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CITY READS NYC
WHAT NEW YORKERS ARE READING
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DEATH’S END BY CIXIN LIU
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
So, it‘s a Sci-Fi novel written by a Chinese author who is the first Chinese
author to win the Hugo Award for Sci-Fi; a very famous Sci-Fi award. This is the
third book of the trilogy. So it’s um… it’s really great. I listen to a lot of
podcasts and some of the ones I listen to are like tech podcasts and so… and pop
culture and stuff like that so, some of them they had mentioned this book, and
they had all read it and fell in love with it, and so I was like “hell yeah”!I
love reading and I love losing yourself in a good book, so, you know.
SO FAR, WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
A perspective that I’ve gained is to look outside of yourself, and to look
outside of our current day in age and to… well… it’s kind of like uh… it’s a
mind expanding read, because it asks the question, “if humans had actually
contacted an extraterrestrial life, when they first sent out messages into
space, what would have happened to humans in society, over like a 400 year
span?“ You know, would it have been a friendly encounter, or otherwise? He goes
into all sorts of crazy things, you know. So, it’s really good, and it’s very…
from a technological aspect too, from a science aspect… it touches on a lot of
aspects that you don’t get from a lot of popular authors. By the time the third
book comes around (this is the third book) there’s this alien species that is
going to attack earth and so… you know, their figuring out ways to get around it
and eventually ask the question, “is there any way to actually send a message
into space that tells whoever’s out there that we are a safe and a friendly
species?” I literally read the first book in like 2 sittings!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
Absolutely! Um… specifically, I would recommend it to people who, you know, like
to … well, first of all, who love fiction… and second of all, who are intrigued
by extraterrestrial kind of, you know, “what’s out there?” stuff. And then
thirdly… anybody who’s scientifically minded, you know. Anybody who has that
“what if?” mentality, or who really pays attention to the details and who gets
their kick out of things like NASA and SpaceX and going to Mars and stuff like
that. You know, it’s just amazing!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Aliens,
Cixin Liu, Extraterrestrial, Hugo Award, Sci-fi, Science Fiction, Space on March
17, 2020 by cityreadsnyc.
HANDED A TICKET THROUGH BLOOD
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the circus is in town and I’m handed a ticket through blood.
a strong man melts to nothing at the sight of his sorrow not standing there.
the siamese twins don’t share much in common besides loose cloth.
the bearded lady holds on by a thread and smiles through to the strangers.
there are wrestling midgets who don’t fit anywhere from what they’re told, but
they enjoy the company and they let the sweat roll.
the clowns all run around the field playing tricks on each other and you.
and a woman in a box who is soon to be sawed in half by a magician who’s lost
his touch wonders how she got here.
i hear they have elephants under the tent held together by ego and loose chains,
few people in the room for now.
and a lion locked in a cage he can’t see with a hurt paw from last weeks show.
the acrobatic brothers don’t know each other, and never have and haven’t tried
and never will.
the cyclops is afraid to lose himself though he dreams as clear as you or i.
and no one likes the room of mirrors, so they reflect nothing in return.
the tunnel of love is a quick ride with a cyclical queue and charges the most
per ticket compared to the others despite its tendency to break down and rumored
to have killed a man before.
there’s a fortuneteller wearing bifocals in between the carousel going backwards
and a snake charmer who can’t find his flute.
and that snake charmer just the night before couldn’t sleep because he misses a
girl who’s never there.
and that snake is in the mood for familiar sounds and spits poison when he’s
agitated.
a man who can guess your weight forgets his own with each lame guess.
the $2 kissing booth describes our existence well.
and there’s a three legged dog who trails behind the whole gypsy carny from town
to town because he’s still able to and doesn’t have much else to do anyway.
the circus is in town and it may only pass thru once and things pass quicker
these days.
and it’s just in your backyard.
and you’re passed along a ticket while standing in line with the others.
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This entry was posted in A Poem to Share, CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged
Bearded Lady, Carnival, Circus, Clowns, Cyclops, Elephants, Fortune Teller,
Kissing Booth, Life, Lion, Poem, Poet, Poetry, Short Stories, Short Story,
Siamese Twins, Snake Charmer, Three Legged Dog, Tunnel Of Love, Writer, Writers,
Writing on August 16, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
THANKS FOR THE POETIC WARNING
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By Justin Cude
What strange times we’re living in.
The times they have-a done changed, old friend.
Thanks for the poetic warning.
A scene far stranger than the governments anti-psychedelic propaganda campaigns
of the sunshine years.
Only the lookers could see this coming.
You can’t unsee this madness unfolding.
You don’t come back from this trip.
Neither might the world.
What an abstraction on the horizon.
I’ve seen light from the cracks once or twice.
Leonard told us to notice.
Gold even poured once before.
The mind’s alchemy says twice, and might again.
But concrete dries quicker than it mixes, and they mix it quickly, don’t they?
And, I might be gone a long ole’ time.
That’s the way its been feeling.
Ghosts from the past made human again.
Sleeping with those still more recent.
Darkness dies to light then has its revenge again before its over.
A worthy opponent who shocks the crowd with each landed blow.
An underdog for unknown reasons with blood in his eyes from years of
irreversible attrition.
The only fight worth a damn to hands untouched.
The birds still fly south though we’ve confused them.
It’s harder now to know the way.
I’ve slept under clear skies with no stars.
But have held the sun in winter til dawn.
The world needs her then so I must stand to go despite the cold.
Wild poppies provide rich and vital blood for the fields they devour.
And color when you chose to look at life for the way she moves.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged Alchemy, author,
Authors, Bob Dylan, Change, Color, Darkness, Fight, Flowers, Ghosts, Leonard
Cohen, Light, Poem, Poet, Poetic, Poetry, Psychedelic, Psychedelics, Strange,
Time, Word, Words, Write, Writer, Writing on August 12, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
LONG YEARS FADE SWIFTLY INTO SMOKE OF A DYING CANDLE
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By Justin Cude
Short stories come from long years of living. I once met a woman who handed me
many in a single night. Some I can still recite with my eyes closed, others have
fled for now. Some maybe have gone forever, but I won’t know until the end.
Others have left nothing in my mind. Maybe they have, I just haven’t heard from
them yet. They’re in there dormant maybe just waiting to live. But, I can’t wait
around for them to reveal to me anything that may or may not help in my own
living. The sun burns out quickly and who knows what year we’re in. Sitting down
for a coffee seems like a trip to me. Its one of the few things that brings it
all back, then, with a bang bigger than the big one we believe in, expand
outwards towards areas I’m led to explore, to visit. Love of a good woman, love
of a wild one, both in the same, physical exertion, a read which melts your
brain, the occasional hand-rolled cigarette, a few whiskeys or wines have done
it temporarily, the wind, a few walks in nature have revealed to me something,
feeling breath, an animals stare and affection, travel at times when I’m not
looking for it to, a written line which stops me, love towards anything when I
try, and coffee, black, sometimes with cinnamon or butter. There are others but
I don’t want to taint this with lists. I also don’t want to share everything. A
good secret is OK to have long as your soul doesn’t burn you. As long as you’re
not scarring yourself. You have you’re own things which reveal to you the world
you’re looking for. Don’t copy others. Don’t blind yourself either from the
world which actually exists. There is truth in both. The sky remained gray
lately, but I’m aware its of our own doing. The air we breath is poisoned with
our filth. So to the rivers and the bodies they bleed into. The land as well,
but the world fights back. Its has to. Its all it knows. Not in hate but in life
and with love to live that life. But our filth is dumped into our DNA and we’ve
done it. This is chosen, not fated. It blocks the sun, too. At times I can’t see
mountains only kilometers away. I’d say miles but those don’t work here. Not
everything works everywhere. Love tries and its damn good at it most of the
time, if we allow it to be. If we allow ourselves to be. Love does conquer all,
but we’ve made weapons for that at some turning point in our evolution. What an
idea. At times I can’t see my reflection in a window an arms reach away. But
there are those days when the mountains sit with peaceful calm intensity and my
reflection shows compassion for the one it reflects. Those days keep me hopeful.
One day the sky was mahogany brown. It was an absurd moment to have passed
through. Was if all were drowning in a pond of spoiled red China tea, or mud. We
put it there and now we must wear masks to keep from suffocating. Quicksand
we’ve submerged ourselves in with small steps towards progress. An oddity of the
modern world. Something one day they’ll hopefully look back on in disbelief like
we have so many times looking back at others mistakes from the past. Its not a
mistake when suffering is packaged and labeled for resale in what we call
foreign lands. Its not a mistake when we can see but look away. Humanity chooses
and it tends to be against ourselves, like a mouse going for the cheese. Maybe
our brains are that simple too. Maybe we can’t see the trap we’re walking into.
But, art tells us differently. Art tells us we can see, radically. So does love.
More so love. The abstract and the realism. If love was there we’d choose
differently. Radically differently. But cheese looks good to a hungry rat. Art
means nothing when our gaze is locked on the outcome. Neither does love. But,
when the simpleminded have had their hit, and the daze of satisfaction withers,
and the cheese is nothing but cheese, where do we find ourselves? What are we so
hungry for? Do we really know our own answer to this? Bob Dylan stares at me as
I write this telling me with a single look to keep going but only if you have
something to say. He wears a harmonica on his neck which reminds me the beauty
of music. How powerful that beauty can be and how widespread it’s embrace.
“Write that way” he says, and I try. A girl hugs his arm looking for warmth but
provides a fire in the snowy streets of Greenwich Village back when the snow use
to stick. Another, he’s confident but only in his questioning. He knows its a
joke to play with. The next, still confident but with sun glasses on inside
after recording attempted answers looking into the unknown of his own, which is
also ours. He’s talking to me in still pictures but I hear his words clearly.
His words have always whispered to my soul the truths I’ve needed to hear. That
there aren’t any written in blood but blood still flows, so follow it. Go where
your blood boils, or make it boil if you can. We all know how. Answer me this;
what have we all been deprived of? I’d say love. Then I’d ask, why does this
deprivation continue? I’d say we allow it to. We block it or ignore it, we
withhold or we fear its life, or turn away when light from beneath horizon
starts to illuminate the memories. Then I’d know the answer to this deprive. And
I’d say love again, but as an action not as a label. There’s little work this
morning so I’m looking in. We all have so much to say but it never comes out
exactly right. I’m trying just to get it out mostly these days. It doesn’t need
to be exactly right. It never is even when you try for it to be. Even when you
struggle for it. Just getting it out is enough at times. There’s no wind today
either. Here there’s either none or there’s the type which can blow you over. At
least it tries to. Inertia will hold you down. The mind can be heavier than
those mountains I can’t see at times. It can also be as light as the dust blown
in from the desert just over those mountains. Dust from the Middle East reaches
the shores of Brazil I read once. I’d rather be blown away or challenge the gods
head on. Inertia is only good in meditation. Even sleep is dynamic.
Contemplation has blinded be many times. The mind never stops but you can sit
with it and watch it go by. And when you do watch it go by, when you can glimpse
the light through the filth, when you’ve said what you’ve had to say, exactly
how you wanted to or not, when suffering is accepted and not feared, when the
air you breath is just air, the moment just the moment, the mountains just
mountains, your reflection just that, when you understand how much we make-up,
the malleability of stories, the degradation of self, the empowerment of
illusion, the anything of everything, the everything of anything, love is all
remains, and love is there if we get out of our own way. Short stories can all
be summed with a shorter one, and can be learned even quicker before those long
years fade swiftly into smoke of a dying candle; love. No story amounts to this,
though they’re all trying to say it, one way or another. No words can say it
better. No other action contains more truth, though there are so many which
happen. Everything comes from this, and everything is just attempting to make
its way back home to it. The shortest story in the world makes the most sense,
but we write others to hide it, or to attempt to reveal it, to rewrite it to
justify our victimhood. To complicate it. That’s what I just did, and I feel
good for relieving myself of the clutter, that is a practice worthwhile, but,
yet all this gibberish, all this nonsense, all the these words, one after the
other trying to say something, leads back to this; love. That’s it. That’s what
we’re all really trying to say. That’s what we’re all really trying to do.
That’s what we all really just need to do. Just love. You’re allowed to.
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This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Art, Breath, Breathe, Coffee,
Humanity, Love, Short Stories, Short Story, Struggle, Suffering, Think,
Thinking, Thought, Thoughts, Words, Write, Writer, Writers, Writing on August 6,
2019 by cityreadsnyc.
A BRAVE NEW WORLD BY ALDOUS HUXLEY
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> I was back home in the Philippines when I first saw a copy of the book and it
> seemed interesting to me at the time but, I wasn’t… I just wasn’t at the point
> where I wanted to purchase it because I was reading a few other books at the
> time so I wanted to finish those first. And then, when I got to New York a few
> days ago, I was at The Strand Bookstore over on Broadway and 13th, I saw this
> book again and decided to buy it then.
SO FAR, WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
> Well, I actually had no idea that this book was written in the 1950s or 60s,
> but I think the reason that its coming back to the shelves and coming back to
> popularity is because the message and the core of the book is very relevant to
> us now. Like… basically the premise of ‘A Brave New World’ is society has
> become a place of homogeneity and a lack of individuality, because everyone is
> genetically engineered and conditioned from birth to have these certain traits
> and there’s this caste system thats involved where every caste and every
> person has a specific role to do, and… to me… I… I consider myself an
> individualist. I like to do my own thing. I don’t really like corporations and
> institutions and things like that, so… the perspective that I think is worth
> looking into is… how trends and things that are popular nowadays… look into
> how they come to be and why people subscribe to them, and if at anyway that
> takes way from their sense of identity… even though I think its important to
> have things in common, but… the extent to which we subscribe to these ideas
> and institutions is reflective of who we are as a society and I think while
> its important to have these things which we have in common, I think we should
> all strive to maintain our own passions and individuality.
