The running joke about your southern accent was on point. Prior to coming to LA, I lived in the South for many years and every now and then, I get that from folks here on the west coast.
Oh, this is fun stuff. I especially like how you describe Pistelli as if he were a boxer entering a ring, but the combat he's going into is metaphysical rather than physical.
This was interesting and funny Adam. Never have made it to a New York reading, but when my wife and I went there for four days during our honeymoon, I was struck with how much what I've heard of the city was simultaneously both true and untrue. It repulsed and intrigued me, but she loves it, loves the energy and has been a handful of times. It's a place in opposition to the rhythms of the world, much more than most cities, I think. We were in an uber near the end of the trip, she was lamenting it, and I, tired from the theatrics of the place, became very dramatic and said: "It's just a city." The line was simple, but it seemed to suggest more. By chance a few weeks later I ran across this Leonard Cohen poem, which strangely resonates a bit with your report here, too, if I am reading it right at 3:00 AM:
It's Just a City, Darling
It's just a city, darling, everyone calls New York.
Wherever it is we meet
I can't go very far from.
I can't connect you with anything but myself.
Half of the wharf is bleeding.
I'd give up anything to love you and I don't even know what the list is
but one look into it
demoralizes me like a lecture.
If we are training each other for another love
what is it?
I only have a hunch in what I've become expert.
Half of the wharf is bleeding, it's the half where we always sleep.
Jesus. I don’t know if I ever want to go to a literary thing again or ever want to not miss one. This is the first thing I’ve read of yours and I’m looking forward to checking out more.
“Among them, a grey-bobbed woman with a Camille Paglia swagger who plans to release her novel on Substack as it was too subversive of certain MeToo narratives for the millennial agents she queried. If I recall it right, the plot had something to do with a woman going on a road trip with her stalker/grey-area-rapist. Maybe I have that wrong. “
Thanks for remembering (mostly right!)
I’m old enough to be gray but my hair is mostly brown still, somehow….
I’m still trying those millennial agents in the traditional manner of publishing, but YES you encapsulate the gist of SEXODUS pretty well.
I forgot you had subscribed! Well if you ever get it published, traditionally or otherwise, I’d be happy to review it. Might even try to convince Ross to let me publish through the Metropolitan Review.
“The largest group in New York is not left or right wing: it’s just rich.”
This was a wonderful read, but something about it kept nagging at me And I think the sentence captures it. The largest group in New York City isn’t left, right or rich, but regular people from all walks of life just living.
And I think that’s why the piece feel so disorientating - it is beautiful prose that describes a well manicured facsimile of New York that is so insular that it never has to interact with anything outside it’s tightly knit bubble.
I suppose that is the point of the piece - after all who could possibly come close to describing a city with 10 million people, where 400 languages are spoken? Better to speak in incredibly narrow, specific terms I bought a subculture that you know intimately well. It’s just fascinating because the New York that you described it’s so far removed from the New York that I know that it’s almost alien. But I guess that’s the beauty of New York.
This is incredible. I’d pay for episodes of this.
I mean if someone in New York wants to give a place to crash, I’ll definitely go there more often!
The running joke about your southern accent was on point. Prior to coming to LA, I lived in the South for many years and every now and then, I get that from folks here on the west coast.
And nobody down south believes me when I tell them that’s what I sound like up north.
This was so well done. I loved this bit and its recurrence. Everyone asks where I’m from and I’m like “my accent is California man.”
I dig that. I may borrow that line.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mQEPYfXWWnI&pp=ygUXY2FsaWZvcm5pYSBtYW4gdGhlIG1vdmU%3D
I was highly amused. Glad you had a nice time!
I’m suing
This really is delightful. (Which is hard to do with a scene report!) Very, very well done!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much.
Great recounting—felt like being there! Also: Muka= clearly consummate wingman.
This is the highest praise I’ve ever received. 🤝
Really enjoyed this! Refreshingly sincere and very funny.
Good job Adam. This is the kind of piece that makes me want to pack up for the big apple.
Oh, this is fun stuff. I especially like how you describe Pistelli as if he were a boxer entering a ring, but the combat he's going into is metaphysical rather than physical.
I was thinking of moving to NYC and joining a scene but after reading this blog I don't think I have to. Thanks for saving me a lot of time and money!
Outstanding piece. Thank you for the read. I enjoyed your southern accent too.
This was interesting and funny Adam. Never have made it to a New York reading, but when my wife and I went there for four days during our honeymoon, I was struck with how much what I've heard of the city was simultaneously both true and untrue. It repulsed and intrigued me, but she loves it, loves the energy and has been a handful of times. It's a place in opposition to the rhythms of the world, much more than most cities, I think. We were in an uber near the end of the trip, she was lamenting it, and I, tired from the theatrics of the place, became very dramatic and said: "It's just a city." The line was simple, but it seemed to suggest more. By chance a few weeks later I ran across this Leonard Cohen poem, which strangely resonates a bit with your report here, too, if I am reading it right at 3:00 AM:
It's Just a City, Darling
It's just a city, darling, everyone calls New York.
Wherever it is we meet
I can't go very far from.
I can't connect you with anything but myself.
Half of the wharf is bleeding.
I'd give up anything to love you and I don't even know what the list is
but one look into it
demoralizes me like a lecture.
If we are training each other for another love
what is it?
I only have a hunch in what I've become expert.
Half of the wharf is bleeding, it's the half where we always sleep.
Jesus. I don’t know if I ever want to go to a literary thing again or ever want to not miss one. This is the first thing I’ve read of yours and I’m looking forward to checking out more.
Thanks so much! This first thing like this I’ve written. Hope I get the chance to do it again.
Loved this! Such potent descriptions. Great wit.
Naturally I’m flattered to have made the cut!
“Among them, a grey-bobbed woman with a Camille Paglia swagger who plans to release her novel on Substack as it was too subversive of certain MeToo narratives for the millennial agents she queried. If I recall it right, the plot had something to do with a woman going on a road trip with her stalker/grey-area-rapist. Maybe I have that wrong. “
Thanks for remembering (mostly right!)
I’m old enough to be gray but my hair is mostly brown still, somehow….
I’m still trying those millennial agents in the traditional manner of publishing, but YES you encapsulate the gist of SEXODUS pretty well.
I also heard a southern accent, ha ha.
I forgot you had subscribed! Well if you ever get it published, traditionally or otherwise, I’d be happy to review it. Might even try to convince Ross to let me publish through the Metropolitan Review.
Well, thank you!
This truly was a wonderful romp to read. Enjoyed every sentence of it.
Re SEXODUS: SHE stalks HIM.
Great piece! Very enjoyable to read.
“The largest group in New York is not left or right wing: it’s just rich.”
This was a wonderful read, but something about it kept nagging at me And I think the sentence captures it. The largest group in New York City isn’t left, right or rich, but regular people from all walks of life just living.
And I think that’s why the piece feel so disorientating - it is beautiful prose that describes a well manicured facsimile of New York that is so insular that it never has to interact with anything outside it’s tightly knit bubble.
I suppose that is the point of the piece - after all who could possibly come close to describing a city with 10 million people, where 400 languages are spoken? Better to speak in incredibly narrow, specific terms I bought a subculture that you know intimately well. It’s just fascinating because the New York that you described it’s so far removed from the New York that I know that it’s almost alien. But I guess that’s the beauty of New York.
This was a high pleasure read. Thank you.