Oh Steph K, I don't live there either but I visit my sister in the Bronx and just keep a little list from the newsletter of places to go and people to see!!
She hooked me nearly a year ago with her post about the NYC park for retired playground animals! https://annekadet.substack.com/p/playground I'm just across the border in Ontario but rather rural so I enjoy Anne's urban reportage!
Personally, I've never bought into the idea that some people are so brilliant they can't help but be a-holes. There are plenty of amazing artistic types in the world who are also great people. Those types that are jerks simply seem to be the sort who people coddle because they are so talented -- and they just take advantage of it.
It'd be interesting, Mr. Jensen, to see what percent of the artist/creative population are assholes compared to the general population. Maybe you're right that the tendencies are evenly distributed and its just that the creative types get away with it.
Also we must be on a parallel reading wavelength — I just finished Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” and might do a little book report on substack
I will read your report too! I started it about a month ago after having had it in the back of my mind for YEARS and YEARS as something to get to... but although I'd of course been well aware of the horrific context that inspired the book, his account of the depravity of our species was too much for me to get through, given the state my psyche was already in at the time. Will have to get back to it when I have more emotional bandwith.
I hope your upcoming 24 hour subway ride is fab! Some underground recs from me:
-You've gotta pass through the Manhattan-bound side of the Dekalb BQ station to catch a glimpse of Masstransiscope.
-Consider trying on the various hats at the 23rd St FM station
-If you make a stop at the 14 St/8th ave ACEL station, enjoy Tom Otterness' Life Underground sculptures scattered throughout.
-Enjoy the view from the Smith-9 St FG station
-I don't know if it's the best churros, but churro vendors are generally plentiful at the 36 St DNR station and I imagine you'll have good luck finding food vendors scattered about the Atlantic Terminal station
haha I did write about Masstransiscope just a few weeks ago! When I used to commute into Manhattan from South Brooklyn I loved seeing that bit of hidden art.
Also, I know for this challenge you're not allowed to leave the subway station, but Tom Otterness has more sculptures like the ones in the 14 st/8av station in the water on the west side of Roosevelt Island. Maybe a journey for another day?
ANNE! NO to the Jung quote! And I love Jung... I read a lot of Jung in my twenties and thirties and he had a big influence on me. But his ideas about artists are absolute bollocks, and to be honest I feel a little sad that these stupid ideas are being given any credence in your fine publication. I am an artist. My husband is an artist. I know dozens of artists. None of them are assholes, nor do they have any more trouble finding balance in their lives than any other Joe-blow you might meet. Think of all the assholes you've ever met. Were they all artists? NO! Because *anyone* can be a narcissistic asshole, artist or not. This is an agregious stereotype that I'm shocked to have to point out at this point in our evolution. Okay. End of rant.
Thanks Isabel! I had to look up ethnography, so I appreciate you enhancing my vocab today. I think it's a great idea to think of the expedition this way.
i always just keep a dollar in my back pocket so i can be kind if someone needs it and i don't end up hading someone a $20 by accident. I like the socks idea though!
The artist in me forces me to make a second comment. Anne, how do you do it? You always make me laugh on a day when I need a laugh. And who but Anne Kadet could make Jung funny? "I've been sloooowly reading Carl Jung's “Modern Man in Search of a Soul," and recently came across a passage that was so interesting, I put the book down and haven't picked it up since." OMG, if you keep this up I will either have to stop consuming the recommended ounces of water per day or I will need adult diapers because I darn near peed in my pants at that one. And one more thing.......I simply cannot order Cobb salads anymore. At one time I had a boss whose last name was Cobb and she was the worst. The. Worst. Ever since then, and it has been many years, no <gag> Cobb salad for me. Sorry not sorry. Love you, Anne!
I'm with you; that "at the mercy of the muse" nonsense is just the palaver of irresponsible boors using their self-declared status as an "artiste" to rationalize the antisocial impulses that we *all* have at times, but that most of us take responsibility for reigning in to some reasonable degree.