> Its a heavy read. It plays a lot on the concept of human sexuality. And now,
> more than ever, women are being objectified and taken advantage of. Women and
> men, for that matter. But, this book kind of… well… it’s obviously through a
> male gaze. Aldous Huxley is a guy, he’s writing from a male perspective, and…
> the women in the book, they are treated as sort of objects. First of all,
> there’s no emotion involved in personal relationships in this book… its all
> just like people getting together and having sex and absolutely no emotional
> attachment… literally hit it and quit it, and nobody has any emotion. But,
> yeah… the character that I most like from the book is named Bernard Marx, and
> he seems to be the only person who can think for himself. And, what’s
> interesting is he’s different from everybody else in the sense that… like for
> his level, he’s an alpha so he should be like tall, strong and buff, but he
> has a physical defect and he’s small, he’s frail, he’s thin, but aside from
> that, aside from himself being estranged from society because of his physical
> defect, its also… intellectually he’s different. You can tell because of the
> way he thinks. He has passions. He’s an individual and he can think for
> himself, which I find to be interesting and I kind of relate with him on that
> level.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Absolutely. I don’t think this book is meant for any particular demographic.
> Its hard to just humanize people in general, so, like I said early, it’s very
> relevant to our society today and the things we have going on in that society.
> And, like… old, young, whatever, there are themes which definitely reflect the
> world we’re living in today, so absolutely anyone should read this book. I
> definitely recommend it. Like, I’d make my kid read this, for sure! Yeah. I
> think its timeless.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged A Brave
New World, Aldous Huxley, Human Sexuality, Individual, Individualist,
Individuality, Inividualism, New York, New York City, NYC, Passion, Popular,
Sexuality, Society, The Strand Bookstore, Think, Thinking, Thought, Timeless,
Trends on August 4, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
LIFE AS A PLAYWRIGHT: A SURVIVAL GUIDE BY JOHN KLEIN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Um… I frequent the drama book shop quite a bit and I picked up another
> playwright book beforehand, saw this one and knew I wanted to come back for
> it.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
> Um… that I’m lucky that I don’t care about money! And… dedication to your
> craft.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah, I would… it has an interesting perspective that it isn’t so much of a
> guidebook as it is annotation about experiences. It has a lot of really deep,
> comprehensive interview chapters with several really well known playwrights.
> So… I think that gives a really nice perspective on everything.
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This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Book, Books, Bryant Park,
Drama, John Klein, Life As A Playwright, Manhattan, New York, New York City, New
York New York, NYC, Play, Plays, Playwright, Playwrights, Read, Screenwriter,
Scriptwriter, Summer Reading, Theatre, Write, Writer, Writing on July 29, 2019
by cityreadsnyc.
THE GHOST WRITER BY PHILIP ROTH
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> My friend who is also a very avid reader was purging her quite enormous book
> collection… she ran out of space… and she decided to announce anyone feel free
> to take through so, I purged her shelves and just saw what was interesting and
> I grabbed it actually from her… and she never ended up even reading it, so…
> I’m reading it instead of her!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
> Initially I thought it was going to be going in a certain direction, and now
> that I’ve gotten a good way through its not what I expected. Um… but its… very
> interesting. Its really about the relationship between writers and reality….
> which is what appealed to me.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Uh, I think so far my first gut reaction would be yes, I would recommend it.
> Um… and… I would definitely recommend it to other avid readers. Other people
> that really enjoy reading. Only because that… that’s what this is really
> initially about. Um… its… really good for those who appreciate that, you know…
> discussion, the intellectual… the questions that come from reading books, um…
> so, that’s why.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Authors,
Book, Book to read, Books to read, Bookshelf, Bookshelves, Madison Square Park,
Manhattan, New York City, Philip Roth, Read, Reading, Realtiy, Summer Reading,
The Ghost Writer, Writers, Writing on July 23, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
SALVATION ON SAND MOUNTAIN BY DENNIS COVINGTON
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> It was assigned to me by my class. That is, ‘Spiritual Autobiography‘ at The
> New School.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
> Oh! The perspective of the religious… intensely Christian in the south… there
> are snake handlers, which I’ve never heard of before. And so, this is all new
> to me… and its very interesting.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Oh! Um… I’m only a little bit in… like page 20. But, I’d… so far, I think its
> written really well and I would recommend it to people looking to learn more
> about places they don’t know, and parts of religions that they don’t know.
> And… for anyone looking for just a good book!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Appalachia, Appalachian, Autobiography, Denis Covington, North Carolina,
Religion, Religions, Religious, Salvation on Sand Mountain, Snake Handlers,
Snakes, South, Southern Religion, Spiritual, Spiritual Autobiography,
Spirituality, The New School, Washington Square Park on July 14, 2019 by
cityreadsnyc.
ONCE AGAIN
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By Justin Cude
I’ve been out
there
in the
burning
wind
the ground
roaring
under
and
I’ve seen
it
and felt
it’s
power
it’s
rage
til it’s
end
and I don’t like
new
to
begin
when I can’t
see
can’t see
back
over
where I’ve
over where
I’ve
been
who does?
who can?
who
than?
But I’ll turn
either
way
so it goes
now
to the wind
burning
as it does
so it goes
Once again.
Don’t you know,
now,
by
now
you’re
my
friend, and
always you
always you have
been
and
I’ll be there
without,
without
all this,
we’ll see,
seen,
seeing,
pretend
and I’ll know
you
from back
when?
but we won’t feel
like that,
no
not like that, no
not
like that
then
again.
So I’ll turn now
to the
wind
burning with
and
within,
against
until
faced
with
as it will
we’ve seen
Once again.
I won’t stop
turning
and the wind
it
wont stop
we learned
burning
and I
won’t stop
trying
no,
I can’t stop
it’s
trying
So I’ll keep
turning
And I’ll keep
trying
and
I’ll
Turn now
again
till the
and its
end
to the
still burning
and trying
wind
once again
friend.
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This entry was posted in A Poem to Share, CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged
author, Begin, Burning, Change, New Beginings, Once Again, Poem, poems, Poet,
Poetry, Time, Wind, Write, Writing on July 10, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
THE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM: A LEADERSHIP FABLE BY PATRICK LENCIONI
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> So… I…. I’m the director of a nonprofit. Its a national nonprofit I started 37
> years ago here in New York City. I now lead the Dallas office, so… I’m from
> New York originally, but I’m back here for a trip to see family, kids and
> retreat from the job, so… I go back after Labor Day, but… the book…. long
> story… long answer… is because I lead a team and I’m new at management. One of
> my board chairs… actually not one of my board stairs… he says this is a good
> book for you to read because my team seems dysfunctional at times. So I was
> like cool. Must be a great book to read. So, here I am. It’s a nice day.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
> So, well, one… that I’m not a babbling idiot! Seems like… I mean the book is…
> it says a leadership fable, but its set around an executive team, the whole
> C-Suite team… and after they tell the story I’m like my team deals with this
> too. So, it kind of… you know… and to hear it from other people it takes the
> onus off me that I have to figure this out alone and that I’m doing something
> wrong. You know. People have natural tendencies of how they hear things, how
> they be, what they’re afraid of, conflict and how they build their team so…
> I’m feeling very confident that I can build some new strategies within team.
> Its a fun thing.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah! Actually, so yeah… one, I’m gonna recommend it to my whole team, cause
> they need to know what I’m reading and kind of thinking about. Two… I think
> this is… I mean, it’s just… I’ll say this… I don’t read very well… I read
> slow… so big books take me a long time. This is like one of the easiest reads
> I’ve ever had. Say its more than 200 pages. I’ve been reading it a day and I’m
> half way through. It’s engaging! Once you pick it up its like one of those,
> “Ok, I’ve gotta finish this story right away!” It’s like a good Netflix
> series… I’m just gonna binge watch this book! Three… you know, I think anybody
> in any type of leadership capacity, running any type of… any type of team, you
> know what I’m saying… I mean this could be a family book. Anybody who has to
> manage any bunch of… a group of people, so… yeah… its pretty good!
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This entry was posted in People From The Blog, Uncategorized and tagged Book
Recommendation, Book to read, Books to read, Bookstore, Bryant Park, Business,
Great Book, Leadership, Manhattan, Netflix, New York City, Patrick Lencioni,
Summer Reading, Team, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team on July 3, 2019 by
cityreadsnyc.
THE BOOKS WE READ
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By Justin Cude
I’ve read tons of books lately. Hold on. Bear with me. I don’t say that with any
type of pretentious. Its just a way to start this piece. But, seriously, lately
I have read tons of books. From Self-help horrors to border-line erotica novels.
From the lone pessimists attempt of optimistic existentialism to the bonding
painted along a band-of-hippies psychedelic rove. Books which reign the top 100
to ones spawn from the endless graves of underground novella. I’ve read deeper
into the works of authors I truly love, and have flirted with the lines of
authors I’ve only just met with a glance. I sat down yesterday and read a whole
damn book. I’ve only done that once in my life, years ago, and it felt wonderful
to experience this again. But, this piece isn’t about the number of books I’ve
read through in the last few weeks, but rather about what I have noticed, as I
have before, by doing so.
The books we read influence us. Greatly or subtly, it doesn’t matter. They teach
us. They touch us. They lead us and they push us. Some can hold you back. Many
will move you, either which way. The ones we love, we do so for many reasons.
There’s not just one reason we read and continue to. We read for many. And, we
keep reading because those reasons are always further affirmed the more words we
finish, the more pages we turn, the more books we try. We know why we read,
individually, and our knowing of that is enough to continue forth. Every book I
have ever read has provided me with at least one line of life; life learned,
understood, challenged, gained, lost, made aware of, or changed. Even if only a
line. I read for that one line. That one line that provides the life I needed to
experience as to allow my own life the right, or the acceptance of, to just be,
and for me to just be along with it. For life to be what it is, at any given
moment, during any given experience of its provide. And, for me to be who I must
and who I choose to be in response to and in demand of that greater providing.
I read for that one line. And, I read for this one life. Because, the books we
read provide the life of others, while we’re out learning and living towards the
writing and the sharing of our own. There’s wisdom there. There’s trial and
error. There’s love and the exploration of its layered and endless complexities,
along with it’s simplicity. There’s death and our questions. There’s wild
stories from all walks of life, and there’s devout peering into the
uncertainties we face. And, there’s us, reflected in the words so humanly
placed. The books we read are shared closely with the lives we live. The lives
we live are steeped in the richness of books we read.
So, I encourage you to read on.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged author, Book,
Books, Books to read, Books We Read, Change, Changes, Changing, Death, human,
Human Nature, knowledge, Life, Love, People, Perspective, Philosophy,
Questioning, Questions, Read, Read More, Reading, Reading Books, Reality, Self,
Summer Reading, Travel, Writer, Writing on June 27, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
DIFFICULT LOVES BY ITALO CALVINO
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> I was, uh… bookstore hopping, in the city. I just moved here. So, I was trying
> to find a favorite, and it was super esthetic, and um, so I decided to take a
> chance on it, and bought it. That’s it. I can’t tell you what bookstore it
> was! I don’t remember where it was.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
> Um… so, its actually a collection of short stories, so there are a lot of like
> varying perspectives that I’m getting from it. They’re all about like…
> intimacy, between people, with themselves and with other people, so. I’ve read
> two short stories already and its just… it kind of makes me reexamine my
> relationships with people and how I navigate those, and the degrees of
> intimacy that exists within like… within everybody, especially moving to the
> city… like the intimacy you have with a stranger sitting on a bench with you…
> that’s kind of examined in this book and that’s kind of what its making me
> think about.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah! I definitely would. I feel like, for most of my age group, it might be a
> little bit, um, pretentious. I’m a first year college student, so, maybe like
> somebody who’s beginning to navigate serious relationships. Kind of up there
> with The Course of Love… I feel like it really kind of helps you understand
> your place in relation to other human beings, so… if you like to have
> existential crises, I think this book is really good! I absolute would
> recommend it, but I think that there’s a lot of internal reflection that it
> spurs, so, definitely be cognizant of that. If thats not your thing, its not
> your thing. It also has some kind of antiquated writing. Its very like flowery
> prose, so um… and its not necessary modern in a convenient sense.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Awareness, Bookstore, Collection, Connection, Difficult Loves, Human Nature,
Intimacy, Italo Calvino, Love, People, Perspective, Reading, Relation,
Relationships, Short Stories, Summer Reading, Washington Square Park on June 20,
2019 by cityreadsnyc.
WHAT MORE?
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By Justin Cude
What more is there to say?
What words are left to write?
You’re born from the sun,
you live with the day,
and you die into the night.
I know there are tricks in between,
but all we can do is live,
try to figure them out,
and love while we try.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged A Poem to Share,
Awareness, Death, Human Nature, Life, Live, Love, Loving, Now, Perspective,
Philosophy, Poem, Poetry, Question, Questioning, Reality, Time, True, Truth,
Wisdom, Words, Writer, Writing on May 15, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
THE WAY THINGS HAPPEN
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By Justin Cude
“It’s not suppose to go a certain way, it’s just suppose to go.” — Unknown
We all carry with us expectations, for every facet of this life, it’s path and
the way we envision things to go. This is dangerous, and we know this, though
the temptation of it truly does invite one in with a certain seductive appeal,
one that ignites our desire, puts flame to the fuse of our strive. There is
nothing wrong with these feelings of passion, pursuit, of tenacity; they are the
spice of life, the feelings we all long for, work for, dream of, crave. What is
wrong here however, within our blinded view of their true existence, is our
naively hopeful presumption of encounter with the byproduct we believe their
pursuit-of, or withholding-for, promises to provide. We hold our expectations,
feel down to the bone their premature existence, surer than death of their
inevitable arrival, left ignorantly vulnerable by a belief system we have
curated in our own mind, made real by a psyche ran wild, by faith chanced on a
baseless mirage, delusion. Expectation blindfolds our deeper need of
actualization; the makings of reality, not an ideal, more convenient
alternative. From actualization, further actualization is made available through
our efforts; I hope you find where to direct yours. From expectation, further
illusion ensues, understanding impedes, knowledge narrows due to ones dwindling
view. Expectation impetuously promises everything and delivers nothing.
