That New York Spirit (from NYT 10/18/10)

Just read this Dan Barry article in today's NY Times, its the eulogy of a beautiful dynamic vivacious woman, who was more character than words could account. She in my mind is quintessentially the vanished New York City that's celebrated, conjured and missed.

I recommend reading it: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/nyregion/17annie.html

PhotoWed! 12/02/09 : Borough of (Vanishing) Churches Edition

If memory serves there was a piece in the Ken Burns documentary "New York" that describes the rivalry between Brooklyn and Manhattan. In that segment, Brooklynites as far back as the 19th century would boast of the many classic houses of worship the borough had to offer, calling Brooklyn the "Borough of Churches" as a means of highlighting the greatness of the place. Bitter Manhattanites of the era were said to retort, that's cause "Brooklyn's a great place to die!"

Well these days it seems the churches are the ones that're fading.

Today's photo Wednesday comes from the Clinton Hill / Prospect Heights border where sits a church on Pacific between Vanderbilt and Underhill, that one of my aunts has warm and spooky stories about.



There's more story than that but suffice to say it seems the church is coming down steeple by steeple if my photo shows true.

Anybody know more?

I'll miss the columns of William Safire (the language ones)

Brooklyn Born regrets the passing of William L. Safire. Pulitzer Prize winner, Writer, linguist, Conservative, Pundit and Native New Yorker. I rarely agreed with his politics (his never rescinded support for the Iraq invasion, for example) however I dug his way with words.

The obit in the NY Times, for whom he wrote from 1973 until earlier this month included this:

There were columns on blogosphere blargon, tarnation-heck euphemisms, dastardly subjunctives and even Barack and Michelle Obama’s fist bumps. And there were Safire “rules for writers”: Remember to never split an infinitive. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors. Proofread carefully to see if you words out. Avoid clichés like the plague. And don’t overuse exclamation marks!!

Rest in peace. (Hope I wrote this well)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Safire