“Writing the Apocalypse” is a weekly series featuring the poems, essays, and recollections of Puma Perl, with subject matter influenced by her experiences as a NYC resident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beautiful Summer | BY PUMA PERL These are my references. This is what beautiful means. Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt–Vonnegut You’re so […]
BY ELIZABETH ZIMMER | Things being how they are, the definition of “local” dance performance has dramatically changed. I’m writing in Chelsea, but you could be reading in Chattanooga! Whether performers are dancing their buns off in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley, Philly, or Paris, they’re still channeling their talents onto Zoom and related electronic hosts, […]
BY RANIA RICHARDSON | Realistic about the challenges ahead after a summer of COVID-19, citywide demonstrations, and escalating quality of life concerns, Deputy Inspector Kevin J. Coleman, Commanding Officer of the 10th Precinct, kicked off last week’s full board meeting of Manhattan Community Board 4 (CB4) by inaugurating what will become a regularly scheduled series […]
BY PUMA PERL | An elevator to the top floor, up two flights of stairs, and I’m sitting in a rooftop garden at West 23rd Street’s iconic Chelsea Hotel with photographer/filmmaker Zev Greenfield and irrigation specialist Marky Iannello, who maintains the greenery surrounding us. Zev and Marky are childhood friends, Village kids who met hanging […]
EDITOR’S NOTE: Below, find the latest diary entry, then other September content. Click here for the August entries. Click here for the July entries. Click here for the June entries. Click here for the May entries. Click here for the April entries. Click here for all March entries . My CoviDiary is reprinted, with the […]
BY MICHAEL MUSTO | As someone who gets regularly called upon to discuss celebrity gossip on TV, I can tell you that the demand for that sort of thing started waning around 2016. The reason? Trump’s rise to political prominence became much more salaciously fascinating to certain channels than anything involving movie stars. After all, […]
“Restaurants across the city are struggling to recover from the unprecedented impact of the pandemic,” said James Mettham, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership BID, in an empathetic understatement that announced the launch of All in Flatiron Dining Deals, a new campaign featuring special online and in-person discounts from nearly 30 restaurants around Flatiron […]
Sunday, September 6, at approximately 9am: Walk of Remembrance Stops in Chelsea | The annual Father Mychal Judge 9/11 Walk of Remembrance is scheduled for Sun., Sept. 6. In past years, 2018 for example, over 1,100 people participated, despite a cold, unremitting rain. Held to honor Fr. Mychal Judge (1933-2001), an FDNY Chaplain listed as […]
“Writing the Apocalypse” is a weekly series featuring the poems, essays, and recollections of Puma Perl, with subject matter influenced by her experiences as a NYC resident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Realm of No Senses, Hearts Break | BY PUMA PERL (Dedicated to everyone who loved Walter Lure) Darkness gripped the […]
BY WINNIE McCROY | Community members came together at Penn South on the evening of August 20 for a live meeting of the Build the Block coalition. The event brought NYPD’s Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCOs) together with locals concerned about the safety of Chelsea and Midtown South. Many voiced concerns regarding the problems with petty […]