Actualization provides the world, in acknowledgment of the way things happen no
matter our feelings towards this. The way we want things to go strangles us with
lies. The way things happen provides freedom in their unbiased telling, their
steadfast here-ness, and in our…
“Objective judgement, now at this very moment. Unselfish action, now at this
very moment. Willing acceptance — now, at this very moment — of all external
events.”
— Marcus Aurelius
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged Change, Changes,
Changing, Life, Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Now, Perspective, Philosophy,
Quote, Quotes, Reality, Stoic, Stoicism, Time, Writer, Writing on May 7, 2019 by
cityreadsnyc.
ICE BY ANNA KAVAN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Umm… I saw the cover of the original. I think I saw it in a used bookstore…
> its a much better cover than this version. This one looks kinda like Twilight
> or something. Yeah. The original, it was published in the 60s, and its a
> really nice black and white cover… and, I read the back, put it down, and I’ve
> never been able to find that same copy anywhere, but like… I went back to
> another bookstore and saw that Penguin put it out, and I really wanted to read
> it, but I didn’t want to read this version of it. I went back like two or
> three times and finally just gave in and read this one. So I just stumbled
> upon it. Yeah, also… I don’t like reading a book, when its, like… when the
> cover is… like it just feels weird holding a book you don’t like the cover of!
> It contextualizes it, and whatever.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
> The book is by a woman, but its about a male protagonist… he kinda like
> satirizes the short of film-noir detective type like, you know, cosmopolitan
> international guy, and he’s desperately trying to rescue this woman that he…
> she never speaks, he speaks on her behalf, he fantasizes about her, he
> believes she needs his saving but she doesn’t… like she never asks for his
> help, and its like… I just find that really kinda prescient and kind of
> depressing. I don’t know… its kind of disorienting me in my own life and
> making me question my own motives and intentions.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah, I would recommend it. Uh… its easy to read. It’s an extremely
> disorienting read though. It’s really strange. She’s constantly describing
> things that aren’t true and things that contradict one another… um. I would
> recommend it to people who are… who have dealt with drug or alcohol abuse in
> their life, or who have been in abusive relationships.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged 1960s,
Abusive Relationships, Alcohol Abuse, Anna Kavan, Book Cover, Book Covers,
Cosmopolitan, Detective, Drug Abuse, Film Noir, Ice, Ice by Anna Kavan, Lower
East Side, Male Protagonist, Manhattan, Penguin Books, Satire, Twilight, Used
Book, Used Books, Used Bookstore on May 5, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
THE INTERNAL NARRATIVE
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By Justin Cude
Many times in our lives we are the only one’s keeping our story or our narrative
alive, through the internal dialogue we choose to let run in continuum, many
times allowing it the autonomy to remain on repeat; stop this, unless of course
you remain entertained by the story you partake. Become more aware if you don’t.
This can be hard. This is hard. But, it doesn’t always have to be.
Lately in many ways I haven’t been entertained, but I will admit, in a few I
have, but that’s not what this is about. Walking down the street today after
grabbing an unusually timed coffee to sip on, I caught myself, well, thinking.
Catching yourself thinking can be an enlightening moment, and today it was for
me. I realized today, as I have realized before, but have failed yet, until now,
to write on it, that by catching yourself thinking you are grabbing a moment of
complete awareness of you and of your long running, usually tumbling, narrative
you have playing within. And it hit me. In the moment, surrounded by so many
unfamiliar faces, embedded within a place becoming more familiar by the day, I
alone am the only one aware of my own internal narrative, and I don’t
necessarily know how or what to think or to feel about that, which is probably
the reason why I’ve chosen to write on it. I want to see where this thought
takes me.
Lately I’ve been in my head a lot, and not in the most productive or endearing
of ways. Though I have understood where my mind has been of late, I admittedly
have not been able to make much sense of it, finding myself overwhelmed by an
unorganized clutter. Even as I write this I feel there to be no point or
direction, no ending to this thought, no clarity to its muffled presence. I
don’t know where this will end, but I will continue to try to write anyhow.
With this I have felt lonely lately. Alone. Not in the physical sense, because I
am surrounded by people everyday; ones who love me, strangers who quickly
becomes friends, apart of a group even, working towards something that the
collective gathering has deemed as worthy. To me it hasn’t been lately and I
don’t know why. I just feel here, somewhere on the planet, with no grounded
sense of place, no anchored sense of self. Yeah, that’s what it feels like. I’m
here, I know that and I see it, but lately I have not felt it and I have not
understood why. The only part of me lately that feels any type of anything is my
mind, my thoughts, my internal narrative which I feel I have little control of.
It hasn’t been running wild, though at times it has slipped away. No, it’s very
much so been here, steady even, though too heavy to pick up, too frivolous to
grasp, it’s been here and I am caught in audience of its oration.
I started writing this piece almost a year ago to-date. Having just recently
revisited it, I am approaching it with a different perspective from which the
life that has been had since its commence has cast its influence and provided
more of itself.
The internal narrative is powerful. It’s with whom most of our conversing is
had. Where ideas are honed and thought through, and where the thinking of what
our lives are, at any moment, occurs. That’s the big one. The thinking of what
our lives are, at any moment, occurs in the internal narrative we carry with us,
and that influences our lives a great deal.
Throughout our waking moments, of any given day, the internal narrative is
playing. And, usually we allow this to occur without our influence. We just let
it play and we find ourselves lost within its rolling. If its words are sad, we
are sad. If its words are joyful, we find our selves joyful the same. If they
are lost, we can’t find ours either. And if they are directed, we focus on their
point. Whether this is good or bad, I truly do not know. But, if the question is
asked whether or not we have influence on this, the answer most definitely is
yes, if only we practice such awareness, of ourselves, of the narrative, and of
the relationship between the two.
Awareness is not concentration. We do not have to focus solely on either
participant of the relationship (the narrative or ourselves). Rather, we simply
must be aware of the relationship between the two, the conversation they are
attempting to have, and the influence both have over the other. Neither is in
complete control of the other, and I don’t believe we should allow it strive for
this to be so. That may seem frightening, given that we like to think we are in
control of our mind, or equally as frightening to think that our mind may be in
complete control of us, but the relationship is one more of involvement rather
than of control. Like any strong and meaningful relationship, this is one too
built upon communication.
View the narrative as open space for dialogue. Interact with the words of the
narrative and communicate back with your own. If they align at moments, allow
them their connection. If they don’t, given no mind to it. Give space and they
will find each other again. Both will always be there. They are able to coexist
in harmony or in disagreement, and they will. Nether is the end of the other.
It’s a relationship to be maintained. A dance, sometimes a fight, to be had.
And, simply, it’s the most meaningful conversation you could have. The catalyst
for every other relationship within your world. Acknowledgment of this dialogue,
awareness of its exchange, becoming apart of it rather than an a sufferer to
either, ends the horrific monologue it can unrequitedly and unrelentingly
become.
“You are always a slave to what you’re not aware of. When you’re aware of it,
you’re free from it. It’s there, but you’re not affected by it. You’re not
controlled by it; you’re not enslaved by it. That’s the difference.” — Anthony
De Mello, Awareness
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged Acknowledgment,
Anthony De Mello, Awareness, Dialogue, Internal Narrative, Life, Loneliness,
Lonely, Monologue, Narrative, Perspective, Philosophy on May 1, 2019 by
cityreadsnyc.
CHANGE, AS IT IS
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By Justin Cude
“It’s funny how people just won’t accept change.
As if nature itself — they’d prefer — rearranged…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have followed my writing for any stretch of time now, you will have
noticed that most of my words dance with some form of change occurring in our
lives (love, place, ideas, thoughts, wants, people, ourselves, etc.); reflection
on how that change comes to be, observation on how it proceeds, and how it can
hurt and or teach us something in its stay and its passing.
With this piece however, I want to try something else. I want to acknowledge
from the beginning line that change is already set to happen, not to be shocked
by this, and with this steadfastness, I want to try to be understanding, aware,
welcoming and OK with that. To emulate the Stoics way of naming such practices,
lets call this one: premeditatio mutatio, or premeditation of change.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m sitting here at my little brown desk in Beijing, China, typing away at an
article that I hope to post soon, in a room that’s not mine and where I won’t be
forever. I just poured myself a cup of coffee that I had heated just moments
ago, and am now waiting for it to cool just enough so to drink from it. Sitting
here, thinking of the words to say, only to delete a few which sounded right and
then which didn’t, only to try again to maybe like their sound better and to
continue on, with this line of thought and work I am also thinking of change and
how I will meet it again, or rather how it is here always working, not behind
the stage curtain, but apart of the same play as I, as all of us, always and
forever.
I notice this now as it consumes my mind that I have always viewed change in a
past tense sort of perspective. Never really having ever greeted it when it had
arrived, only looking back on it after having noticed its supposed departure.
And with this thought I realize that this line is wrong, but I will keep it here
anyway as to track this thoughts progression. It’s not that we ever have or are
even given the chance to greet change, or to say goodbye to it for that matter,
either. Again, as said just a few lines up, in the paragraph above, change is
always around, as active as the breath which keeps us alive, autonomic by the
same nature.
This is not to say that things are ALWAYS changing, or that what we know now
will not be the same as what we know tomorrow, but that little by little things
are in fact ALWAYS changing, never stagnant, no matter the efforts of our
wrestling with them to be here always, never to budge, never to fade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The coffee is cooled enough now to drink it. A connection comes to me. The
cooling of the coffee in a way describes what it is I am trying to say. The
coffee cooled, just sitting there, in the same cup I had poured it into, without
my influence and without my tampering. It changed, though not drastically or
even visually noticeable to the degree of my vision, right in front of me as I
was sitting here thinking of how to proceed with this piece, only moments having
passed. And, not only did it cool, but it decayed, spiraled within its confines,
sent steam into the air which faded, heated a circular area of the little brown
desk of which it sat upon, became sweeter or more bitter due to the origin of it
contents and the influence of the environment it now occupies, and so much more,
again only moments having passed.
And, as I scan around the room at all of the inanimate objects surrounding me,
none of them are the exact same as they were only moments ago. It sounds crazy I
know, but it is true. I may not notice the changes visually, I may not be able
to touch the changes or taste them, or to hear their movement, their
transitioning from what they were to what they are, onto what they will be, but
not one thing in this room, if left untouched, if not tampered with or
influenced, would remain the same forever, and that shows further what I am
attempting to say. Everything, all of this surrounding us, down to its
biological level, is constantly changing, from one form on into another.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There’s a little bug in front of me now just weaving and hovering through the
air only a small height above my desk and all that is positioned on-top it. And
now that same bug is gone, away from my visual field. He could be behind me for
all I know, because he is not making enough noise for me to hear, doing the same
thing; just hovering or weaving. Or maybe its tired now and taking a rest on my
shoulder, on the TV behind me, on the clothes rack, on anything. I look back. I
don’t see the bug. But, I do see the city outside through my window. The bug is
back. And now gone again. I look outside the window again. The world is moving.
The cars seem to be gliding silently atop the road given that I cannot hear
their rumbling-along from here, through the single paneled glass window, from
this distance. Through that same window still, I see the newly sprung Spring
leaves of the trees waving with the swaying wind. The bug returns, still weaving
and hovering. Leaves again. A cough that I’ve had for a few days now barks, then
fades. The coffee even cooler now, I notice as I go to drink from it again. I
hear the person in the room directly behind the wall in front of me click his
lights; on or off I do not know. The little fridge behind me to my left creates
a noise. The bug returns. Gone again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I left my desk for a moment and just returned, the thought of all this still
with me. I’m going to move on now from noticing and attempt to get back to
thinking.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Again, things don’t change as drastically as we expect them to. Not all the time
at least. Sometimes they do, and we notice those, the big ones. They hurt us.
Maybe some excite us. But, either way, they force change because we notice them.
We don’t notice the smaller ones. The every day subtle changing of things
largely goes unseen, unnoticed, unfelt, unbelieved. And because of this, when
the big ones happen, though they have always gradually glaciered towards being,
they catch us by surprise, and again they tend to hurt us. Some excite us maybe.
Either way, they are demanding change, which they themselves will abide, but
which we tend to argue with, reject and resist, and claim victim to their
“harassment”.
This has always been my relationship with change. Though I myself, and others in
my life who know me well, believe me to be open, understanding and even
courageous with the changing tides of life, and though I am, maybe more so then
I am not, they have always bothered me, changes.
I am unashamed to admit this. Even the exciting ones. Not just the ones that
hurt. I’m a human and I like to know my surroundings. I like, and strive, to
have some sense of comfort and security, gathering “resources” and stock piling
“abundance”, whatever form that may be for the time and place and purpose,
because they promise loyalty and steadfast protection. Even living a life thus
far which disproves this, which has both shown and thrown me into states of
scarcity and limitation, deprive and unknowing (I’m grateful for this ) we
believe having protects us from the transitioning of things. It doesn’t. It
never will.
This is not to say that having more so than not having doesn’t provide any type
of benefit or worthwhile promising of pursuit for, but rather that having or not
having, either one, doesn’t protect us from the every day subtle changing of
things, and on towards their subsequent perceived-to-be colossal transitions,
from what we know now onto what we don’t. With or without, nothing protects us
from this.
But, is there anything about this that we need to be protected from? I think
this is a better question to be asked and to be examined.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Premeditatio Mutatio, or again, the premeditation of change. In other words, the
practice of noticing the subtle everyday changing of things, and the attempt to
understand that things will not always be the same. Anything. Nothing.
Nothing which we as a species have monumentally constructed (cities, walls,
infrastructure, systems, etc.). Nothing the world itself with all of its
controlled and relaxed might has provided (terrain, environment, weather,
resource,etc.). Nothing which the mind has attempted to maintain and or progress
(religion, science, understanding, reality, etc.). Nothing which the universe
itself contains (space, matter, limitation, unknown, etc.). Nothing about the
vehicle which is our body nor the conductor of this vehicle, which is our mind.
