Category Archives: A.J. Liebling

Reaction to A.J Liebling

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By: Teresa Roca

In “Apology For Breathing,” I was able to relate to the author when he discussed how certain New Yorkers are submerged in their environment, oblivious of the world around them. I can relate to this since I am the type of person who feels that there is no place better than New York City. I couldn’t help but laugh when he spoke about New Yorkese. This accent is definitely something many of us don’t realize we have. I found it interesting when he said that New Yorkers are the best mannered people in America, something I don’t agree with. I definitely believe that we live by the stereotype of being rude to others. This shows much New York has changed throughout the years.

“Beginning With The Undertaker” was my favorite of the stories. I am Italian and have travelled to Italy many times. His reporting on the old myth that you must bathe in odd numbers is a great example of all the traditions and myths Italians live by. I appreciated Liebling’s reporting on the Italian community of New York City since I feel it is currently being taken over by the China Town area.

In “City Block,” it is sad to see how such an overpopulated area could be filled with so much poverty and hardship. I especially liked Mrs. Pearl Hankison’s account on how Harlem used to be. It is a great contrast of the two times. Through the author’s writing, the reader can see how the conditions were getting worse.

“Getting By” and “Tummler” has the perfect subjects for a short story. Being a professional faster and eater are two professions I never knew about. I cannot believe it is possible to fast for over thirty days or to eat hundreds of oysters in one sitting! Hymie Katz is definitely a character that everybody hates to love. This account of his life of gambling and scamming definitely taught me how people rely on these two to sustain a living.

These stories are great representations of the history of New York City. They taught me about certain neighborhoods and the colorful people who used to live in them.

Reaction Post – Apology For Breathing (By Lisa Olson)

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After reading Apology For Breathing, I  found that Liebling’s observations of life in New York City were humorous and pretty accurate! I really enjoyed the passage about how Liebling likes to “think of all the city microcosms so nicely synchronized though unaware of one another.” I’ve found that to be very true for most parts of New York (or at least, Manhattan). I often nanny in three downtown neighborhoods- Battery Park City, FiDi, and TriBeCa, and I am amazed at how people in each neighborhood live such different lives!
I’m always impressed when authors master the ability to make up words and have them work in their writing. As is such for this piece, and I commend Liebling’s conjuration of “New Yorksese”. It’s also really great that (he?she?), compares it to the dialect of Cork, Ireland. I’ve been all over Ireland, including Cork, and I can tell you from experience that although the people of Cork speak english, they might as well speak chinese because the dialect in use there is impossible to understand! I’ve known native Irishmen who find it difficult to communicate with their countrymen down in County Cork. And although the comparison never occurred to me before, I see now that people from out of town often find it difficult to understand a native New Yorker speaking swift New Yorkese.

Liebling by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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Back Where I Came From: Apology For Breathing

I liked this excerpt of Liebling’s writing because he notes the different layers of New York City and the fact that not every New Yorker views the city the same. His writing is so descriptive that the reader is able to envision his explanations with the imagery he provides. Liebling says that the finest thing about New York City is that it is like one of those complicated Renaissance clocks, on one level an allegorical marionette pops out to mark the day of the week, on another a skeleton death bangs the quarter hour with his scythe, and on a third the Twelve Apostles do a cakewalk. This is my favorite line from this writing. I have seen writings where New York City has been compared to a great number of things but this comparison is on point and by far the best. Liebling goes on to say that some New Yorkers are completely submerged in their environment that they live and die oblivious of the worlds around them. I believe that I am the exact opposite of that. I am the New Yorker that he describes who is instinctively aware of the wonders of New York’s natural history, but think them hardly worthy of mention. I think that because we live in New York some of us may overlook just how magnificent this city is. One point that Liebling made that I disagree with is his statement that New Yorkers are modest. While some New Yorkers may be modest indeed, most are completely not. We live in one of the greatest cities in the world and I believe that we are entitled to feel decorous at some times. On the other hand, Liebling’s statement that New York women are the most beautiful in the world, is something that I absolutely agree with.

 

Beginning With The Undertaker

I read this piece a few times and I thought the whole thing was very random. I am not sure if there is a hidden meaning behind the number of baths or if he means exactly what he says. If someone figures it out I would really like to know.

 

People In Trouble

While reading this chapter I had to look up the year that this book was written because Liebling starts talking about rooms in apartment buildings in Harlem being rented for $4 to $7 a week and I knew this couldn’t have been written recently. Just as I suspected, the book was written in 1938. It was interesting to know that although the blocks of Harlem were overcrowded, to say the least, no major epidemic arose and the people stayed clean. When Liebling starts to talk about Mrs. Hankinson, I picture her as that same old lady that has been on any New York block for many, many years.

Liebling notes that the children of Knickerbocker village, although they are poor, never feel inclined to walk outside Harlem or even to a different part of Harlem. Those children most likely find comfort in their living situation and appreciate it because it is all they know. Outsiders may look at the people of this block as people in trouble but they themselves do not believe that they are in trouble at all.

 

Getting By

The faster in this story, Ben Green, is very dedicated for fasting for 38 days. Is it even possible to still be alive after fasting for so long? The eater on the other hand, Di Larentis was also very dedicated for eating everything that he ate. This comparison of the differences of how people get by is ironic and very funny.

 

Tummler

This is the second piece from Liebling that I am reading and Belmont is mentioned. I live in Elmont and Belmont is down the block from my house. I am aware that Belmont Racetrack is a historical landmark but I was not aware that so many writers felt compelled to write about it. I didn’t know what a tummler was but I looked up the definition. A tummler is a person who makes things happen, in particular a professional entertainer whose function is to encourage an audience, guests at a resort, etc., to participate in the entertainments or activities. This precisely describes Hymie.