How’s the subway ride going? I hope you are okay. I mean, staying awake for 24 hours is no joke. Good luck. Can’t wait to read about it in the next issue ❤️
I'm eleven hours in and feeling fine, Maja I actually got a couple hours of zs on the F train. Don't tell my friends I slept on the train at 4 am they would FREAK OUT!
Back in the late 90s as a mature-age off-campus undergraduate student (not sure what the equivalent in the US is, but I started studying with one subject in 1997, and eventually graduated with four degrees in 2010) I was able to borrow library books from a vast collection (it was like Christmas every week with books arriving in the letter box)...including one on flow and creativity by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi. He attended lectures by Jung and wrote that flow is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it” (1990). I tried to read one of the recent books on art and monsters and whether we should like "art monsters" but didn't finish it. Life's too short, and any spare time is for writing or walking these days.
Have fun on the subway...can't make any recommendations on that. But on walking in New York, you couldn't go past Vivian Gornick who is my long-distance mentor. Read any of her books, but especially "The Odd Woman and the City." If you could walk with her one day...how wonderful that would be!!!
That is very interesting Ruth, about what Csikszentmihalyi wrote. I keep thinking I should read that book and then not because I figure everything he had to say has already been absorbed into popular culture?
From what I remember the Csikszentmihalyi was heavy going (I copied and pasted the quote from somewhere online). But reading Vivian Gornick is so very wonderful.
Another infamous politician was known for being great at sexualiz- I mean *compartmentalizing*: Bill Clinton. Is Adams trying to tell us something about his relationships with his female junior staff? This guy is beyond an embarrassment.
Anyway, as for your subway excursion: all the best! Underway is my new favorite app for the NYC subway map and train arrival times - it loads so quickly, and the interface is so simple!
Echoing another reader's curiousity about your bathroom plan - be sure to let us know what you did!
So I used to work in what was then called the Celanese building, 1211 Sixth Ave., corner 48th St. In the winter when it was too cold to walk outside at lunchtime I would often walk the vast underground network under Rockefeller Center. Mind you, I've been away from NYC for 35 years, so I don't have a clue what it's like down there now, but it was wonderful back in the day. Maybe check it out and report back? Inquiring minds want to know! Could I still get a haircut there? Purchase headphones? Eat a meal? Buy gifts? Watch the skaters? Feel superior to tourists?
Laurie, I also worked on that stretch of Sixth Ave., roughly 2014 I think to maybe 2021, and spent many lunch hours at the Rocka Socka underground. It was indeed great! That whole complex is all in front of (behind?) the turnstiles though, so it's off limits for my adventure. :(
“Sexualize and Stay Focused” sounds like a campaign slogan to me! # winner
LOL yes, a great bumper sticker for sure, Jolene.
It just gets crazier, doesn’t it, Anne?
Definitely my personal mantra for the rest of the year
Hahahaha! 🤣
I don't live anywhere NEAR NYC and I love this newsletter. Thx for the laughs!
Yay thank you Steph!
Oh Steph K, I don't live there either but I visit my sister in the Bronx and just keep a little list from the newsletter of places to go and people to see!!
That makes me happy to hear, Therry!
Me too! In fact, I’m on the opposite side of the world in Perth, Western Australia
She hooked me nearly a year ago with her post about the NYC park for retired playground animals! https://annekadet.substack.com/p/playground I'm just across the border in Ontario but rather rural so I enjoy Anne's urban reportage!
Personally, I've never bought into the idea that some people are so brilliant they can't help but be a-holes. There are plenty of amazing artistic types in the world who are also great people. Those types that are jerks simply seem to be the sort who people coddle because they are so talented -- and they just take advantage of it.
It'd be interesting, Mr. Jensen, to see what percent of the artist/creative population are assholes compared to the general population. Maybe you're right that the tendencies are evenly distributed and its just that the creative types get away with it.
And it usually seems to be men, and those men often seem to treat women badly.
Ann, this subway idea is bonkers — I’m all for it!
Also we must be on a parallel reading wavelength — I just finished Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” and might do a little book report on substack
I need to re-read that. I hope you do write produce a little book report!
I would love to read your little book report. I've read that book and need to read it again.