Nothing about anything remains the same, besides the only truth which has yet to
be disproven; the changing of things.
So I revisit again, is there anything about this that we need to protection
from?
I’m going to go close my eyes for a little while and allow my mind to just be. I
will return to this later on.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s the next day.
I’m sitting at a coffee shop I have come to frequent quite a bit lately. The sun
is burning the back of my neck as my head casts a shadow across the screen and
keyboard of my computer. I like it here and I like this feeling. I won’t go into
line by line detail of what I am about to share, but sitting here aware of it
now, it is amazing, truly, just how many things have crossed my mind, have come
and gone and influenced, since the beginning of this piece just yesterday, just
about 24 hours ago exactly now.
Another example of the movement of things. Nothing is stagnant, even when they
seem to be. Our thoughts, our beliefs, our understandings, everything which
makes up the integrity of our contemplative consciousness, even this is in
constant movement. Thoughts repeat, beliefs aren’t easily budged, understandings
fight for their footing, but none are able to withstand or to go against the
evolution of every moment, of everything within the confines of what we know as
life and its moment by moment evolving. And, time doesn’t just evolve, but it
fleets and it also continues. It may fleet for us, and for other living
creatures, due to our ultimate demise, but time itself fleets from nothing. The
mere fact that we will die, and that time will continue on its usual course,
again supports the reality of change. We die, time evolves, and this is all
manipulated in a moment by moment evolution, onward from now on into something
else.
To regain traction, to get back to my proposed question from yesterday, I do not
belief there to be anything we need to be protected from in the changing of
things.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I stopped typing this and am just now revisiting it two days later, now. I am no
longer at the coffee shop, but back at my little brown desk in the room I
currently live. I had nothing else to say that day, but I feel now that I do and
I hope to finish this piece and to move on to another, or to other projects of
mine I need to work on.
To continue…
I do not believe there to be anything we need to be protected from in the
changing of things.
I started reading a new book which I purchased just a day ago, ‘Awareness’ by
Anthony De Mello, and in its reading came across the following quote:
“The first reaction is one of fear. It’s not that we fear the unknown. You can’t
fear something that you do not know. Nobody is afraid of the unknown. What you
really fear is the loss of the known. That’s what you fear. “
It’s a powerful thought and its deeply true.
I am not, and I am sure the same for you reading this, afraid of what is to
come. In the past I never was, and currently in the present I still am not. I
was however, and again I would bet the same for you reading this, afraid of what
I had lost, of the understanding which I had before the changing of things; of
myself, of my environment, of others and of anything which made up my
consciousness of which I was aware. The future doesn’t scare me and never has.
Again, its always been the idea or the actual transitioning or realization that
I had lost or had moved away, been pushed away, pulled away, fallen away, from a
place of understanding, from one of knowing, to a place without either, and was
scared to turn away and to proceed without them.
Another quote stuck with me from my reading:
“Because if you desire to change what is into what you think should be, you no
longer understand.”
Yet again, powerful and deeply true.
By attempting to keep things the way they once were, our understanding of what
is is unable to be. By yearning and focusing on what has been, we remove any
possibility of understanding and of knowing what is. By hoping they still were,
we are blinding ourselves from knowing that they are no longer, and of what is
right now, this very moment, this existence.
But, what leads us to not wanting things to change? Why are we so against these
transitions?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“All of our miseries are nothing but attachment.” — Osho
If there is nothing to fear in the changing of things due to our ignorance of
what is to come, and if the past is an ever fleeting place of which we have
nothing physically to grasp on to, attachment to once was is where our agony,
our anxieties and our fears are born from.
Simply put, we hold on to things that once were but no longer are…
… and I do not know exactly why. I am sure there is someone out there who
understands with greater depth the mechanism in our brain behind this, but I
myself do not have the answer. What I do somewhat know, whether it be backed by
proof or not, is that somewhere within our thinking brain, we are able to turn
away from this and to cast our focus towards the ever present now. And, in my
experience, this is done by noticing more of the moment to moment changing of
things. By being more aware of the transitioning of life from one moment to its
successor, and so on.
But, how?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Days have gone by now. I didn’t finish this piece by the first deadline I had
set for myself. But, here I am, back at my little brown desk, sitting here
drinking a perfectly tempered coffee in the morning hours of a clear-sky,
Beijing day (I’m grateful for this). I have other places to be soon, but I want
to be here now, working on this, so I am and, well, here we go.
Just above I stated that I didn’t have the answers as to why we hold on to
things from the past, and I still don’t. I’m not necessarily looking for a
version of this answer either at the moment, or even for the finishing of this
piece. But, reading a post from a writer I like, which had within it a link
directed to another post, a New Yorker article titled, ‘The Possibilian’, a
piece by Burkhard Bilger focused on the near-death experience of David Eagleman,
a neuroscientist and author, and what it taught him about the mysteries of time
and the brain, I stumbled upon ideas which invigorated me to return to this
thought.
“Time is this rubbery thing,” Eagleman said. “It stretches out when you really
turn your brain resources on, and when you say, ‘Oh, I got this, everything is
as expected,’ it shrinks up.”
It’s an amazing article, one with great depth and a variety of insights, one
which highlights topics ranging from near death experiences to a theme park ride
coined SCAD (Suspended Catch Air Device) sending people free-falling from
ungodly heights somewhere in the middle of Texas, from drummers and their
superhero sense of time to the great Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan and how he
gathered intel from throughout his empire. However, though it does not directly
deal with what I am attempting to say within this piece, again, it did
invigorate me and by doing so provided me with more knowledge to attempt to
piece together and to say. What stuck out to me the most, with this
work-in-progress held within my mind, was the concept of time and how we
perceive it in certain moments.
Another quote:
“One of the seats of emotion and memory in the brain is the amygdala, he
explained. When something threatens your life, this area seems to kick into
overdrive, recording every last detail of the experience. The more detailed the
memory, the longer the moment seems to last. “This explains why we think that
time speeds up when we grow older,” Eagleman said—why childhood summers seem to
go on forever, while old age slips by while we’re dozing. The more familiar the
world becomes, the less information your brain writes down, and the more quickly
time seems to pass.”
Re-read that last line. Here it is again:
…The more familiar the world becomes, the less information your brain writes
down, and the more quickly time seems to pass.”
Though the piece at large and the quote above are speaking of time in terms of
life-threatening scenarios, I believe this same phenomena could serve in our
favor towards the awareness needed to acknowledge the moment by moment changes
we are constantly subjected to, but also usually blinded to, and by doing so,
lead us in the direction of better handling and experiencing the thing we all
seem to fear the most; change.
Another quote:
“The best example of this is the so-called oddball effect—an optical illusion
that Eagleman had shown me in his lab. It consisted of a series of simple images
flashing on a computer screen. Most of the time, the same picture was repeated
again and again: a plain brown shoe. But every so often a flower would appear
instead. To my mind, the change was a matter of timing as well as of content:
the flower would stay onscreen much longer than the shoe. But Eagleman insisted
that all the pictures appeared for the same length of time. The only difference
was the degree of attention that I paid to them. The shoe, by its third or
fourth appearance, barely made an impression. The flower, more rare, lingered
and blossomed, like those childhood summers.“
Re-read the bolded line above. Here it is again…
…The only difference was the degree of attention that I paid to them.”
Hell, read it one more time…
…The only difference was the degree of attention that I paid to them.”
I’m not going to attempt to speculate here, or to turn these words or these
findings into something that they are not. I’m not looking for a far out
connection here. Instead, I’m saying something that we may all already innately
know, which the example above proves, but which we are too lazy or too tired,
too distracted, too asleep or too dead to apply the energy or the will needed to
experience life in a different more engaged, more aware, more understood and
accepted way, to tap into our moment by moment existence as it is rather than
what we believe or wish it to be.
Simply put, life requires our attention. The more unfamiliar we view our lives,
the more information our brain writes down, and the more slowly time seems to
pass.
But, how do we make our lives more unfamiliar?
Remind yourself constantly that you know nothing, then look around.
I just did this right now while writing and I already feel more emerged from my
smug sense of knowing and engaged with the vast and unknown world around me.
Try it, now…
Did your perception change?
If you say no, you’re lying to yourself. Or, you’re just not aware. You’re not
ready to be awake. You’re still asleep in the dream of knowing.
Keep trying.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But how does this apply to change? What is it exactly I am trying to say?
I started this piece unknowing of where exactly I was to take it or where it
would, in the typing of its words, take me. All I knew from the beginning is I
wanted to view change as inevitable, or rather as infinitesimal, as occurring
moment by moment despite our awareness of its activity. Having gone back and
re-read each line, from beginning to end, I notice that I have attempted to
fulfill this action by bouncing back and forth between thought and observation,
thinking and simply looking. And, after having reached this point, what I
believe at this moment is:
Time and change are indistinguishable. Inseparable rather. They are identical
twins. I might reach to even say they are conjoined twins. Or, two deeply
harmonized lovers, maybe. Whatever the correct analogy may be, either way, two
separate phenomena, however entangled with each other and dependent upon one
another for survival, for harmony and for continuance. They move together,
running along the trail of eternity. Running isn’t right. Dancing I believe is.
Running implies their movement to always proceed linearly. This has been
disproven, both in time and in change. Both are plastic. Malleable to the
forces, emotions if you will, of life. Running doesn’t explain this properly.
Dancing does. Twirling, spinning, stomping, jumping, leaping, pacing, strutting,
waltzing, stepping, toeing, etc. Their coexistence is a dance, a dance however
which wouldn’t exist without their conjoining. Without time, change impedes.
Without change, there is no marker for time. Time is tracked, noted and observed
by the changing of things. Change is seen only in the passage of time. Given
their conjoined coexistence, they are subjected to the same laws of nature, most
notably our ability as a species to attend to the world around us, to provide
attention to the workings of a mechanism. The soul of the universe (time,
unknown, infinity, space, understanding, etc.) is in constant flux,
infinitesimal change, and so to its body (matter, nature, inanimate objects,
living creatures, us).
How can we experience this awareness?
The more attention we pay to the moment by moment account of our lives, the more
detail our brain notices, and the slower time seems to pass.
So by relation,
The more attention we pay to the moment to moment changing of things, the more
detail our brain notices, and the greater our understanding of change becomes.
Change, as it is, not what we believe or wish it to be.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
…So hard to move on when you’re down in a hole,
Where there’s so little a chance to experience soul.”
— George Harrison, The Light That Has Lighted The World
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’ll probably revisit and revise this piece again someday. But for now, this
will do.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged Anthony De Mello,
Attention, Awareness, Beijing, Change, Changes, Changing, China, Coffee, David
Eagleman, George Harrison, Human Nature, Meditation, Meditations, New Yorker,
Now, Perspective, Philosophy, Premeditation, Questioning, Stoic, Stoicism, The
Light That Has Lighted The World, The New Yorker, The Possibilian, Time, Travel,
Traveling, Wisdom, Writing on April 24, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
BRAVE NEW WORLD BY ALDOUS HUXLEY
3 Replies
HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> I was sitting in this park actually, saw the bookshop over there and I
> thought, “Well, I’m sitting here. I want to read“, went in to the bookshop,
> and well, this book is actually a recommendation from a friend of mine, so I
> asked there at the counter if they had it, and they had it, so. I bought it
> today, yeah.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM IT?
> Well the book is about mass production and how, uh… eventually the world could
> completely turn around; where people are not born by their mother, or
> parent’s, but are produced in big factories. And, it’s actually, at the moment
> it’s sort of depressing. And, its sort of mind blowing. But, uh, I’m starting
> to like it, a lot. Yeah, it is quite dark. It is quite dark.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> After page 50, yeah, for-sure. And to whom? To people buying mass production
> goods. Yeah.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Aldous
Huxley, Brave New World, Bryant Park, Manhattan, Mass Production, New York City,
NYC, Recommended Book, Summer Reading on April 4, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
VOYAGER BY DIANA GABALDON
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> It’s the basis of a TV show; Outlander. So, this is the third book in the
> series. So, I decided to read all the books.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Almost done. 875 out of… over 1000 pages! I think its interesting because I
> came back from Edinburgh recently, and its during the time of the Jacobite
> Uprising, so its interesting to see that historical perspective after coming
> back from the place where the uprising happened near. Yeah!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Umm… I guess to anyone who is interested in historical fiction or who likes
> the TV show.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged 1745,
Diana Gabaldon, Edinburgh, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Outlander, The Jacobite
Uprising, The Outlander Series, TV Show, Voyager on February 28, 2019 by
cityreadsnyc.
DREAMS, SUFFERING AND LOVE
2 Replies
By Justin Cude
“Only three things can change our life: Dreams, Suffering and Love.” — Paulo
Coelho
Think about it.
Think of all the changes you have experienced thus far, no matter your age nor
any other differentiating factor between you and someone else. Only consider the
common fates of us all, our common lot and our common existence as human beings,
and think all of which you have already endured and have transitioned from and
to.
Really, I beg you.
Think about it.
Have dreams not lead you towards the facing of the biggest changes of your life?
Have they not demanded from you your answering of the most important questions
in their confront?
The ones where decisions were heavily considered, subsequently hard fought
against, accepted, second-guessed, approved again, rethought the same, and then
finally made, maybe?
Has suffering and love not lead you towards the same?
Have all three not coexisted within the same moment of life’s changes?
Think about it.
In reflection of this now, I know this to be true within my own life. Every
change I’ve faced, let break me, endured, overcame, reflected upon, all have
stemmed from one of the three, but also, have contained a presence of the trios
teaming.
Dreams have taken me places; some having been in their meeting, others in their
losing. Some of the ones I’ve met, I have also lost with my understanding of
them. Others I still pursue due to their continued ominous position.
Regretfully, I have followed dreams that weren’t mine, readjusted and found mine
again, then lost them same; this process has happened many times, and again I’m
sure it will.
