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St Marks Bookshop circa. 2008 Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood Stories and Writers Revisited Editorial Introduction by Zoe Kalaw In the early 2000s, Greg Purcell wrote three pieces for Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood. They were funny, self-aware, and sharply observant, attuned to the minor humiliations and quiet revelations of New York City life. Like many of the site’s contributions from that period, they [...]
(This essay is adapted from a talk given by the author on May 28, 2025, at the Salgamundi Club at an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood.) In 2012, I was in a bar with my friend John O’Connor. His 2024 book The Secret History of Bigfoot got some rave reviews. You should read it. Anyway, after [...]
New York is a city of extremes—extreme weather, extreme rent, extreme dreams, and just as often, extreme disappointment. As I wandered through the stories in Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood this week, I didn’t land on a clean takeaway like “hope” or “loss.” Instead, I found something messier and more human: a kind of nervous laughter that lingers after the punchline fades. Each [...]
This year is the 25th anniversary of Mr. Beller's Neighborhood. Our fantastic new intern Zoe Kalaw has been rummaging around the site and finding connections and stories that resonate. Over the next month, she will be offering her thoughts on what she has been reading as well as providing video reflections on our Instagram page. --------------------------------- Excursion #1: Between Polarization [...]