Thank you, Laurie! I will come back and post it here. Now I have to write it 😜
I will read your report too! I started it about a month ago after having had it in the back of my mind for YEARS and YEARS as something to get to... but although I'd of course been well aware of the horrific context that inspired the book, his account of the depravity of our species was too much for me to get through, given the state my psyche was already in at the time. Will have to get back to it when I have more emotional bandwith.
I endure the horrific context so you don’t have to!
OK, Franklheads — I finished my book report on Man’s Search for Meaning 🤓 https://phoebeassenza.substack.com/p/moms-search-for-meaning
Thank you Phoebe! I'm very excited!
I hope your upcoming 24 hour subway ride is fab! Some underground recs from me:
-You've gotta pass through the Manhattan-bound side of the Dekalb BQ station to catch a glimpse of Masstransiscope.
-Consider trying on the various hats at the 23rd St FM station
-If you make a stop at the 14 St/8th ave ACEL station, enjoy Tom Otterness' Life Underground sculptures scattered throughout.
-Enjoy the view from the Smith-9 St FG station
-I don't know if it's the best churros, but churro vendors are generally plentiful at the 36 St DNR station and I imagine you'll have good luck finding food vendors scattered about the Atlantic Terminal station
Eden these are great tips! I'll be starting out at Atlantic/Barclays actually so I'll stock up on supplies there for sure.
The Otterness sculptures are my favorite subway art—thanks for the reminder! I'll be sure to stop by and take a couple photos.
Andthe Masstransiscope—didn't you write about this over the summer?
haha I did write about Masstransiscope just a few weeks ago! When I used to commute into Manhattan from South Brooklyn I loved seeing that bit of hidden art.
Also, I know for this challenge you're not allowed to leave the subway station, but Tom Otterness has more sculptures like the ones in the 14 st/8av station in the water on the west side of Roosevelt Island. Maybe a journey for another day?
ANNE! NO to the Jung quote! And I love Jung... I read a lot of Jung in my twenties and thirties and he had a big influence on me. But his ideas about artists are absolute bollocks, and to be honest I feel a little sad that these stupid ideas are being given any credence in your fine publication. I am an artist. My husband is an artist. I know dozens of artists. None of them are assholes, nor do they have any more trouble finding balance in their lives than any other Joe-blow you might meet. Think of all the assholes you've ever met. Were they all artists? NO! Because *anyone* can be a narcissistic asshole, artist or not. This is an agregious stereotype that I'm shocked to have to point out at this point in our evolution. Okay. End of rant.
THE LAMPMAN IS CORRECT (probably)
Yes, I agree. The Lampman is probably correct. And also it was to fun hear the Lampman rant.
On your subway journey, be sure to look out for all the gorgeous new mosaics!
The Times Square/42nd Street Nick Cave mosaics are especially stunning. And there's an app to help you find them all, and more: https://new.mta.info/agency/arts-design/bloomberg-connects
Oh I had no idea of this app. Thanks for the heads up, Alice!
The 24-hour subway ride would make a great mini-ethnography! Can’t wait to hear about it. Happy third anniversary in advance :)
Thanks Isabel! I had to look up ethnography, so I appreciate you enhancing my vocab today. I think it's a great idea to think of the expedition this way.
i always just keep a dollar in my back pocket so i can be kind if someone needs it and i don't end up hading someone a $20 by accident. I like the socks idea though!
It'd be hard to fit a bag of socks in your back pocket, Carlos!
The artist in me forces me to make a second comment. Anne, how do you do it? You always make me laugh on a day when I need a laugh. And who but Anne Kadet could make Jung funny? "I've been sloooowly reading Carl Jung's “Modern Man in Search of a Soul," and recently came across a passage that was so interesting, I put the book down and haven't picked it up since." OMG, if you keep this up I will either have to stop consuming the recommended ounces of water per day or I will need adult diapers because I darn near peed in my pants at that one. And one more thing.......I simply cannot order Cobb salads anymore. At one time I had a boss whose last name was Cobb and she was the worst. The. Worst. Ever since then, and it has been many years, no <gag> Cobb salad for me. Sorry not sorry. Love you, Anne!
