7.10.2006

What's up in NYC

Meghann and I are in New York City for a week doing research for my zine book. Although I was feeling a bit weary as I contemplated this trip (I've done so much traveling already this summer, and I'd like to spend a little time at home with Biffle), now that I've been here for a day, I'm energized.

Things I love about New York:

  • The smell of street vendors' grills, where they heat pretzels and kabobs
  • Music and dancing in the subway stations
  • Street theater (tonight, two women in glittery tights and leotards started doing performance yoga in Union Square Park, and they weren't even that good!)
  • The crush of humanity, so many people that it doesn't matter what you look like (or smell like). It's not quite anonymity--it's not that I feel invisible--more like it's just incredibly hard to be weird. Unshaved legs are old news in NYC.
  • The food! So far I've eaten Tibetan curry, Ukranian blintzes, Indian candy, Japanese katsu, and a very fancy three-course dessert at the white restaurant featured in the pics below (called Chicken-licious. Not really, but almost.) On docket for later this week: pastrami on rye at Katz's Deli and street hot dogs. (Note: all of this amazing food is ours courtesy of the excellent restaurant scouting of Christy Burks, a high school friend who lives in New York.)

Christy, Joel, and I at Chika-licious.


Meghann and I were guest lectures in one of Christy's ESL classes this morning.
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The continuing saga of BUST magazine. The short version is that I've been emailing, phoning, and writing them since February trying to set up an interview with them for this week, and have gotten no response. Meg did make phone contact briefly last week, only to be told that we should email, which we did again, with no response. So today we decided to just show up at the BUST offices. Here I am, in the downstairs lobby, the ragged appearance of which led Meg to wonder if they hadn't responded to us because they're living in a war zone. One of the office interns recognized my name because she had read Catching a Wave, which was really gratifying. The editor of the magazine, however, did not appear to recognize my name or have any idea why we were there. But it does look like we might get an interview on Wednesday. If not, we are prepared to go camp out in the office.

8 comments:

Maig said...

Hey Alison.
I loved reading about what you love about New York. It almost made me cry. A couple of tears did well up. (I've been crying alot lately for some unknown reason.)
I want to hear singing in the subway and spark-a-lee tighted yoga performers.
It's strange to read about you being in New York already when it seems like I just saw you yesterday.
Good luck with the Bust interview...you are on a quest, a mission...you are like 2 Joan of Arcs...without hearing God. Or do you? Anyway- good luck!

Catherine Bush said...

Glad ya'll are there safe and sound, and really glad to hear that you feel energized. You have traveled so much this summer! I'll try to give you a call later in the week.

love,
C

The Mom said...

Wow, Alison! What a good post. I'm glad you're having such a good time there, and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful, inspiring, productive (add adjective of choice) interview with Bust...and they'll be glad you did!

Alison Piepmeier said...

that's a funny response, matt, and i knew exactly what it meant the second i read it.

The Dad said...

Yea Alison

Hmmm... New York City (mmmfph)

Looks like you are having a good time. Tell the editor of the magazine that not only have you written 2 books, have been named teacher of the year numerous times and are the Director of Womens And Gender Studies at CofC but you also have a Daddy, 2 brothers and several "cousins" from Tennessee that;
"Would be right tickled to come on over to her big fancy New York office and 'talk' to her about givin' you a proper interview...". "Shoot, that would be fun... She likes to have fun, doesn't she".

When you are telling her this, if you would either spit in her trash can around the word "proper" or be cleaning you fingernails with a large pocket knife, it would have more effect. Ohh, also add the word "reckon" several times during the conversation.

Always trying to be supportive

The Dad

Anonymous said...

Have you visited the zine library in Harvard Square? It's a riot.
--Mel

Anonymous said...

P.S. - The place in Harvard Square is called the Papercut Zine Library.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/06/12/ah_a_new_literary_oasis_and_she_the_zine_queen/

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=30074459

Anonymous said...

Hi I'm Daichi.I'm Christy's student!
I'm man standing left side on your picture.

How was our cluss?
I was glad to see you!
And I could study alots from you and Meghann.
But I should have talked more.
Now I have been in NY for 3months.I can't speek well,so I couldn't talk to you.
I want to study more and I hope I can read your book!

Bye!