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Archive for April, 2009

She awakened just as in her dreams some ciegos were boarding a bus, begging for money, a dream from her Lost Days. The guapo in the seat next to her tapped her on the elbow.

Señorita, this is not something you’ll want to miss.

I’ve already seen it, she snapped. And then, calming herself, she peered out the window.

It was night and the lights of Nueva York were everywhere.

From The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which takes place in the Dominican Republic and New Jersey, mostly, & won last year’s Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It’s extensively footnoted and conversational and dense; if I was reading again, I might be referring to online annotations.

Junot Díaz was on Kim Hill last year (mp3) & talked about writing, and the politics & culture & character of the Americas.

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Ben Katchor makes poetic, architectural comics about a New York that is a slightly mysterious, but familiar kind of strange.

I borrowed Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: The Beauty Supply District books from the library a few months ago, but just found this TED presentation, and am enjoying the comics on his website.

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Babycakes

babycakes!, Originally uploaded by youngtillidie

Did I mention NY has vegan cupcakes?

Babycakes is all vegan all the time, in fact caters to all kinds of dietary peculiarities, and is at 248 Broome Street between Orchard & Ludlow on the Lower East Side. NY vegans love them. You can buy an icing shot for $1 (oh America, you are crazy).

See also cute video footage, and the following gratuitous cupcake pictures:

three cupcakes

cupcake mosaic

babycakes storefront

three cupcakes, artfully arranged

chair outside babycakes

NY also has conceptual art featuring vegan cupcakes, though it’s not necessarily appreciated by the locals.

Other likely-looking sources for vegan cupcakes while travelling: Boneshakers in Brooklyn, ‘sNice in the West Village or Park Slope, Brooklyn, Penny Licks in Brooklyn, Sacred Chow in Greenwich Village. Further reference material: The Urban Housewife’s NYC vegan dessert reviews: part one & two.

Auckland has vegan cupcakes too, it’s true, but it’s important to know I will be fed in foreign lands.

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“Urban anthropologists Andy & Carolyn London interview some of New York City’s more overlooked citizens.”

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Danced to this with Kerry, late one night / early one morning in Wellington, a couple of months ago – one of the highlights of a slightly patchy appearance by DJ Vadim. Danced some more, then went for 4am falafels and back to K’s for sleep.

This weekend she was in my town, making plans for a trip to (where else) NY. We won’t overlap, she gets home just before I leave, but I’m sure our stories will intersect somehow.

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wild truffles, Originally uploaded by digiyesica

Not in NYC itself, but nearby in upstate New York, Lagusta Yearwood lives, cooks vegetarian delivery meals, blogs & makes vegan chocolate truffles that sound and look amazing (as above). She’s just launched Bluestocking Bonbons, little boxes of ethically-solid artisan chocolates, named after feminist superheros.

Must find some way to try while in NY: Raspberries de Pizan (actually, they all sound amazing).

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