Life before the Presidential Election The autumn dawn jolts her out of sleep. She skims the paper, barely reading headlines. Still, the newsprint soils her hands. Finding the housekeys she lost minutes ago, she feels the jagged edges that unlock home. Canada, Australia, Ireland. Words swirling in her mind like incantations. Pedestrians shuffle […]
ABOUT ELEPHANTS The party of America First claims the elephant as its emblem. But elephants are not native to America (aka the USA). They live in Asia and Africa. A Bronx Zoo exhibit was called the African Plains. But there are no African Plains in America. Only in East Africa, where matriarch elephants lead […]
Life in the Plague Year Touching your face is dangerous. Eyes, nose, mouth: portals for the virus to barge in, hijack your cells. Eating in restaurants is dangerous. Glasses toasting, diners laughing. These are the sounds of death. Shopping is dangerous. Milk, bread, veggies. Staples for the last meal. Children are dangerous. […]
In This Week’s “THIS WEEK IN CHELSEA” Manhattan Community Board 4’s Full Board Meeting / Free Reading from Three Authors with New Works / Erik Bottcher’s Monthly Housing Clinic / Winter Wonderland Photo Ops in the Meatpacking District / Two Art Exhibits at Hudson Guild Spaces / Basketball Clinic and Glow in the Dark Pickleball at […]
“Air Rights” BY MICHELLE TOKARCZYK Air is for sale. List buy & sell New York air rights. Let your buildings cut through the clouds. This is your right. No limits on height. Light is for sale. Stack stories up against their windows. Challenge their sun and their heat. Let their plants die. Light is […]
CITY POETRY …words & images from the five boroughs & points beyond “To New York Street Fairs” BY MICHELLE TOKARCZYK In the spell of afternoon sun everything regenerates. Silver earrings shine. Spices scent the air. Bonsai thrive. Nothing hangs too high or forces for you to bend like a supplicant. You move from […]
Dear Editor The construction of yet another upscale apartment building in Chelsea is not only inconveniencing people; it is also endangering them. On the northwest corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue, the sidewalk has been closed. A narrow space in the street has been set aside for pedestrians and bikes (see photo). The pedestrian […]