In this interesting piece, A.J Liebling describes New York as one would describe a a western hometown, ‘back where they came from’. For Liebling, New York has always been his home, and he therefore speaks intimately about the city as a collection of “microcosms so nicely synchronized though unaware of each other…” This is reminiscent of the “gift of loneliness and the gift of privacy” that E.B White implored New York to offer. Liebling speaks fondly of his father’s upbringing, and of various characters in the neighborhood that made this city so complex and intriguing.
As if he is speaking about a remote mid-western village, Liebling describes the ‘regional’ language of New York, New Yorkese, which presents the residents as a remote sect of he country. He also describes New Yorkers, seemingly quite sarcastically, as the “best mannered people in America”, with the brightest children and the most beautiful women in the world. It seemed to me that he is merely describing his ‘village’ with the utmost exaggerated praise, like many of his friends from other places would frequently describe ‘back where they were from’. Overall, it was a very entertaining piece.
Yes, there is a hometown, Western village quality to Liebling’s reflections BUT what distinguishes New York as a big city? Are there references, examples that illustrate that, too?