Again, the same with suffering.
Suffering has taken me places; some in its meeting, others thereafter its time.
Some of the ones I’ve met, I also have lost with my understanding of them.
Others I still find myself a part of due to their continued ominous position.
Regretfully, I have allowed suffering that wasn’t mine, readjusted and suffered
through my own again, then lost the same; this process has happened many times,
and again I’m convinced it will.
And, again, the same with love.
Love has taken me places; sometimes in its meeting, other times in its depart.
Sometimes the love I have met, I have also lost with my understanding of it.
Other times I still yearn for certain love due to its continued ominous
position. Regretfully, I have pursued love that wasn’t mine, readjusted and
found mine again, then lost the same; this process has happened many times, and
again I believe it will.
And again, in this process, the three have coexisted. I do not believe they are
able not to. One tends to take the lead in regard to intensity and situation,
but the others are always there.
In this, this is where the mind and the body differentiate, but where they are
also subject to the same process of change. The body does not consciously chose
what it will face in order to change; rather it takes on the challenges this
life provides and does its best to adapt accordingly for continued and bettered
survival.
The mind however, us as human beings, the pair, chooses, though choice is not
always advantageous. Maybe this is a lesson where the mind can truly learn from
the ways of the body; take on the challenges life provides and do its best to
adapt accordingly for continued and bettered survival. Remove thought. Just act.
Some changes demand of us to accept them thoroughly for what they are, others we
are able to manipulate their meaning. Regardless, we must face them, and we must
adapt to them. There will always be a demand to change when facing this life.
This you have no choice over. The body knows this. The mind sometimes, it
forgets this.
Life will provide the challenges, and though the majority of them will originate
from either that of dreams, of suffering, or of love, whether we are of the mind
to confront them or not, we will have to, no matter. This will be hard, as it
always is, when the three come from a place of authenticity, and in their
changing we are truly affected.
If your dreams are real to you, they will bring about change, desired or not.
If your suffering is real to you, it will bring about change, prepared or not.
If your love is real to you, it will bring about change, understood or not.
Begin to understand this. Acknowledge it. Accept it. And, again, if they are
real to you, then embrace them. Neither one of true meaning can exist without
change, nor can it progress, nor can it grow. So, in their inevitable confront,
choose to take on the challenges they provide, and do your best to adapt to them
accordingly for continued and bettered survival.
For, without dreams, without suffering, and without love, life is meaningless, I
do believe. And, without change, neither can truly exist. So, in accordance,
without change life is meaningless. Our dreams, our suffering, and our love,
they understand this. Sometimes, us… we forget.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged Change, Changes,
Changing, Dreams, Life, Life Lesson, Life’s Changes, Live And Learn, Love, Paulo
Coelho, Philosophy, Suffering, Time, Wisdom on February 17, 2019 by
cityreadsnyc.
FOR THOSE ALONG AND TO BE
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By Justin Cude
“This too shall pass.”
At the onset of any new change, the moment you realize that of which is upon
you, far before your understanding of its presence begins to even attempt,
before you allow yourself to succumb to the brutality of what is to come… pause
for a second, and remind yourself of the saying above, recite it even, over and
over again, and then again:
“This too shall pass.”
It hasn’t started yet, the changes to come truly unknown, the challenges, the
good, the bad, the new to come and those of old to fade away. You don’t really
know what’s ahead, so don’t fool yourself, but remain hopeful, because faith in
this hope is enough, even of the slightest degree, no matter how hard or how
impossible this seems. No matter how heavy or how dark either. Everything in
this world passes on. The good, the bad, the new, the old, and us; you and I and
everyone else.
But, stop, and remind yourself of this statement, this truth rather: “This too
shall pass.”
Then step forward, into the abyss of uncertainty, no matter the length of your
first stride, because failure to do so, inaction upon this demand, halts the
process of nature, not that of the whole, but of your own nature’s sustain
within the grander. You can’t simply exist. Either way, action or inaction, you
are subjected to stressors of this life. Both can be powerful, however. Action
or inaction. That’s for us to decide.
“This too shall pass”, yes, but not without your involvement.
I have found this to be a very helpful belief to mediate upon and to act along
with, though it has not always come easy for me; for many of us the same, I’m
willing.
Many times in my life I have not believed this, sometimes desperately believed
against it even, definitively convinced myself that my current lot, my current
experience, was to remain, and I myself, weakened by circumstance, stuck within
the amber of this pathetically defeated existence.
I was wrong. Many times I still am wrong. It was me all long.
No matter the magnitude of the alarming change brought upon us, it is hard to
stop, hard to slow down, to think nonetheless upon anything. But we must, if we
want to move forward with any sense of self, any belief in progressing past
this, any faith in survival beyond this.
To believe against this, though easy and justified the same, I understand, truly
I do, however, is corruption of the mind, a corruption we have choice over.
Believe this, put your faith into it…
“Because the corruption of the mind is much more a plague than any such
contaminating change in the surrounding air we breath. The latter infects
animate creatures in their animate nature; the former infects human beings in
their humanity.” — Marcus Aurelius
I have been there, we all have been there, and we all have choice to whether we
remain there, stuck at the beginning. I was there not too long ago, during a
very difficult time in my life, thrown into a change I wanted nothing to do
with, no want or deserve even I thought to be apart of, but that is not how it
works; life happens. Many times I still find myself revisiting this moment in my
life, others before it the same, others past this, those will come. Again, life
happens.
Circumstance provided me with this new context, but it was up to me, and with
choice in moving forward the same, whether or not to believe in its eventual
passing and to move on along with it anyway. For a long time though, I was
unable to act upon either, I told myself. And I believed this, so I didn’t.
During this time however, thrilled at the opportunity to attend the book launch
of one of my favorite authors new works, Tim Ferriss’ release of ‘The Tools of
Titans’, a perspective was carefully shared by Tim in response to a confidently
convinced onlookers questioning from the audience. Though I do not recall
exactly the individuals question, I do however strongly remember it having to
deal with the nature of being stuck and debilitated by circumstance, by fate.
And with proper time taken to consider the question asked and the response to
come, Tim shared the following:
“For anyone who thinks they are disadvantaged, set back, unprivileged, or so on,
it will always become a self-inflicted prophecy. We all have demons.”
Simply put, powerful and true, and relevant to any situation, no matter your
contemplate, especially when faced with the inevitable changes of life. We all
face them, no matter their degree, no matter their magnitude, we all feel them.
With understanding, and sometimes without, many times these changes are not what
we bargained for, not what we prayed towards, and in no shape or form what we
believe we deserve. This change upon you is simply what is. It is fact, it is
occurring, and it is your life. What benefit is found in plea for an
alternative? It is your life, and your life is now, and this now includes all
this, so accept it’s presence and proceed.
That is something we sometimes forget in these moments of uncertainty, but, it
is something of deep importance of which we must understand; that this is your
life. Accept it, accept the changes of now and of to come, for they are apart of
the context of your life, and your acceptance and understanding of them is
crucial towards your overcoming them, and your key to releasing your chained and
bound attachment to that which at once wasn’t and at another won’t be again.
This isn’t made up. In fact, it is excruciatingly real, and it is upon you. But,
always remember, like everything else in nature, “This too shall pass.”
This change, like every other act of transition seen and unseen in nature, is
short lived, relativity of course apart of the equation. This short life can
last a lifetime though if we allow it.
With this, however, understand though that your feelings towards this moment are
justified; they too are real and should not be shamed nor made to feel
inadequate, your being and your life the same. I believe this to be important to
acknowledge; vital even. We are worthy of our struggles, and we are righteous in
our enduring them and in our sustained attempts to overcome them. But, in
accordance, the change upon you deserves the same, for it too is real, the
demands of its asking and the acknowledgment and acceptance of its purpose.
You are prepared for this, mind and body alike, you are built for this.
Think of the changes you have already faced, the many challenges life has
presented you, the stressors you have already adapted to… and here you are, and
here you remain, intact and built mightier to move forward, to confront again
yet another change, though you may not believe this, though you many not yet
feel this… again, here you are.
Powerful. Hopeful. Prepared. Adapted.
If examples are needed for your belief towards this truth, look at nature:
The day succumbs to night, but returns to reveal the beauty of another day, no
matter the life of the one before it.
The storm drains itself of rain to allow the sun, and brings with it life, no
matter the ferociousness of the storm passed.
The dead of winter succumbs to the coming of spring, allowing it its place, its
life, winter however leaving all stronger for having endured its subtle asking
to rest, no matter seasons length, its cast, nor its unpredictability. No matter
either the time passed before this new strength is realized.
You are no different to this, and neither is this change upon you, this stress.
It is here now, but it will not remain. Of nature, nothing can, nothing will,
and nothing has.
Will change repeat? Yes. But you will be ready. Innately you already are. Again,
you are prepared for this, mind and body alike, you are built for this.
And in this short lived state, all this moment is asking of you, all this moment
suggests of your being, is to allow fully your innate ability of meeting the
requirements of this situation its role, to live accordingly with the nature
presented, and to have faith in your eventual adaptation to such.
Remember, believe wholeheartedly, and turn to nature if for needed reference, of
the body and of the universe; “This too shall pass.”
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Adapt, Adaptation, Beware, Change, Changes, Changing, Endure, Hopeful,
Life, Marcus Aurelius, Nature, Powerful, Prepared, Stoic, Stoicism, Tim Ferriss,
Tools of Titans, Troubles, Warning on February 6, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
AFRIKAN PEOPLE AND EUROPEAN HOLIDAYS: A MENTAL GENOCIDE, BOOK TWO BY
ISHAKAMUSA BARASHANGO
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Well, I was down south for the holidays. I was in Virginia. I left North
> Carolina on… my sister lives in North Carolina… I left there Christmas Day to
> go to Virginia. I left Virginia Thursday and I’ve been in New York since. So,
> my brother had it in his house, and I noticed it and I was like, “hmm, that’s
> kind of interesting!”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well, uh… it just gives an introduction of, hmm… historical facts from another
> person’s point of view, which is not really the view of the textbooks that we
> receive in schools and stuff like that. It’s just another peoples’ perspective
> who claim that the descendants of Neanderthals, Europeans, have inflicted a
> lot of strife upon the world, especially when they received that very power
> that they held from the original people, which is Afrikans. So, that’s the
> kind of point of view that I’ve gathered so far. Yeah… I’m not done with it
> yet.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Hmm… I would recommend it to all peoples’. All peoples’. You know, because its
> not only people of color who are miseducated in America. It’s all peoples. So,
> I would definitely recommend it to… anyone who is interested in history or
> just doesn’t like the way the world is run right now. People who are
> interested in those things should definitely check out this book.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged African,
Afrikan People and European Holidays: A Mental Genocide, European, History,
Ishakamusa Barashango, Manhattan on February 1, 2019 by cityreadsnyc.
THE ALCHEMIST BY PAULO COELHO
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> It was recommended to me by two of my closest friends, on tour, three years
> ago.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well, what’s cool is I just finished reading another book called, “The Power
> of Your Subconscious Mind” by Joseph Murphy… and finding nuggets he gave in
> that book reflected in here has been really interesting. Just reading them so
> closely together… that’s been really cool.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah! I’d recommend it. I mean, I’m not… I’m only 36, 37 pages in… uh, but so
> far, it’s good. It seems like anybody can read it. It’s not too challenging.
> And, I’ve heard only great things about, like, once you finish the book, what
> it does for you, so… why not everyone, yeah?
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Paulo
Coelho, The Alchemist, Washington Square Park on December 11, 2018 by
cityreadsnyc.
THE GRAPES OF WRATH BY JOHN STEINBECK
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Uh… a friend lent it to me.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> It’s amazing! Well, maybe you know it… maybe you’ve read about it. It’s set in
> the 1930s, Great Depression, where a lot of people in the South of the US were
> forced to move to the West because of the… they were losing the land, the
> banks were taking it away from them, and… it’s just an amazing book. I really
> like it. It’s very humane. It has that… from the start, it’s perspective, it
> has the mix of the very nice prose of the author, and the descriptions… and
> with the dialogues of the characters, that are very… you know, uneducated, and
> very popular from the sense that they talk like people in the South… it gives
> you the sense of the time and helps you learn about the South through
> language, and how they spoke and interacted during this period. So, its a very
> nice book to read from that point of view, and also, it helps you understand
> how the American society came about, to what it is today.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I think everyone should read this book. Especially if they live in America.
> Or, even if they don’t, because the US is such an influential country…
> politics and economics, quotes… for everyone.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged American
South, Great Depression, John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, Washington Square
Park on December 5, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY HERE. THIS IS ONLY AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK A HORRIBLE,
INACTIVE WRITING STREAK…
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By Justin Cude
I haven’t sat down to write in a while. I haven’t been able to find the words.
They just haven’t been there lately. I’ve had nothing to say and I don’t know
why. And, well, this is my attempt to break that streak. Bear with me. I don’t
know where this may lead…
It’s not that I have been lazy. I keep a pretty rigorous schedule with most
things in my life, writing usually being one of them. But, again, lately, I just
haven’t had anything to say.
ANYTHING. NOTHING. NADA. ZIP.
And, again, I don’t know why.
As I write this now, and as I force to the forefront of my consciousness,
reflection upon why, I still don’t know why. It’s as if my brain just hasn’t
made connections lately. Not in the world around me, not in the people, not in
nature, not in anything.
I’ve never felt this “blank” before, if you will, when it comes to writing. And,
as I continue to think of it now, I don’t think there exists anything, any one
thing even, causing this. It’s just what is lately.
I have nothing, for no reason, to say.
And, as a writer, as you can imagine, it’s not a great place to be. I love
writing. I love how challenging and how raw it is. I love words, simply, put
together, even if the words today aren’t. I love emotions from those words. I
love reactions to those words; mine and the readers. I love messing up, becoming
frustrated by it, and trying again. I love thinking I’m done, to only catch
myself fooling myself, and then forcing myself to start over, to keep on, to
earn it. I love writing, and I love all that comes with it. There’s more there,
but no need to push it more. If you write, then you know.
