism. The egos. The business – because when it comes right down to it, the artist is a salesman, and his art is the product. It’s enough to push a borderline personality over the edge. […]

The Decalogue: Ten Short Stories about Ten Short…Long Years

by 03/23/2009
Neighborhood: All Over, Multiple

March 2009 will mark the ten-year anniversary of returning to New York City. The first year I lived here, in 1993-94 was a blur: an apartment in the Bronx, working with kids at a neighborhood center, $10 all-you-could-drink Saturday nights at Rockridge on Bleecker, 6 a.m. 4-train rides home, and smoking blunts with the janitor […]