All posts by louise crawford
6:30 TONIGHT: MO WILLEMS AT BARNES AND NOBLE
Someone else who shoulda been on the list (ah next year)…
Tonight at Barnes and Noble: Mo Willems will be at the Park Slope Barnes & Noble to read from his latest book, Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct.
6:30 pm. 267 7th Avenue.
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR BAY RIDGE HIKER
Hope dimmed for rescuers seeking a Brooklyn man and his two climbing buddies on Oregon’s Mount Hood yesterday when the body of one of the adventurers, Kelly James of Dallas, was found in a snow cave.
Searchers found a snow cave Sunday near the spot located by cell phone signals traced from James, who made a four-minute call to his family Dec. 10 just below the summit, said Jessica Nunez, a spokeswoman for the climber’s family.
The discovery was made just before sundown – a blow to rescuers who only hours earlier had what they thought was their biggest break in days.
“Our hearts are going out to the families right now,” said Capt. Mike Braibish of the Oregon National Guard. “We remain optimistic; we remain hopeful. We’re going to still collect information and we continue to proceed with this as a rescue for the two remaining climbers.”
The identity of the dead climber was not immediately released. The body was left on the mountain last night because darkness and subzero temperatures made it too dangerous to bring him down.
Rescuers will ascend the mountain this morning to recover the body and resume the search.
Crews began searching the area yesterday after a helicopter crew spotted a giant “Y” made of ropes on the mountainside and interpreted it as an SOS left by the missing mountaineers.
It was a heartening sign – one of the best in the week-long search. As families and friends waited for news, rescuers were airlifted to the cave. But it contained only equipment and a sleeping bag believed to be left by Jerry (Nikko) Cooke, 36, ofBay Ridge, and his Texas palsKelly James, 48, and Brian Hall, 37.
As searchers fanned out in the area, a second snow cave sheltering the body was found, Braibish said.
“Our climbers did get inside the snow cave and have confirmed that there is one fatality,” Braibish said.
Officials said footprints were spotted heading away from the snow cave, some tracks heading up to the summit and others heading down. But there were no other signs of the stranded men.
Sheriff’s officials said the two snow caves are in the area where James made a desperate cell-phone call to his family on Dec.9, saying he was in a snow cave. The last clue to the men’s whereabouts was a brief signal returned from James’ cell phone Tuesday.
Cooke, James and Hall began what should have been a two-day climb up the mountain on Dec. 7.
Tense family members gathered with sheriff’s officials last night and were told a climber’s body was found. The families, however, went to bed last night without knowing which of their loved ones died on the mountain.
Pacing during a morning news conference before the body was found, Hall’s father, Dwight Hall, said in a cracking voice that the families had “no reason to have other than high optimism in this operation.”
But the the three men’s relatives were riding an “emotional roller coaster,” added Frank James, Kelly James’ brother.
“The families remain prayerful,” he said.
Crews ascended the mountain beginning at 4 a.m. Pacific time on what turned out to be a clear, sunny day.
Air National Guardsmen piloted Chinook helicopters capable of flying at high elevations after wind kept rescuers from getting above 10,600 feet on Saturday.
The “Y” in the snow sent a charge through crews frustrated by days of dangerous weather conditions that limited rescue operations last week. But the abandoned cave raised questions about when the men left the signal in the snow.
“We don’t know when it was put there. It could have been there for a while,” said Sgt. Gerry Tiffany of the Hood River County sheriff’s office.
In Bay Ridge, neighbors were watching the news, praying that Cooke was among the two missing hikers still alive.
His tenant Freddy Herrera, 20, said he was “devastated and shocked” at the reversal of fortune on Mount Hood yesterday. But he remained optimistic.
“I have no doubt that Jerry will come back home alive,” he said. “They have enough food for one week.”
Colleagues of Cooke who know his fortitude were anxious as rescuers came off the mountain at sundown.
“This is extremely harsh news to receive now,” said Michael Jaffe, executive vice president of Countrywide Insurance, where Cooke works as a lawyer. “Irrespective of which of the three has unfortunately lost their life, we share the grief.”
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
REVERE SUGAR PLANT DECONSTRUCTED
For pictures of the Revere Sugar Plant in Red Hook go to Gowanus Lounge. Here’s an excerpt from his photo/post.