Anyways, even now, as I continue on with this unguided attempt, I’m still having
trouble finding the words. I don’t like this as I write it, even. I hate even
the way it sounds. But, I do like the feeling of my fingers, typing away. The
noise of the keys. They sound confident in themselves, though I know their
conductor to be not. Not in these words. Not in this attempt. But, whatever.
Confidence at times is overrated. Sometimes, you just have to show up and try,
confident or not. Or whatever other driving force you call it, or not;
Confident; Courageous; Impassioned; Angry; Sad; Stupid; Whatever. Sometimes, the
feelings don’t matter. You just have to show up. And, again, that’s what this
is. I’m just attempting to show up today.
I think I may have found something here. Isn’t that the case with life. Couldn’t
that be argued. That your feelings don’t matter. At least not all the time.
Because, no matter what, you just have to show up. You have to wake up, everyday
that you are given, and you have to show up. For yourself, for others. For your
craft, your vision. For anything. For everything. Even if you feel that you
can’t and that you won’t, you’re only fooling yourself, because you will, no
matter how you feel about it. You still must wake up and face life. There’s no
hiding from that. For now, its not going anywhere, and neither are you. You must
show up. You will show up. You have no choice in that.
Don’t be narrow minded here. I’m not talking about showing up to work, or to
class, or to anything given a specific place or goal. I’m talking about showing
up for it all. For whatever life is, that moment. Every moment. Again, YOU CAN’T
HIDE FROM THIS. Even if you tried, where would you go? Is your mind not still
with you? Is your body not still intact? Hell, even drugs can’t take this away.
Life is the force of it all. The provider. The creator. The do all be all, of it
all. I don’t mean to get too grim here, but maybe even death doesn’t provide
retreat. Who knows. I don’t know. And, I won’t act as if I do. All I’m saying
here is, you’ve got to show up. You will show up, no matter how you feel,
prepared or not, ready or not, whatever or not. You will show up. There’s no
hiding from life.
Showing up by choice does feel better, though. Even now, I still hate this
piece. I hate the words I’ve thrown together. I hate my lack of direction here.
I still hate the way it sounds. But, I chose to show up, and I chose to try, and
I chose to stick with the attempt. And, for that, because of that, I feel
better. I feel here.
I’m going to post this, unedited. I will not go back and change anything about
it. Not a word. Again, today, this was my attempt at showing up, and it serves
as proof to myself that I did. Unguided. Unconfident. Without excitement or
anything to say, even. But, I showed up. I tried. And, again, I feel better for
having done so.
P.S.
An interesting practice for any of you self-proclaimed writers out there. Just
show up. Write whatever. Even if it sucks. Even if you hate every word. Could be
an interesting practice for anyone attempting anything out there, really. Just
show up. Try. Even if it sucks. The act of doing is a very powerful thing, no
matter the outcome.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Inactive, Practice, Stuck, Work, Write, Writer, Writers Block, Writing on
November 30, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
A GAME OF THRONES BY GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> I was at my girlfriend’s house, um… and, I saw the book on the shelf, and I
> was like, “Hey, I watched the series, so might as well read the book!” And,
> yeah… that’s how I found myself reading it. I asked if I could borrow it and…
> yeah.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> I don’t know. I use to… I’ve always read books for different reasons. I was
> into fantasy a lot. And, this is also fantasy. But, they’re written
> differently… and like, especially when you’re younger, you look at different
> things and you get lost in different things. Your whole mind wanders. I end up
> not reading usually. Half the time I usually just look at the page, kind of
> just dreaming and thinking about it… and that’s why I like fantasy. So, to
> answer the question… yeah, I don’t know!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah. I mean I’d honestly recommend it to all ages, but like that’s always a
> weird thing, cause I feel like kids understand violence… there’s a lot of
> violence, a lot of blood, vivid descriptions of different things, you know.
> But yeah, honestly, I feel like kids my age… 19… I mean 16-19 also, violence
> is on like every TV show… and it’s on Netflix, so… anyone can watch that. So,
> yeah… honestly, all ages. Why not?
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged A Game
Of Thrones, Fantasy, George R. R. Martin, Manhattan on November 14, 2018 by
cityreadsnyc.
WILLING SLAVES OF CAPITAL BY FREDERIC LORDON
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> It was recommended by a friend.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well, uh… I’ve got a very new perspective towards capitalism. Yeah… it is…
> I’ve learned to admit the fact that we are all, slaves in a way… willingly
> though. Because, the system is designed in such a way that we need to
> willingly go into servitude to get what it is we desire, on a daily basis. Or,
> otherwise… or else… you can’t live in this system. You have to live somewhere
> else.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Oh yeah. I would totally recommend it. Especially to the young people… to the
> youth. Because, uh… they seem so caught up in the… in everything that’s going
> on. Everything seems to be coming at them so fast that people don’t have time
> to take an objective look at anything. And, this book takes an objective look
> to capitalism, if you want to… if you may put it like that. I think it would
> really be a good read for… for the youth, anywhere… not just in the overtly
> capitalistic systems, but than those that are covertly capitalistic, or
> whatever they may want to call it, as well. Yeah… I think its a good read.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Capitalism, Frederic Lordon, Manhattan, Slavery, Willing Slaves of Capital on
October 25, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
MOON OF THE MORNING SKY
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By Justin Cude
It’s a contradiction, but it happens.
It’s not supposed to be there, but it is.
It’s a symbol of the night, but I’m enjoying its presence this very morning,
amongst a sky bluer than the richest of ocean,
caught within the vastness of life made visible by the Sun’s provide,
sketched between the purest of white, wonderful clouds washed across the canvas
of the scene.
My mind grateful for this. All of this. All beyond this, even.
But,
more so for the accident.
Grateful for what is, but wasn’t meant to be,
for the abstract nonconformity of it all.
A whole world to be grateful for,
beyond this world, even more.
But,
an accident reminds me.
It reminds me of the mystery which is life,
challenges any attempt of mine to be right,
brings to question things I may be unwilling to confront,
to be confronted by,
or to completely turn away from.
It reminds me its okay to be where you’re not suppose to.
It can be beautiful, even.
Where am I suppose to be, anyway?
Where is the moon suppose to be?
Not there, but it is.
Not here, but I am.
And it’s beautiful.
All of it.
The contradiction.
The misplaced.
The accident.
Moon of the morning sky,
thank you,
deeply,
for reminding me.
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This entry was posted in A Poem to Share, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged A Poem to Share, Life, Moon of the Morning Sky, Poem, Poetry on October
11, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
BEHIND THAT DOOR
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By Justin Cude
There’s so many things in my life that repeat.
Maybe for yours, the same.
I’ve been there before.
I’ve felt that way.
I’ve seen where this leads.
I’ve experienced that pain.
Maybe for you, the same.
I know what’s behind that door, but I keep opening it.
Most moments I know I shouldn’t. That could be a fool. But it only takes one.
I usually fall for that moment.
No matter how much thought, how much hesitation. I fall for that moment.
I open it again.
Sometimes its me knocking on the door. It’s not always answered. It’s not always
ignored, either.
Other times I hear the knocking. Sometimes I’ll answer. Other times I wont. I’ll
ignore it.
But again, it only takes one. One fool. One moment. And, that door’s open again.
And, I know what’s behind that door, but its open again.
It’s not all bad, though. It’s not all good, either.
It’s not all the same. It’s not all different, I’ll admit.
The first step back tends to be different. The first gaze makes it all seem
foreign.
I think we want it to be. I believe we need it to be.
Then, you notice what hasn’t changed. Not everything does. Most of it, yes. But,
not everything.
I believe we want it to be. No, I think we need it to be.
It’s not about the changes, though. It’s not about the things which remain the
same, either.
I don’t know what its about. I’m tired of guessing. Something invites you in,
though. It is welcoming.
There is a home to it.
And you fall for it.
Maybe home is what its about. At least a sense of it.
A gypsy’s mind yearns for that, too.
A traveler’s body.
A sailor’s devotion.
An artist’s attempt.
A carney’s hidden sorrow.
A soldier’s sacrifice.
All the same. They yearn for that, too.
At least a sense of it.
But, I know what’s behind that door, and its open again.
It’s not that, though.
It’s not that, anymore.
It’s not even yesterday, anymore.
Not yet tomorrow, but, not even…
this…
… anymore.
This becomes that.
Now its not even that, anymore.
I’m not even me, anymore.
Not the me from before.
Maybe a sense of it.
Maybe for you, the same.
Maybe a sense of it.
That could be a fool.
So much uncertainty.
But, I know whats behind that door.
That could be a fool, too.
No.
I know whats behind that door.
But, there’s those moments again when I don’t.
Maybe I’ve forgotten. Maybe I’ve wanted to have forgotten. Maybe I honestly
don’t know anymore. Maybe its all a lie. Maybe I’ve lied to myself. Been lied
to, maybe.
Maybe we all have.
Maybe we all do.
No.
I know whats behind that door. But, its open again.
But, I’m not asking why no more.
No expectations.
No thought of how come. No wonder of what if.
They come back around, I’ll admit.
But, I know them now. I know their presence and I know their stay, and I know
neither are very long. Not anymore. Not as long as before.
I never expected to pass through here again.
I’ve learned that too; I’ve learned that to be a fool.
I was just looking for what was looking for me.
No. That’s a fool. I was looking for anything.
I never expected to pass through here again, though.
But, here I am.
Again.
The first step, different. The first gaze, foreign.
I know what’s behind that door. Do I, though?
There are similarities, though. And, there are differences, too.
I know what’s behind that door, but this one?
I’ve been there before, but not here.
I’ve felt that way, but not this.
I’ve seen where this leads, but not end.
I’ve experienced that pain, and I will again.
Never have I felt like this before, though.
And, never will I again. Not exactly like this. No, not ever again.
Not exactly like this.
There is no door. The whole damn thing a fool.
There’s only this. That from before. And then, maybe, there’s more.
We’re all exposed to it.
Subjected, rather.
Behind that door, no longer I hide.
My mind no longer blind.
Blocked.
Closed.
Shut.
That could be fool. It only takes one.
There is no door, though.
There’s only this. That from before. And then, maybe, there’s more.
Behind that door, from my mind, no longer I hide.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Life, Poetry, Uncertainty, Writing on September 27, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
FENDRE L’ARMURE BY ANNA GAVALDA
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> I bought it in France before I left to come here. And, I don’t know… bought it
> because I know the author, I’ve read a lot of her books and I really like
> them. It’s easy to read and, this one, it’s just like a bunch of novels that I
> really like. It’s about people that are becoming vulnerable and opening
> themselves. So, yeah… this is something that I find really interesting.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Hmm… I’ve learned that probably opening to people isn’t a bad thing, and
> making yourself vulnerable isn’t bad at all. It’s not a weakness. It’s uh… you
> feel less lonely when you open to people and this is pretty much what this
> book told me.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah, I would definitely recommend it, and I would recommend it to pretty much
> everyone because it is super simple to read. There are so many different
> histories that identify to most of the characters, so… and… it’s a great book.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Bryant
Park, French Literature, Manhattan, Vulnerability on September 24, 2018 by
cityreadsnyc.
YOU HAVE ALL YOU NEED
1 Reply
By Justin Cude
More. But why? Look around; you have all you need.
Your entire being a vehicle, designed for survival and for thrive, for
experience and for expression.
No more gimmicks, no need for external aid, be gone with the thought ‘with this
there is more’; look within and you will find that you have all you will ever
need.
With what you are, you are enough.
‘But what I want is to relax.’ Sit still and observe your being within the world
around, allowing yourself this simple, righteous pleasure. You’re here and here
you are able.
‘But what I want is to learn.’ Go where your nature directs you and open your
mind, taking it all in, taking with you what you will. You’re here and here you
are able.
‘But what I want is to feel.’ Allow your senses to succumb to the raw sensations
of now, letting go of your attempt to make it anything else. You’re here and
here you are able.
‘But what I want is to progress.’ Know how it is you want to first, then aim and
pursue, but willing to fail along the way. You’re here and here you are able.
‘But what I want is to love.’ Do so, the ways you know, and the was you want to
try, unafraid to be afraid, inhibitions met but also overcome. You’re here and
here you are able.
‘But what I want is to live.’ You are, and you must, right now, the ways that
you want and along with the changes of those ways. You’re here and here you are
able.
No more gimmicks, no need for external aid, be gone with the thought ‘with this
there is more’; look within and you will find that you have all you will ever
need.
With what you are, you are enough.
You’re here and here you are able.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Enough, Life, Love, Quick Read, Self on August 22, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
A WESTERN WORLD BY MICHAEL DEFORGE
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Uhh… I like DeForge’s work… its by Michael DeForge. So, I liked his work
> anyway, and I kind of found it spontaneously when I was shopping. The colors
> of one of the covers of his books just like called me out, so then I bought
> this book and then I realized it was unlike any other kind of sequential art
> book that I’ve read. And so, then from there I’ve just been getting my hands
> on as much of his work as possible.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THE BOOK?
> Well, its really cool because this came out I think… I think it came out like
> last month… its really new. And so, its his kind of zany, like almost
> absurdist art-take on real world issues that are happening right now. For
> instance, there’s a part of the book that kind of dabbles polyamory and like
> how society perceives it, and how people still feel like they have to kind of
> keep it a secret if they’re into those types of things… so, it just does that
> but in a more visual way, because its all drawn out, like a comic book but its
> focusing on real things, not just like superhero’s and stuff.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yes, I would recommend this book, to anyone who actually doesn’t like to read
> but is interested in trying to get into reading, because, I really wasn’t a
> reader until this year and then I had a sort of strike of reading and I feel
> it was brought on because I originally found interest in these books. I’m an
> extremely visual person, but that comes with actual shapes and images and
> photos, and so words kind of just don’t hold my attention, but ever since I
> started reading his work, and me being able to relate it to real world stuff,
> even though it is a comic book style and its drawn, its gotten me to read more
> and more things because now I’m just into the idea of that narrative. So, it
> was almost like an introductory… it got me as an adult back into reading when
> I haven’t for years.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Art,
Beach, Comic Books, Coney Island, Miichael DeForge, Real World Issues on July
27, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
THIS PLACE IS EMPTY
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By Justin Cude
The day was hazy as many before have been, and many beyond this I’m sure will
be. I’m in a different place, and even here my life, this moment, feels the
same; hazy.
