Rec - New York Times Commentary - All-Nighters Column

[elrhiarhodan]

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).

Comments

[ostaras-journey.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful article!

I was lucky enough to live in New York for three years a while back. It remains my favorite place in the world, and I have no doubt it is the world's best and most exciting city. Its enforced compactness (Manhattan anyway) makes it work, to my mind, as cities should, with work never being that far away from home, the food mart just around the corner or across the street, your favorite Italian restaurant a couple of blocks away.

The writer also touched on something I found which seems to be an unusual view of NYC: that a lot of the time people are generous and even kind. I have fallen over there and five people came to check I was okay. I felt at home and safe there, and I completely understand where this writer is coming from.

Thanks for sharing.

[elrhiarhodan]

I have friends from all over the world, and it always aggravates me when someone says "Oh, I'd never want to go to New York City. Everyone's so MEAN. What if I got lost?"

While I don't live in the city, I've been a New Yorker most of my life, and I have always found -- even in the 1980s (when things were still pretty bad in a lot of areas), that most people were pleasant and eager to help.

This was one of the most beautiful things I've read about NYC in years, and I'm glad to have been able to share it.