The Revere Sugar Plant in Red Hook
is being taken apart piece by piece, packed into huge dumpsters and
driven away, as a prelude to a much more dramatic tear down. The iconic
dome that defined Red Hook’s waterfront for generations, has already
had a half-dozen square holes cut in it. We will have more tomorrow,
but for today, here are a few photos fromDeath Rowthe site that developer Joe Sitt is clearing. The truck scene (above), theexecutionersdemolition workers and some onlookers.
SEARCH INTENSIFIES FOR BROOKLYN HIKER ON MT. HOOD
The effort to find a Brooklyn hiker and two friends on Mount Hood in Oregon could intensify today if the weather breaks.
Rescuers are hoping for better conditions which will let them
search higher elevations. A National Guard helicopter with infrared
devices that can sense body heat has been circling the mountain. Other
helicopters are being brought in today to take rescuers closer to the
summit.
The group left behind a note saying they are equipped with fuel,
food, ropes, a shovel and insulated clothes, but they have not been
seen alive since last weekend.
A cell phone signal was picked up on Tuesday. Kelly James told his
family he was stuck in a snow cave and that New York trial lawyer Jerry
"Nikko" Cooke and Brian Hall went searching for help.
Continue reading SEARCH INTENSIFIES FOR BROOKLYN HIKER ON MT. HOOD
HEART OF BROOKLYN HOLIDAY TROLLEY RIDE
I am so loving the lights on the arch at Grand Army Plaza. I’ve heard a few complaints that it’s tacky but I love it. It feels so festive and fun. And I get a kick out of the colori changing tree of light. I know I’m going to miss the lights when they’re gone, signaling the end of the holiday season and the beginning of the winter blues. But here’s an event in early January that sounds like fun.
Trolley Ride & Winter Mixer*
When: Thursday, January 4, 2007, 6:45 PM
Where: Heart of Brooklyn Offices, 789 Washington Avenue, Prospect Heights – Brooklyn
You’re invited to an early evening endeavour in post-holiday
festivity. Heart of Brooklyn will host a mixer of after-hour office
mingling, trolley riding, and hot cider & malt wine sipping.
Arrive at Heart of Brooklyn’s 789 Washington Avenue offices at 6:45pm
on Thursday, January 4. Meet, circulate and grab your drink of choice.
At 7pm the Heart of Brooklyn Trolley will pull up outside, and Eugene
Patron of Prospect Park Alliance will host the first 30 Trolley riders
on a free, narrated ride through Prospect Park in Lights, while Heart
of Brooklyn staff host office minglers at the 789 Washington-base. The
HOB Trolley will return to the base at 7:40(ish)pm and pick up riders
for a second loop.
Because the Trolley has a 30 person capacity, the Trolley Ride &
Winter Mixer is a limited capacity event.
MORE ABOUT YELLOW SIGNS THAT SAY ‘SIT’
I heard from Sarah, someone involved with the SIT project. She wrote, “Thankyou for noticing, we put those yellow flyers up. Here is what it is about. For our college project, we are promoting a social awareness campaign in the Park Slope area entitled, “SIT HERE”. This campaign aims to address the decreasing culture of social interaction formerly known as “Stoop Culture”. We need comments…It is helpful for us to learn what the neighborhood community is thinking, so please go to the comments webpage so you can rate and comment on our progress. Also, participate in our polls: www.freewebs.com/sit_here
The Brooklyn Papers (brooklynpapers.com) had something on it last week. I haven’t seen any SIT signs for a while.
SMARTMOM: A CONFUSED TIME OF THE YEAR
Here’s this week’s Smartmom from the Brooklyn Papers (brooklynpapers.com):
Monday night, Hepcat, Smartmom, and OSFO bought a Christmas tree from the gentle Canadian man, who sell trees in front of the CVS drugstore.
“The trees are from Nova Scotia,” the man told them. “But I live in Montreal.”
For seven years, he has been coming to Brooklyn, where he lives in a truck and sells trees 24/7 until Christmas Day, when he goes back home.
Smartmom felt funny picking out a tree. Growing up in a secular Jewish family on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, her family did celebrate Christmas — but a Christmas tree? That was crossing the line.
