Rec - New York Times Commentary - All-Nighters Column

Today's New York Times has one of the most wonderfully lyrical pieces of writing I've read in a newspaper in ages.  Entitled Insomnia City, it is by Bill Hayes, a life long sufferer of sleeplessness, who moved to Manhattan following the unexpected death of his life partner.  From start to finish, this piece is writing at its best, both spare and evocative. 

One of my favorite paragraphs:

Sometimes I’d sit in the kitchen in the dark and gaze out at the Empire State and Chrysler buildings. Such a beautiful pair, so impeccably dressed, he in his boxy suit, every night a different hue, and she, an arm’s length away, in her filigreed skirt the color of the moon. I regarded them as an old married couple, calmly, unblinkingly, keeping watch over one of their newest sons. And I returned the favor. I would be there the moment the Empire State turned off its lights for the night, as if getting a little shut-eye before sunrise.

It's a pain that you have to register or log in to the NYT, but it's worth it just to read this piece.  You can try the dummy log in username "bullybullywent" and password "bullybully" (no guarantee of success, though).

Rec - New York Times Commentary - All-Nighters Column

Today's New York Times has one of the most wonderfully lyrical pieces of writing I've read in a newspaper in ages.  Entitled Insomnia City, it is by Bill Hayes, a life long sufferer of sleeplessness, who moved to Manhattan following the unexpected death of his life partner.  From start to finish, this piece is writing at its best, both spare and evocative. 

One of my favorite paragraphs:

Sometimes I’d sit in the kitchen in the dark and gaze out at the Empire State and Chrysler buildings. Such a beautiful pair, so impeccably dressed, he in his boxy suit, every night a different hue, and she, an arm’s length away, in her filigreed skirt the color of the moon. I regarded them as an old married couple, calmly, unblinkingly, keeping watch over one of their newest sons. And I returned the favor. I would be there the moment the Empire State turned off its lights for the night, as if getting a little shut-eye before sunrise.

It's a pain that you have to register or log in to the NYT, but it's worth it just to read this piece.  You can try the dummy log in username "bullybullywent" and password "bullybully" (no guarantee of success, though).