I definitely enjoyed certain parts of the A. J. Liebling pieces. I found the excerpt on Hymie Katz to be the most entertaining. His character reminds me of a present day New yorker. An individual with the hunger for the next dollar. I felt that this ‘tummler’ was a foreshadowing for the future new York. That the people with the business sense and drive would be the future of the city.
I also enjoyed Liebling’s description of 142nd and 143rd street in Harlem. He tells this portion of the story through a series of lists, something reminiscent of E.B. White’s “Here Is New York”. Liebling begins to describe the living conditions of the poor and of the well off. It’s ironic how close in proximity each social class is to the other, but yet how vastly different their lives are. The poor sleep stacked on top of one another, versus the well off population that could afford the additional space.
Liebling made Harlem come to life from his words, he did a great job of creating the environment in my mind. He carved out the environment then worked his way to the the significant individuals in his neighborhood. For instance Miss Ira who gives the neighborhood its touch of fashion, or Pearl Hankinson an activist in the area. Hankinson is wealthy enough to leave the area, but has found comfort in it, she is one of the residents who has actually watched the neighborhood change over the years, and according to her it gets worse and worse. Initially, I wondered why she she chose to stay, but it’s clear that she has become attached to the neighborhood and It’s children.
Overall Liebling’s pieces I feel are good templates for a profile and backgrounder. He works his way from the general grand scale information, to a more specific detailed account of the neighborhood.