Sure, they thumb-tacked their red felt stockings to the non-working fireplace and left notes for Santa Claus. Her parents decorated the house with foil-covered paper bells and velvet ribbons. And Christmas morning was a gift fest — something she and her equally Jewish twin sister Diaper Diva looked forward to all year.
Smartmom’s romance with Christmas temporarily ended during college when she fell in with a band of Socialist Zionists with anarchist leanings. They rallied for a Palestinian state and planned to spend their lives on a kibbutz named Gezer, which means carrot in Hebrew.
Her Jewish consciousness was raised, thanks to friends who lived in a kosher house off-campus and lit Hanukkah candles to celebrate the Maccabean miracle.
Smartmom’s romance with Hanukkah ended years later when she and Hepcat were dating and he invited her to experience Christmas Hepcat-style. The family home in northern California was decorated top to bottom with Mexican creches, Advent calendars and a live tree festooned with handmade ornaments and glass balls from the 1950s.
On Christmas morning, Smartmom felt like she’d died and went to shiksa heaven. What magic, what fun — and what fresh baked cinnamon buns! Dressed in bathrobes and slippers, the adults watched as Hepcat’s nieces reveled in the delights under the tree.
After they were married, Hepcat and Smartmom never missed a Christmas in California. Soon they had Teen Spirit with them, who loved sitting by a roaring fire on Christmas morning as he and his cousins explored their voluptuous Christmas stockings.
However, the year Smartmom was seven-months pregnant with OSFO, the family didn’t go to California because her obstetrician told her not to fly.
She obeyed. But Hepcat was mighty cranky about it as it was the first time he’d ever missed Christmas with his family. Worse, Smartmom had no idea how to do Christmas in New York. As far as she was concerned, a New York Christmas was presents in the morning, a movie, and dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
If only for her beloved Hepcat, she had to figure out how to celebrate his special holiday 3,000 miles away from his home.
At the last minute, they decided to buy a tree, but they didn’t have any ornaments. They bought colorful lights and hung Teen Spirit’s action figures on the branches. On Christmas Eve, they hung their socks on the windows in the living room.
Smartmom spent too much time worrying that Hepcat and Teen Spirit would be disappointed. And in a way they were. Their Brooklyn Christmas seemed a cheap imitation of the one in California. They really hadn’t bothered to infuse it with their own special style.
Hepcat was relieved to return to California the next year, with baby OSFO in the Bjorn, and vowed never to spend Christmas in New York again.
Until last year.
Smartmom decided that she was sick and tired of spending every Christmas out in California. Gingerly, she brought it up with her man while he was cooking dinner.
“Well, I guess it’ll just be me, Teen Spirit and OSFO,” Hepcat said somewhat defensively. Smartmom was aghast that he planned to split up the family during the holidays, but she decided, uncharacteristically, to take a wait-and-see approach.
Teen Spirit came in from dining room, where he’d obviously been overhearing the delicate discussion.
“Dad, I wouldn’t mind spending Christmas in Brooklyn,” he said.
Hepcat had that stoic look on his face that usually indicates that he is in a great deal of pain.
“Well, I guess it’ll just be me and OSFO,” he said. Now he had that pleased-as-punch expression obviously confident that he could rely on his little girl to stick by him.
“No way!” OSFO screamed from the dining room. “I’m not spending Christmas without Mom and Teen Spirit.” At that, Hepcat looked dispirited.
“Well, I guess I’ll go out alone.”
The next morning at breakfast, Hepcat told them he wasn’t going to California for Christmas — that he’d never want to be without his family on that day. Group hug. Or at least that’s what they probably should have done.
For Smartmom, this was major turning point in their long marriage.
For the first time, Hepcat seemed to recognize that it was important to invent holiday traditions with his family in Brooklyn.
Last year, instead of trying to recreate a California Christmas in Brooklyn, they worked hard to make it their own.
On Christmas Day, which was also Hanukkah, they opened presents before going over to Diaper Diva’s, where they lit the menorah, ate lox and bagels with Ducky, Bro-in-Law, Groovy Grandma and their cousins. Afterwards, they went to see “King Kong” at the Pavilion.
