Category Archives: Commentary and Critiques
Protected: “Back where I came from” Thoughts from Maya by Mayara Guimaraes
Response: AJ Liebling
After reading the writing selections by Liebling, I have the say the one that spoke to me most was “Back Where I came From.” Not only was the piece well-crafted, it was also eloquently written. Liebling uses language in a way that draws in readers. He paints the picture of Harlem without sounding overly flowery and disingenuous.
My favorite line is at the very beginning of the reading, when he says
“With the exception of a couple of white women who have married colored men and of three Chinese laundrymen who sleep behind their shops, all the 3,824 residents in the block are Negroes.”
This line thoroughly describes Harlem in a nutshell. The integration of statistics (3,824 residents) adds credibility to the piece and shows readers that Liebling knows exactly what he is talking about. He is not just a passerby. He is much more than that.
Liebling also describes Harlem in various angles, which makes him even more of an intriguing writer. For example, he mentions both the poorest and richest areas of Harlem. He describes the discrepancy, which shows that Harlem is more than meets the eye.
Liebling is a very inspirational writer. His use of language and words is incredibly intriguing and makes readers want more.
Protected: Liebling.
Protected: Getting By- Liebling
Reaction to Liebling
Gambling at the track, opening clubs and conning investors; “Tummler” really grabbed my attention when Liebling wrote that all Hymie needed to open his nightclub was “an idea and a loan of fifty dollars.” From there it was a fast track through the course of Hymie’s absurd yet mischievously inspiring operation. This was easily my favorite of Liebling’s work, simply because the quality of the content was so rich and Liebling delivered it in a manner that matched the fast pace, rambling lifestyle of Hymie.
“Beginning With the Undertaker” was the first Liebling piece I read and it certainly set a strange tone for the author as I continued on reading. I view it as a fun superstition among Italians, told expertly by an inside New Yorker subjected to their culture. Although the majority of the piece did seem like a long tangent, I particularly liked the mood he created in the opening paragraph, with lonely policemen floundering through the undertaker’s store at all hours of the night.
“Apology for Breathing” is Liebling saying that New York is not for everybody, so just take it as it is. New York is different than every other place in America and tourists and visitors should know that before they come. All the “microcosms” Liebling writes of are what keep the wheels of this beautiful machine continuously turning. What a tourist views as hustle and bustle is really just a vibrant city functioning at its best.
A Journalist’s cherishes to an imaginary Writer
Joe Gould’s Secret is Joseph Mitchell’s immense creation which published in 1965. It is based on two of his profiles pieces in The New Yorker, “Professor Sea Gull” in 1942 and “Joe Gould’s Secret” in 1964. In this book, Mitchell explores so magnificently about the writer, critic, and eccentric, Joe Gould, who used to live in Greenwich Village in the 20th century.
After reading the book, people would have positive and negative reactions about Joe Gould and his life. He intentionally created a shadow boundary upon him, where he was deeply in search of a free life. On the other hand, he was a wanderer and an orator who believed that history should be the voice of present poor people instead of the past.
Despite, Joe Gould’s bold personality, isolated living life from other writers and artists on his time, and moat importantly, the theory of ‘Oral History’ (recording of modern life: voice of the lower class people); I feel it is more of Joseph Mitchell’s astonishing writing and portraying style that elevated this true story into a surprising level. Mitchell not only discovered that the ‘Oral History’ did not exist also kept the secret a several years after Joe Gould’s death.
I really enjoyed Joseph Mitchell’s brilliant and powerful writing. My favorite quote from the book is, “Gould’s life is by no means carefree; he is constantly tormented by what he calls the three H’s” – homelessness, hunger and hangovers.”
Reaction to A.J Liebling
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)
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.
Chanelle Perrin, Joe Gould’s Secret
I must admit I did enjoy this book, Joe Gould’s character seems so eccentric. I found it funny how for a majority of the story everyone was so willing to help Joe Gould, but eventually grew tired of his theatrics and turned their backs on him. It seemed as if his life was a cycle of disappointments. His mother continuously sent him money until she grew tired of his life on the reservations with the Indians. Another thing I found interesting was the moment Gould over hears the principle making fun of him, it’s almost like a loss of innocence. As a little kid, he knew was a different from the other children but to hear an adult speak of him the way other children looked at him was a harsh dose of reality. Furthermore, the reaction he gets from his father is even more hurtful. I think it is in this moment Joe Gould became the eccentric character he displayed to Joe Mitchell. Gould seems truly lost throughout the story, constantly redoing things because he never got it quite right like in his “Oral History”. I feel he made up the “oral history” to show the relevance of the things people say. His principle’s words changed his life and his father’s dismissive attitude towards him afterwards; I think this was a key moment for him. He learned to walk to the beat of his own drum, because if he couldn’t impress his own father, what difference would the rest of the world make. There were times in the book when I wondered if anyone questioned his mental state. There were times I believed something may have been truly wrong with him, but he was smart, and he knew how to survive, he was able to use his charismatic personality to live off of the people he knew. I feel Joe Gould carried on as if he didn’t care about the opinions of others, but it seems everything he did was a cry for attention. Weather it was to upset people or to entertain, he just always brought attention to himself the best ways he could.