Critic Philip Hamburger has described Back Where I Came From as a “love letter to the City of New York.” Do you agree or disagree? If so, how and why does Liebling express his views? What techniques does he use as a reporter/writer?

I agree that Back Where I Came From is a love letter to the city of New York. The style that Liebling exhibits is very much like the pace and lingo of a New Yorker, and he admits to not having anything other than his New York roots to turn to. Many of the things he mentions about the city, whether it be the undertaker or tummler, Liebling describes people that make up the New York culture. Its sense of timelessness makes it something that can be referenced in todays society, even though the piece was published in 1938.

By describing people through their routines and how they associate with other people, Liebling is able to draw the description that allows him to describe characters that define New York City culture. The people he writes about are more than just their name and their niche in the community; they are all symbolic of what makes New York City so busy and rich in culture.