The air is hot, no wind to cool the skin, not fresh enough to enjoy, nor to be
active in, for its contents are as unnatural as the loneliness I find myself
clutched by.
This place is empty. Not that others aren’t, just this one seems to fit the
feeling. This day the same.
In the back seat of a taxi, driven by a man I only know a little of his language
to communicate with, the conversation over before it had begun, we head North
East towards something I want to see since I find myself close by.
I plan to spend the afternoon, most the day even, to explore this area, to
witness its history first hand. I’m excited, sure, but I am also alone on this
trip and I can’t seem to shake that awareness, much less the feeling I am
attempting to describe.
Maybe it would be different if this had been my first extended time alone, but
for reasons I am unaware of I have become quite familiar with this kind of
loneliness. Again, I don’t know why. That’s just how it has worked out up to
now.
Whether here or somewhere else I have traveled, somewhere else I have lived, I
have often experienced deep feelings of isolation, deeper moments the same.
I have found I am able to go many places, be many places, live many places,
alone, and yeah there’s some good in that, but there are moments when I battle
with anxiety of being there by myself, with no one to help if needed, no one to
experience it with.
These feelings have haunted the journey as well.
As irrational as this sounds, this can be felt deep within the explorations of a
foreign country, or even down the street at a familiar coffee shop within my own
hometown. It’s limits know no bounds. It’s creativity either.
It’s not that I am scared. It’s more that I am aware, overly aware maybe, of
this feeling of empty, of alone. Aware to the point where it is sometimes hard
to notice anything else. This isn’t always the case, but it still hurts at
moments.
I’ve felt this in some of the worlds largest cities surrounded by a thriving
populous.
I’ve felt this in the middle of a starry high-desert evening sitting alone
reclined in the front seat of a rented truck.
I’ve felt this crosslegged on many coasts, staring out into the blue abyss of
both ocean and sky.
I’ve felt this intwined within a shared embrace.
I’ve felt this almost everywhere.
Not all the time, but almost everywhere.
And I feel this now as I write about it, or else I wouldn’t be able to. This
isn’t something you can conceive out of nothing. It’s describe very much so
depends upon a well to pull from, no matter how empty it feels.
However, I hope none of you take my writing as a cry, but rather an attempt to
add to our species collective desire and strive for a relatable human condition.
Notice, I didn’t say for an understanding of our human condition. I believe many
people do not necessarily care for the answers to our questioning of why, nor do
I believe they would benefit from them either.
Why us? Why here? Why now? Why all of this?
Forget that.
We fool ourselves with such romantic questioning at times, thinking that their
answering will provide comfort. Well, we’d still be here even after their
finding.
No, I believe many would benefit more from the understanding of our shared and
relatable existence. Not why we are here, but rather a collective effort to help
and to understand while we are here.
It doesn’t make sense to worry about things which we cannot control, things we
cannot see. It makes much more sense to care for those that we can, those we are
able to touch; each other, our world, ourselves.
This place is empty though, and at moments its able to make you feel the same.
Again, as irrational as this sounds, I can be anywhere and this feeling of empty
can overcome me, in many ways even.
Empty of mind, of conversation.
Empty of feeling, of sensation.
Sometimes of the very breath which by nature fills.
Sometimes I can’t feel it and it scares me.
I sometimes feel as though there is nothing there at all. Nothing but an empty
container we find ourselves roaming about within the confines of its elaborate
ruse.
I’ll stop there with the existentialism. That’s too easy. Too shallow. Too
predictable. I don’t want this piece to run off the rails. I want it to lead
somewhere. I want it to mean something.
I read a book recently.
‘Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging‘ by Sebastian Junger.
It talks openly and bluntly about these feelings of empty, of lonely, of
isolation. I’m glad I finally decided to pick up and to give it a read. It
helped me understand these feelings deeper. It made me realize I’m at least not
alone with them.
Read it if you’ve ever felt this way.
Read it even if you haven’t.
It might help you understand the struggles of another in this light.
It made me understand more of my own. It made me understand better those of
other’s. I’ll read it again one day because I’m sure I’ll have to. I’m sure I’ll
want to the same.
Anyways, there is a story shared amongst countless others within its pages that
resonated with me at the time of my writing of this piece. It could have easily
been another, but at that moment it was this one which really filled the gap. I
won’t go into too much detail about it because I feel its words alone are
enough. However, its setting is war, but its meaning translates to any degree of
life you may be experiencing, at this time or at any other:
> “I missed being that close to people, I missed being loved in that way,” she
> told me.
>
> “In Bosnia—as it is now—we don’t trust each other anymore; we became really
> bad people. We didn’t learn the lesson of the war, which is how important it
> is to share everything you have with human beings close to you. The best way
> to explain it is that the war makes you an animal. We were animals. It’s
> insane—but that’s the basic human instinct, to help another human being who is
> sitting or standing or lying close to you.”
>
> I asked Ahmetaševi? if people had ultimately been happier during the war. “We
> were the happiest,” Ahmetaševi? said. Then she added: “And we laughed more.”
And that’s what I am trying to get at. I’m not blaming my feelings of alone, of
empty, of isolation on anyone other than myself, ourselves; your’s too.
Collectively we all can do better. Collectively we all are designed to do
better.
To help one another.
To talk to one another.
To listen to one another.
To acknowledge one another.
Simply, to be there for one another during our time within this labyrinth named
life, because it’s really the only thing that makes any damn sense anyways. The
only thing that really leads anywhere. The only thing that really means
something.
What else are you going to do?
Sit and ponder the heavens, and waste every second we’re allotted, instead of
embracing and engaging with the place, the moment, the people of which also we
ourselves are embedded? Of which we ourselves come from? Of which we ourselves
will one day soon leave?
Yeah, this place feels empty sometimes, and I do too, and I’m sure you reading
this can relate, but that emptiness, it falls on myself, ourselves.
The day was hazy, but I chose to ignore that. I had felt empty, but I decided to
fill that with life, which was all around. I met a stranger, who shortly
thereafter became a friend, even if only for the day. We experienced the place
together, and we both felt better for having done so.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Community, Life, Loneliness, Now, Sebastian Junger, Travel, Tribe on July
20, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
THAT’S LIFE
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By Justin Cude
It’s been about a year, a little over a year now, since I moved away from the
city I have always been pulled to, even as a little kid. The one I learned to
love for what it is, not for what I attempted to make it to be, for the attempt
to do so would prove useless. It did and I learned and I loved it more for it.
Remaining the romantic I tend to be, for the attempt to be otherwise would prove
useless as well, a classical array of Frank Sinatra numbers have always, and I
believe will continue to, keep me current with the city’s lasting allure, even
in my current absence. For me, no other artists have truly captured this. No
other songs have ever embodied it, though I will admit there are a few honorable
mentions, but who really wants to be caught on that list? This piece is about
more than music though.
Though at the moment I am away from the city, I never fully left, as is true for
any great romantic relationship. Much like the loving and romancing of a great
woman, you’ve spent time exploring her, only to find as your knowledge of her
grows so does your appreciation of her, and fortunately so does your awareness
of your ignorance of her vastness which still remains. There’s still more to
find.
And, not only that, but you’ve experienced with her. This life, her emotions and
yours. This life, its highs and its lows and everything in between. Apart from
her or entangled with, you can’t remove what has already happened, and nor
should you try.
In many ways I am still there, and for the enduring and strengthening few with
time, I will always remain.
But over this time many things have changed. It’s remarkable when you do take
the time to reflect on the passing of another year how many things do. Some we
have been aware of, but for many we only realize upon looking back.
Many say looking back is wrong. I’ve never believed this, but I have realized
how heavy it can be.
That heaviness though I have always enjoyed.
I’ve never been one to believe life needs to be happy all the time. I’ve never
been one to want that for myself either, though I have caught myself deep in the
trap trying to make it that way. I don’t think I’d like it if it always was. I
don’t believe many do trying to make it that way.
Sometimes I want the unhappy, the sad, the crazy and the impossible, the
yearning, the past, the pain. It reminds me of what has happened, and it makes
me appreciate every part of it more; the happy and the sad, and everything in
between.
Sometimes isn’t right. Usually I find I want it more. It makes sense if you
think about it. Maybe I’m wrong. But, it tends to make me feel everything more
and I don’t want to be numb all the time attempting to ignore that.
Anyways, I sit here now, thousands of miles away from that city, in another one,
another big one even, but its not quite the same.
Things feel different. I feel different. Not that this is wrong or bad, just
different. Like anywhere else, somedays are good and somedays are bad, and some
are somewhere in between.
I watched a video earlier today, one I had made the day I left a little over a
year ago now, and it made me feel that way again. I know I’m not the only one
that city uses. Countless eyes had seen it before me, and countless others will
after me. Countless lives have enjoyed her before me, and countless others have
and will after me.
But, nonetheless, I felt captured, and there, though only for a moment in the
grand scheme of it all, captured felt right. Everybody wants freedom. I’d take,
even if only a little, that kind of captured again. This piece is about more
than just a city though.
Still sitting here now, writing this, it hits me how much truly has changed.
People, places, thoughts, wants, truths, and so on.
It’s easy to think everything remains the same. It’s hard to notice the changes.
Most aren’t big enough to wake you up at night. No, most are subtle. But, once
noticed, their acknowledgment proves to be impactful.
Around this time last year I was leaving somewhere. This somewhere now I am
thinking of leaving again. Those I guess you could call examples of the big
ones. All the things that have happened in between these two points though, I
wouldn’t say they add up. No, when you think about it, things just sort of
happen.
Some add. Some take away. Many just happen. Many just slip on by. It’s up to me
to notice what I will. It’s up to you the same.
I miss that feeling, but I wonder how many feelings I have missed since then,
ones I would have appreciated if I had only noticed them then, if only I had not
been caught up with just the one.
Though I can’t live them again, though I cannot go back and really feel them, I
notice them now, at least I am trying, and at this now that trying is enough.
But that’s life. You notice what you notice. Who knows exactly why?
Days come and so do nights, and then they go and maybe another one comes around.
It’s easy to think another one will, but things change, you never know. And if
another does come around, its easy to think it the same as the last.
Again, its hard to notice the changes.
Blame ignorance.
Ignorance towards thinking things will never change, or ignorance blinding you
from noticing what has.
I’ve missed many moments thinking things were the same, or at least thinking
they hadn’t changed. I don’t want to miss anymore fighting this alone. There’s
really nothing to fight anyways. You’re making it up. You think there is, but
there isn’t.
There’s only change. Don’t take that on. You’ll lose.
Yeah, sure, I miss that feeling and I miss that city, and I probably always
will, but constantly chasing the highs it evoked, or believing the lows it did
as well to be only unique to its confines, both of these are wrong. It’s highs
were high and its low were damn low, but most of my time there was spent
somewhere in between, and most of that time I let slip away, unnoticed.
Again, its up to me for me, and its up to you for you the same, to notice what
you will. I’ll still acknowledge the highs and I’ll still endure the lows, but
moving on I simply want to notice more of the in between.
Because that’s life. Most of it happens somewhere in between.
We tend to avoid or pursue the highs and the lows.
Invite them, welcome them, sure, of course, but don’t hold on to them. They
don’t last. They fade quickly. Feel them when they are around, but let them go.
Again, most of life is found in between. Try to notice the life in that. Don’t
become numb to it. Become very much attuned with it.
Life is largely about realizations and we all feel more alive in the moments of
our deepest ones.
Or maybe in the moments of our most simple ones.
We’re too blinded during the highs, too emotional during the lows to have these.
Most happen after. After some time has passed. After we have gained sight again.
After our emotions have leveled off. Most happen somewhere in between.
Most happen in the quiet. Quiet can be good. I’ll try to write on that sometime.
That’s enough for now.
Most of all of this happens somewhere in between though. That’s the main idea
here.
Right now you’re probably somewhere in there. I know I am.
Don’t let it slip away chasing the next high or avoiding the next low. Those you
will meet again. Don’t worry. Don’t be scared. Those will happen again, because
that’s life. But, there is so much more in between, and that is usually where we
tend to be.
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tagged Change, Life, Love, Music, Time, Travel on July 1, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
THE BIBLE
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Someone handed it to me in charity. They gave me it.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> The first book I read in The Bible is Jobe. It’s the trials he goes through. I
> see it as sort of my trials in my life for myself. It’s just where I am right
> now. I’m homeless and I’m just going with God trying to figure it out.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I’d only recommend it if you had a Bible to give somebody. It’s better than
> money. That’s it.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged God,
Grand Central Station, Life, Religion, The Bible on June 28, 2018 by
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THE SITUATION AND THE STORY BY VIVIAN GORNICK
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> … I have no idea! I don’t remember. Probably… graduate school? I may of come
> across it… oh, you know what… OK… I remember, sorry! This was recommended to
> me by Rob Spillman who’s one of the editors at Tin House News, also a
> sometimes professor at Columbia University in the writing program.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Ooh! Um… I feel like I have to pull my notes out! One of the biggest takeaways
> for me, because this is a book about essay and memoir, its about personal
> narrative, and one of the biggest takeaways for me is that an essay is
> exploring a topic through the lens of the narrator’s persona, whereas a memoir
> is exploring the narrator’s persona through different topics outside the
> narrator. And so, that really gave me a lot of perspective on my own writing
> and in ways that I could kind of come at the self obliquely through other
> topics.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would recommend it to somebody who is probably a later writing student, or
> an experienced writer. The first time I read it, it went over my head a little
> bit, and so, I’m not sure that it would be helpful for many people, but, there
> is a great reading list kind of worked into it because she goes through all of
> these different examples of essays and memoir and personal narrative in the
> book. But, I’d probably save it for somebody who’s stuck on their current
> writing project.