After the movie, Smartmom was tempted to order from Szechuan Delight, but they had too much risotto left over from the previous night’s Christmas eve dinner.
To say they had it all ways at once would be an understatement. As a family they cobbled together a Christmas that was eclectic, eccentric and fun — just the way they like it.
ART SALE FOR DARFUR AT ETHICAL CULTURE
A group of Brooklyn artists are selling their work to raise money to be sent to Doctors Without Borders for their work in Darfur. This sale is This is part of the big crafts fair at Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture this weekend. I know one of the artists, Tom Keough, who does masterful paintings of Park Slope streets at night. They are stirringly beautiful.
Saturday, Dec 16
11 am to 4 pm
53 Prospect Park West
between 1st Street and 2nd Street
For information, 718-768-6171 or email tomkeough@tomkeoughartist.comwww.ramonacandy.com
ELLEN FRUDENHEIM
I got so many responses to the Park Slope 100 and many new names. One of the many who should have been on the list was Park Sloper, Ellen Frudenheim, the author of “The Brooklyn Guidebook” (a 500 page guide to Brooklyn). She has a new book out called “Queens: What to Do, Where to GO (and how not to get lost) in New York’s Undiscovered Borough”. She is truly New York City’sguidebook guru. I got this email from her yesterday about a book signing at Community Books on Sunday December 17th.
“I’d like to invite you all to my book signing at the Community Bookstore on Seventh Avenue across from Key Food for my book signing, a glass of wine and holiday cheer! DECEMBER 17, 4-6 p.m.
The new book is Queens: What to Do, Where to GO (and how not to get lost) in New York’s Undiscovered Borough—and I will also have on sale copies of my 500 page guidebook to Brooklyn!
Please tell —or better yet, bring your friends.
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
TONIGHT AT 8 p.m. BROOKLYN READING WORKS
Come to a special holiday edition of BROOKLYN READING WORKS at the Old Stone House on Thursday December 14th at 8 p.m.
I
am pleased as punch to present an AN EVENING WITH 32 POEMS with
publisher/poet Deborah Ager and poets, Daniel Nester
and Terese Coe.
Deborah Ager is the publisher and founder of 32 Poems and a poet.
Terese Coe, the recipient of two grants from Giorno Poetry Systems, works on the staff of The Alsop Review. She’s written numerous drama reviews for The Rocky Mountain Review, and one of her translations from Ronsard has appeared in Leviathan Quarterly. Her book, The Everyday Uncommon, was published by Word Press.
Daniel Nester is the author of God Save My Queen II: The Show Must Go On. God Save My Queen: A Tribute. His poems have appeared in Slope, jubilat, Can We Have Our Ball Back, and elsewhere.
32 Poems is a semi-annual poetry magazine
published in April and November. Each issue of journal contains 32 poems so you can give intimate,
unhurried attention to each. It’s easy to carry and
inviting to read.
The comfortable size of 32 POEMS
and the superb quality of the work therein provides an alternative
to larger collections and is attractive to new readers of
contemporary poetry.
"32 Poems is portable poetry in its finest hour."
— Literary Magazine Review
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
CHRISMUKKAH: THE MOST BELOVED HOLIDAY
Brooklyn Papers editor-in-chief, GERSH KUNTZMAN, has devised the perfect Hanukah or Christmas gift. OR SHOULD I SAY CHRISMUKKAH GIFT. THIS BOOK IS SURE TO TICKLE MANY A NEW YORKER.
CHRISMUKKAH: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE WORLD’S MOST BELOVED HOLIDAY by Gersh Kuntzman It’s a must-give gift, must-have, especialy around here where inter-marriage is rampant. Read about what happened when Gersh did a reading at the Park Slope YMCA:
As tout le monde
knows, the cover of my book, “Chrismukkah: The Official Guide to the
World’s Most-Beloved Holiday,” features a statuette of Santa Claus
wearing a belt adorned with a gold Jewish star and hair featuring
Hasidic-style side curls (in white, to match his beard, of course).
As far as I’m
concerned, you can judge this book by its cover. To me, that
Jewish-leaning Santa is a cute icon that perfectly captures the spirit
of Chrismukkah.But to some Park Slopers, it’s an offensive, horrifying image that must be censored!