Ooooh noooos! I am sorry your evil boss ruined the best salad for you. But happy you get a kick of this week's issue. Thanks for your kind words!
Without knowing too much about Jung, he supports pre-determinism.
"The artist is not a person endowed with free will who seeks his own ends, but one who allows art to realize its purposes through him."
I disagree. I believe we have the ability to control our minds, actions, thoughts and speech....and be free!
I'm with you mordy, though that for sure does not happen overnight!
I'm with you; that "at the mercy of the muse" nonsense is just the palaver of irresponsible boors using their self-declared status as an "artiste" to rationalize the antisocial impulses that we *all* have at times, but that most of us take responsibility for reigning in to some reasonable degree.
How’s the subway ride going? I hope you are okay. I mean, staying awake for 24 hours is no joke. Good luck. Can’t wait to read about it in the next issue ❤️
I'm eleven hours in and feeling fine, Maja I actually got a couple hours of zs on the F train. Don't tell my friends I slept on the train at 4 am they would FREAK OUT!
There’s a whole song about not sleeping on the subway!
Are you also standing out in the pouring rain? (OK, shvitz?)
Your secret is safe with me ❤️ stay safe
Back in the late 90s as a mature-age off-campus undergraduate student (not sure what the equivalent in the US is, but I started studying with one subject in 1997, and eventually graduated with four degrees in 2010) I was able to borrow library books from a vast collection (it was like Christmas every week with books arriving in the letter box)...including one on flow and creativity by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi. He attended lectures by Jung and wrote that flow is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it” (1990). I tried to read one of the recent books on art and monsters and whether we should like "art monsters" but didn't finish it. Life's too short, and any spare time is for writing or walking these days.
Have fun on the subway...can't make any recommendations on that. But on walking in New York, you couldn't go past Vivian Gornick who is my long-distance mentor. Read any of her books, but especially "The Odd Woman and the City." If you could walk with her one day...how wonderful that would be!!!
That is very interesting Ruth, about what Csikszentmihalyi wrote. I keep thinking I should read that book and then not because I figure everything he had to say has already been absorbed into popular culture?
And thanks for the book recco!
From what I remember the Csikszentmihalyi was heavy going (I copied and pasted the quote from somewhere online). But reading Vivian Gornick is so very wonderful.
It's in my library holds cue, Ruth!
Another infamous politician was known for being great at sexualiz- I mean *compartmentalizing*: Bill Clinton. Is Adams trying to tell us something about his relationships with his female junior staff? This guy is beyond an embarrassment.
Anyway, as for your subway excursion: all the best! Underway is my new favorite app for the NYC subway map and train arrival times - it loads so quickly, and the interface is so simple!
Echoing another reader's curiousity about your bathroom plan - be sure to let us know what you did!
Thanks JEB! If I can muster the wherewithal I will try out that app.
And my account next week will include all the deets on bathroom strategy!
Eric is melting. Soon his outer layer will fall off, revealing a malfunctioning, deeply insecure Terminator. I’m enjoying the process.
LOL such a vivid image, DD. That will linger in my mind the rest of the day.
So I used to work in what was then called the Celanese building, 1211 Sixth Ave., corner 48th St. In the winter when it was too cold to walk outside at lunchtime I would often walk the vast underground network under Rockefeller Center. Mind you, I've been away from NYC for 35 years, so I don't have a clue what it's like down there now, but it was wonderful back in the day. Maybe check it out and report back? Inquiring minds want to know! Could I still get a haircut there? Purchase headphones? Eat a meal? Buy gifts? Watch the skaters? Feel superior to tourists?
Laurie, I also worked on that stretch of Sixth Ave., roughly 2014 I think to maybe 2021, and spent many lunch hours at the Rocka Socka underground. It was indeed great! That whole complex is all in front of (behind?) the turnstiles though, so it's off limits for my adventure. :(
Phooey. I kinda forgot about that. Oh well. I'm sure you have fun anyway and am looking forward to your eventual report on your overnight adventure.