The trouble
started last week, when organizers of the Writers on the Rooftop series
at the Prospect Park YMCA created a large poster to advertise my
reading on Dec. 4.
Find out the rest of the story here. Here’s the book’s blurb from Amazon, where you can order a copy. Or order it from our local indie booksellers, Community Books (she probably has it in stock) or Park Slope Books.
It’s Chrismukkah time of year again — yet all across America, Jews,
Christians and even famous Chrismukkan Sean Penn can’t figure out how
to celebrate this blessed day (or couple of days, maybe). Thank
goodness we have Chrismukkan scholar Gersh Kuntzman to share the
historical origins and rituals associated with this mixed-faith
hybrid holiday. Whether discussing traditional Chrismukkah rites such
as "the Measuring of the Children," "the Refusal of the Gift," or "the
Burning of the Sacred Herbaceous Green Plant," offering recipes for
such Chrismukkah delicacies as Ham Latkes and Savory Oyster
Hammentaschen, or uncovering the long-lost Charles Dickens novella A Chrismukkah Carol, Kuntzman’s wildly entertaining Chrismukkah treasury is the perfect remedy from those other holidays.
‘NO BABY GAP BUILDING’ GOING UP
Remember that rumor about a Gap going in at Fifth Avenue and 13th Street that I inadvertanly started after speaking to a seemingly reliable source?
Well, a building, what Gowanus Lounge has dubbed the No Baby Gap Building, is finally going up there and it is reported to be a seven story condo.
For more: go to Gowanus Lounge. Picture by GL, too.
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
NEW RIBBONS FOR JACKIE CONNOR’S CORNER
I got this email in my inbox today. It’s a nice tribute to a nice gesture made by one friend to another.
Today, I wanted to point out something that my friend, Fonda Sara did.
This past summer, our office worked to have the corner of Carroll &
Seventh dedicated as Jackie Connor’s Corner.As you may recall, we
decorated the pole with the maypole-like ribbons that were a fixture on
Seventh Avenue for many months after the street corner-naming.They
withstood lots of bad weather and were looking kind of tattered. So I
am walking in the neighborhood on Saturday and notice that the old
ribbons were gone and NEW ribbons (in holiday colors) had replaced
them.I smiled to myself, because it had Fonda’s fingerprints all
over it. Yesterday I called her just to say how great I thought that
was. What a devoted friend and a great Park Slope neighbor.
BROOKLYN READING WORKS: THIS THURSDAY
Come to a special holiday edition of BROOKLYN READING WORKS at the Old Stone House on Thursday December 14th at 8 p.m.
I am pleased as punch to present an AN EVENING WITH 32 POEMS with publisher/poet Deborah Ager (pictured left) and poets, Daniel Nester and Terese Coe.
Terese Coe, the recipient of two grants from Giorno Poetry Systems, works on the staff of The Alsop Review. She’s written numerous drama reviews for The Rocky Mountain Review, and one of her translations from Ronsard has appeared in Leviathan Quarterly. Her book, The Everyday Uncommon, was published by Word Press.
Daniel Nester is the author of God Save My Queen II: The Show Must Go On. God Save My Queen: A Tribute. His poems have appeared in Slope, jubilat, Can We Have Our Ball Back, and elsewhere.
32 Poems is a semi-annual poetry magazine
published in April and November. Each issue of journal contains 32 poems so you can give intimate,
unhurried attention to each. It’s easy to carry and
inviting to read.
The comfortable size of 32 POEMS
and the superb quality of the work therein provides an alternative
to larger collections and is attractive to new readers of
contemporary poetry.
"32 Poems is portable poetry in its finest hour."
— Literary Magazine Review
32 Poems Magazine is "…a journal that in just a few issues has already established a high standard of excellence.
" — New Pages
SIT UP STRAIGHT OR MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T
You know how your mother has been telling you for years to sit up straight and you’ve been telling that to your kids (if you have kids). Leif Parsons has a piece in today’s Times about research that may debunk the notion that anything other than sitting up straight is bad for your back.
Despite its persistence, that
advice is wrong. Parents may insist that sitting up straight with your
thighs parallel to the ground is the best way to sit, but a long list
of studies has shown that that position increases stress on the lumbar
disks in your lower back.Thirty years ago, scientists first
showed this by inserting needles into the backs of volunteers and
measuring the amount of pressure created by various seating positions.
They found that a reclining position was ideal, placing the least
strain on the back and minimizing pressure that could lead to back
problems. Since then, multiple studies have confirmed that finding.But
it was only in 2006 that scientists produced direct visual evidence. In
a study that used new magnetic resonance imaging machines that allow
people to sit instead of lie down, a team of researchers at the
University of Aberdeen in Scotland looked at 22 volunteers who sat in
three positions. The first two positions, sitting upright and sitting
with the body hunched forward, produced the greatest spinal disk
movement, causing the internal disk material to misalign. The third
position, in which the subjects reclined at a 135-degree angle with
their feet planted on the floor, created the least strain.According
to the study, any position in which a person leans back, opening the
angle between the thighs and the back, is preferable to sitting up
straight.THE BOTTOM LINE Sitting upright at a 90-degree angle strains your back; leaning back places less pressure on the spine.
‘SIT’ SIGNS IN PARK SLOPE
Did anyone notice all the yellow signs that said, "Sit Here" around the Slope yesterday? I noticed one on the corner of Third Street in front of the derelict building just west of Seventh Avenue It was in an empty baby stroller.
In front of Cousin John’s I also saw three of these yellow signs. Today I am determined to find out the origin of these signs.
I know they are unconnected to Caroline Woolard’s bench project. But I am very curious. Anyone have any info?
HAVE A SEAT SAYS WILLIAMSBURG ARTIST
Caroline Woolard, an artist and blogger in Williamsburg, went to the trouble to make sure New Yorkers have a place during the holiday season.The Brooklyn Papers broke the story but This from New York 1:
Caroline Woolard’s "have a seat" program involves small painted wooden platforms she has bolted to metal signposts throughout Williamsburg, Brooklyn and one in the East Village.
She says she installed them at night so she wouldn’t get in trouble, but so far she’s been happy with the popular response.
"So many people in the neighborhood have been really into it, so people just congratulate me, or I see people reading the morning newspaper, so it seems like it’s been positive," says Woolard.
"I think it’s a great idea, I mean utilizing your own street signs to make a comfortable space," said a resident.
"You’ve got a lot of old people in this neighborhood, so sometimes they do a lot of walking and they need to sit down and rest a little bit," added another.
"I wish you could put more of these seats on every sidewalk," said a third.
NY1 reached out to the city for comment, but have yet to hear back. For more information about the artist, visit www.carolinewoolard.blogspot.com.
BROOKLYN PARENTS FOR PEACE: THIS WEEK
Brooklyn Parents for Peace, a group dedicated to building an effective movement for peace throughout Brooklyn, will be featured on BCAT on TimeWarner Cable and Cablevision on Wednesday evening at 10 p.m. This monthly television show airs the second Wednesday of every month.
This Saturday: they are having a craft fair at the Society for Ethical Culture. All proceeds will go Doctors Without Borders work in Darfur.
War No More
Fourth Annual Brooklyn Peace Fair (highlights)
Wed., Dec. 13
10:00 p.m.
Channel 35 (TimeWarner)
Channel 68 (Cablevision)
Sat. Dec. 16
11 am to 4 pm
Peace and justice resources
Art sale to benefit Darfur work
Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture
53 Prospect Park West at 2nd St.
BAY RIDGE HIGH SCHOOLER IN NY MAG
New York Magazine runs a weekly fashion feature that I love called the Look Book. This week, lo and behold, a friend of Teen Spirit’s was featured there. She’s also the person who took the picture of Teen Spirit that was featured in the Brooklyn Papers last week. Here’s an excerpt from Chloe Dietz’s interview in New York Magazine.
Where would you like to live?
I kind of want to live in
Providence. I kind of want to go to Brown because they have no core
curriculum, and that’s definitely a priority for me. I want to study
photography. I’ve already had a photo published in some Brooklyn
newspaper. I don’t even know which one.
CAROLINE WOOLARD: HAVE A SEAT ARTIST
I checked out artist Caroline Woolard’s blog and found this writing about her Have a Seat bench project, which was part of a show at ConFlux: the annual NYC festival for contemporary psychogeography
where international artists, technologists, urban adventurers and the
public put investigations of everyday city life into practice on the
streets. The show is no longer open.
Have a Seat
is Caroline Woolard’s gesture towards reclaiming public space. It is a
platform for a new vantage point on the street. As seating bolted to no
parking signs in New York, Have a Seat offers rest and contemplation in
transitional spaces. Installed for ConFlux in Brooklyn from September
14-17, these temporary seats are the culmination of three years of
prototypes in New York and Rhode Island.In the city, the street
should be a destination in itself. Many people use the street to get
from one place to another, but it is an invaluable arena for immediate
interaction. Instead of walking to a park or other zone calculated for
relaxation, Have a Seat serves those people who want to pause amidst
action for a direct perspective on the momentum of the city. The seat
is a signal at the scale of the human body in a city of buildings that
consume space and light at the expense of pedestrians who are swept
forward by wind tunnels in the shadow of skyscrapers. Unlike monuments
that overpower people in scale and pretension, these wooden chairs wait
to be used by a single body on the street.Have a Seat makes
everyday environments strange, pushing for a moment to reevaluate the
monotony of consistent routine. Robert Musil writes, in The Man Without
Qualities:
“Everything we feel and do is somehow oriented
“lifeward,” and the least deviation away from this direction toward
something beyond is difficult or alarming. This is true even of the
simple act of walking: one lifts one’s center of gravity, pushes it
forward, and lets it drop again- and the slightest change, the merest
hint of shrinking from this letting-oneself0drop-into-the-future, or
even of stopping to wonder at it- and one can no longer stand upright!
Stopping to think is dangerous.”This project celebrates
individuals actively shaping shared space and the interactions in it.
It encourages pedestrians to stop and think. Although disembodied
conversations (Blackberry, cell phone, etc) and narrative accompaniment
(iPods) inevitably insulate individuals from this reality, I hope that
a symbol of rest amidst action allows some people to create immediate
connection with the street.Pix: Light Molded to my Face by Caroline Woolard
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
WEAR YOUR SUBWAY LINE PROUDLY
Show your love for public transit. I got this email this morning in my in-box:
Hey Louise! It’s Newmindspace, the kids who did the union square pillow
fight, bubble battle + more.We just released 24 one inch buttons featuring NYC’s various subway
lines,and we were hoping you could blog it! We are trying to raise money for
more trips to New York to host free, fun, public events, as well as help people show their love for the subway.http://www.subwaybuttons.com is the website.
There is a good image here:
http://www.subwaybuttons.com/images/newmindspaceButtons.jpgThanks a lot :)
Kevin * Lori
Newmindspace
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
SOCK MONKEYS A HIT AT THE PS 321 CRAFT FAIR
The PS 321 Holiday Craft Fair is an institution on Seventh Avenue. It’s been in existence for years and there is always a great selection of vendors.
This year, Sara Greenfield, a 3rd grade teacher at PS 321, sold sock monkeys in support of an arts organization called Fresh Art. The mission of Fresh Art, a non-profit organization , is to provide epanded artististic and personal development, as well as entrepreneurial opportunities to New York City artists with special needs.
It was founded in 1997 by people active in social services and the arts, who believe that artists with special needs should be recognized for their talent and creativity and not solely for the obstacles in their lives. Fresh art connects these challenged artist wot their communities with the belief that they will benefit in all aspect of their lives from recognition of their cultural contributions to society.
The sock monkeys were definitely one of the hot items at the show. There were a lot of sock monkey personalities in a wide range sizes, shapes, and colors. A sock monkey in a vest and a tie. A sock monkey bride. A hipster sock monkey (“he listens to Phish,” one of the volunteers manning the booth said. There was lounge singer sock monkey with a hot pink boa and a mama sock monkey with an adorable little baby.
Visitors to the fair gathered around oohing and ahhing trying to figure out which one they wanted to buy for $30. Check were made out directly to Fresh Art, so all sales will go directly to that organization.
There’s lots more information about Fresh Art online as well as ways to buy the sock monkeys. Go to www.freshartnyc.com
I also noticed something about a sock monkey circle where people get together and make sock monkeys. I will look into this and post about that ASAP. My daughter has been taking an afterschool sock monkey workshop with Sara and she LOVES IT.