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Brooklyn, Self, The Situation and the Story, Vivian Gornick, Writing on June 21,
2018 by cityreadsnyc.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN’S LIFE, CONFIDENTIAL
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By Justin Cude
> “As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you
> leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves
> marks on you. Most of the time, those marks — on your body or on your heart —
> are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.” – Anthony Bourdain
On the outside, this man seemed to know more about life than everybody; its
subtleties and its limits and its secrets alike, and I’m sure on the inside the
same, maybe more. I mean, how couldn’t he? The places he’d been, the people he’d
met, the pleasures of this life he’d most definitely indulged to the fullest,
and the lows he’d cared deeply, and with understanding to speak openly, about.
And not only that, but dive into his work; his shows, his writing, his sharing
of his life and his experiences. All beautiful works of art in their own right,
all poetically crafted and uniquely and meaningfully his own, derived from his
acts of doing, not from his assumptions of what if. This man had “the best job
in the world”, and we all thought that, and we all said that, and we all
believed it to be true, but this story is about much more than a profession.
This sends shock waves across generations, around the world, forcing us all to
question our own lives, our own values and beliefs, our own sufferings, because
that is how broad and how deep his influence reached; spanning cultures and
people both young and old and in between, infiltrating our souls and our desires
on the basis of our allowing of and our hoping for, and challenging our beings
with sensory liberation. This man was an influencer, probably the realest among
countless other’s attempts of our generation, and, staying true to his approach
towards it all, even in his last act of expression, he kept things real and he
brought to the forefront, life.
At the radically experienced age of 61, he was in rare position, enabling him to
possess multi-generational influence, ranging from the young and the reckless to
the old and the restless. However, age alone did not provide him this effect.
Much like ‘The Rolling Stones’, in my fanfare opinion of the pair, he was able
to keep current, entangled with the up and coming, while also remaining defiant,
engraved with and by the stuff of legends; all with a keen sense of real, all
with an innate ability to do so.
Look at me. I’m talking as if I knew the man.
Well, I didn’t. Personally, no. But, nonetheless, I understood his presentation.
At least, I tried to. In many ways I’ve tried to embody it, even if only a
little, for the attempt to do so promises to be worth it, again, even if only a
little.
Authenticity encapsulated this man, rather, authenticity had no chance to hide
from him. He would find it and I’m sure he would enjoy it, and then he would
tell us about it, and you could not help but be infatuated. Maybe infatuated
isn’t the right word, for what he proposed was much more lasting. Infatuated
from the onset, yes, but appreciative, all the more from the initial encounter
onward. Don’t deny it. He had you thinking. He had you questioning. He had you
wondering. And then, he had you acting on it, and you were appreciative for
having done so; appreciative of him and of your listening to. And if you haven’t
yet, you will be. You’ll see.
Again, this man had it all, and we all believed it to be true; travel, food,
freedom; what else? He would be in Hong Kong one moment, perhaps dizzying
through the bustling streets, indulging by choice and by circumstance the
beautiful frenzy of it all, and Paris the next, maybe accepting the moments
expose, directing one to succumb to the city’s subtle but charming asking to
simply allow and to enjoy its offerings. But again, I can’t say for sure. I
didn’t know this man. Most of his admirers didn’t. This is all assumption, but
assumption hinted, supported even, by his heavy persuasion bestowed upon us and
by our willingness and eagerness, or maybe our surrendering to, to take on its
weight, to abide by its claims and to, again, even if only a little, see for
ourselves its truths and its essence.
If you’ve tried then you know. If you haven’t yet, then eventually you will.
Maybe, if of course you choose to do so, and if you do it the way he proposed;
authentic.
> “Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things,
> we shall surely become static, repetitive, moribund.”
Look past the glamour of it all though; the food, the travel, the freedom. What
really was he presenting? What really was he asking us all to see, or to at
least try to?
I believe it to be just that. I believe he was asking us to just see, or, to at
least try to; to see all that we are offered and all that we can experience and
all that we are able to live through, to feel life through. Don’t just eat the
food, but taste it. Don’t just travel somewhere, but become it. Don’t just dream
of freedom, but live it and understand it and allow it. It doesn’t truly matter
what dish may be served, or what city or escape you find yourself temporarily
inhabiting, or what level or what medium of freedom you feel yourself yearning
to express, quivering in hesitation before releasing your guilt or your shame or
your dogmatic restraints and simply trying. I don’t believe he gave a damn what
it was that turned you on, only again, simply that you would try. What else?
> “I’m a big believer in winging it. I’m a big believer that you’re never going
> to find the perfect city travel experience or the perfect meal without a
> constant willingness to experience a bad one. Letting the happy accident
> happen is what a lot of vacation itineraries miss, I think, and I’m always
> trying to push people to allow those things to happen rather than stick to
> some rigid itinerary.”
Letting the happy accident happen. How beautiful is that? How perfect does this
simple line define our sublime undergo of life? But, unfortunately, how often do
we find ourselves willfully protesting against its proclamation, holding firm
our restrained consent to simply allow it to be?
I’m not talking about vacation itineraries here, and I don’t believe his words
are either in their truest sense. You could just as easily hear him say,
“Letting the happy accident happen is what a lot of our live’s miss”, and he’d
continue to try to push us to allow those things to happen rather than sticking
to some rigid plan we have laid out for ourselves, and for that we should be
grateful; someone devoting their time in this world to remind us that there is
more, and that that more is found here, now, in our letting it happen, not in
our planned attempt to take control of it all for some far off future arrival.
Besides, how can we expect to have a good experience here without a constant
willingness to experience a bad one? The good comes with the bad and we should
have it no other way.
But again, this story is about much more than a profession; about much more even
than the man himself, and I think we would of liked it that way. Outside the
enjoyment of it all, outside of the food, and the travel and the freedom, it
reminds us bluntly of the other side which remains, lurking within us all, able
and ready and willing to demoralize our efforts, burden our thoughts and our
inhalations, tame the very spirit which once burned through our worries and our
blockades. This story, however contradicting and sad and surreal it may appear,
is much more about our sufferings than it ever will again be about anything
else.
His life influenced us all profoundly, but his death, I suspect, will do so all
the more, in time and in reflection; it’s happening already has, at least for
those who admired him and attempted to emulate his approach. His life and his
words and his actions alike first challenged us, then they dared us, then they
empowered us, not to withhold from this life, but to withdraw from it; to
withdraw all that we can and to share it with all of whom we will and are able.
His death I believe has and will continue to do the same. I know it has already
for me. At this moment it is challenging me, then at another I am sure it will
dare me, and then I believe it will empower me the next, to question everything,
to intuitively re-evaluate my values and my beliefs on my own accord, and to be
aware and to try to understand my sufferings, as open and as honest as I can.
What else?
But, as is always the contemplation following another’s departure; where do we
go from here?
> “It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the
> world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively
> little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there
> is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final
> resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom… is
> realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.”
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MEDIUM RAW BY ANTHONY BOURDAIN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Uh, I read his first novel… ‘Kitchen Confidential‘… and so, found there was a
> next one, and decided to read the rest.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> I guess the shift that the author went through from, you know… well, the first
> book, ‘Kitchen Confidential‘, is way more about the restaurant industry
> itself, and then this shows his shift into becoming a celebrity chef and,
> yeah…. it shows his perspective that he gained out of it; the retrospect and
> everything. I like it because it’s still… it’s not just about that… it’s still
> about food and the industry and what not, so yeah. I’m a cook right now, and
> I’m inspiring to be a chef, so any bit of information I can get, you know, is
> good.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I definitely would recommend it. I mean, because I personally enjoy it, a lot.
> I think though that it could be interesting for anyone, just because he’s….
> I’m mean, I only have around a year or so experience cooking and all that, but
> from what I’ve seen so far, he stays true to what everyday life is in a
> kitchen. And, on top of that, you know, he’s uh… he’s a pretty entertaining
> writer; he’s funny and all. So, yeah… if you want to have a good laugh and you
> happen to be interested in food, yeah, I definitely recommend it.
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STUCK IN THE AMBER
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By Justin Cude
Here we are, such as we are; and whether or not we are pleased with this moment,
we have no other choice than in accepting it.
> “All time is all time. It does not lend itself to warning or explanations. It
> simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as
> I’ve said before, bugs in amber.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m currently on a train, traveling through mainland china, enroute to a new
city, a new experience. At this very moment, I am leaning against a cushioned
human shelf up against the window, among a chattering crowd in the dining cart
section, a small elevated table in front of me where my keyboard now rests as I
bug it with type. To my right, the kitchen dishing out a foreign menu, both by
flavor and script; I’m hungry, so I’ll try it. “N?h?o. Menu?!” “Ah, xièxie!” To
my left, the crowd, filled with wide smiling faces, made up of families,
friends, associates and strangers, I’m guessing, and a little girl barfing into
a plastic bag, being helped by her un-phased, “been-here-before”, loving
parents; no one minds, they are busy enjoying the scene, though a few pair of
curious eyes are caught by the bald “M?iguórén” (American) lone and curious
himself in the corner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here I am, such as I am.
The moment in time with which we are given, the one we currently find ourselves
encompassed by, embedded with rather, this is where we are, and to the best of
our understanding, this is what we are; people, stuck in this spec of existence,
alive.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> “The flat car sometimes crept, sometimes went extremely fast, often stopped —
> went up hill, downhill, around curves, along straightaways. Whatever poor
> Billy saw through the pipe, he had no choice but to say to himself, “That’s
> life.”
This is life. I’m surrounded by it. A part of it even. I am life, and so is
everything and everyone else around me, far beyond me, beyond this place, even
more. Yes, this is a moment, and though we are limited in sight, sometimes in
mind, to only our little pipe hole view of it, this moment is massive. It
encompasses everything and everyone you know, and for that matter, don’t.
You are only a part of it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I return to my seat, only a short time later to again return to the dining cart,
due mainly to restlessness, part also out of angst; I’ve never been one to rest
easy during travel. I’m too curious. I’m too wound up. I have too much on the
mind. I wonder where everyone is heading? And if they’re heading there, where
ever there is, by choice or by have to? I’m heading now by choice, on return by
have to. No one from the looks of it seems concerned, at least on the outside.
What about the inside? There are a few dull expressions filling this cart now,
whether by idleness, worry, contemplation, or something else of this sort, as we
maintain impressive speed, hurling with grace and subtle rocking through farming
lands along the route. The younger crowd is still playing. Some drawing, some
eating or attempting to eat, others yanking the fake flowers out of their
waterless wicker vases placed on each table and examining them, then quickly
reaching to yank out another. There’s another little girl twirling about, table
to table as she ignores the call of I’m guessing her father. She might need to
throw up too later on due to the dizziness she’s playfully tumbling into. She’s
having fun though. All the younger crowd is. I don’t know about the more-aged
crowd anymore. Some are eating or attempting to eat, others are poking around on
their phones or laptops, one man is putting pen to paper, maybe he’s drawing,
and some are examining the fake flowers shoved into their waterless wicker
vases, not yanking them out, though. They’d probably like to yank them out. They
seem preoccupied this time, though. Aren’t we all? I wonder if by choice or by
have to? Either way, we’re all heading there; somewhere.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> “You sound to me as if you don’t believe in free will,” said Billy Pilgrim.
>
> “If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings,” said the Tralfamadorian,
> “I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by “free will.” I’ve visited thirty
> one inhabited planets in the universe, and I have studied reports on one
> hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will.”
Here we are, such as we are.
And, this thing we call time has no care or concern of our wants or our desires
anyhow. It doesn’t work for or against us in any way, though we’ve played it up
to do that, for us or against us, romanticizing our lives for needed substance,
I’m guessing. Hell, time isn’t even a real thing, Einstein said it, I think.
Anyway, it’s as if we needed something to fill the spaces between this and that,
the spaces between until this turned into that, the spaces until this became
that, or the ones found pointing us to do this first and then that next. Time
we’ll call it, and we will tie to this thing now known as time all of our most
important things this life can, not must, contain. But, this can we will turn
into must, so now this life must contain them. And we will spend our time making
sure those things happen. And to make those things happen, time will need to be
spent. So we will make things worth more time then they really should take,
increasing in mind the value of this time, because the big things now take and
demand the most of it, and applying it in pursuit towards things which take more
time to acquire, demands thus more time for you to give, and you willingly will,
and more and more time for it to take, and it gladly will. Give the time, give
them time, give the time, only to have it taken. And then, no time left. Where
is there free will in this? I guess you can choose how you fill said time, but
following the form of times design, do you choose, or is it chosen for you? I
think I’ll order a coffee. “N?h?o. H?i k?f?i?” Yeah, I’m in the mood for one.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> “Why me?
>
> That is a very Earthling question to ask Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that
> matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs
> trapped in amber?
>
> Yes.
>
> Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is
> no why.”
Take me back to the amber. No. Let me realize it myself. Wait. I’m already here.
I’m ready now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in the dining cart again I find myself. It’s full this time, again with
families and friends, associates and strangers; people. The aroma of the foreign
cuisine fills the space as my hunger again toys with the thought of succumbing
to its warmth, to its welcome, as others have already decided to do so and have
delved in, face first, enjoying the innate pleasantries of its simple yet
meaningful serving; there are three plastic microwaveable options to choose
from; one with chicken, one with the beef, and the other a vegetable option I
believe, but damn do they hit the spot when hunger finds us. A baby awakens and
begins to cry, but is quickly eased down by the loving caress of her mothers
embrace; she’s now sleeping again. Another mother watches as her young boy
devours the plastic container of food in front of him; she’s concerned and
hopeful he finishes it all; you can tell by her look, she’s a mother. A dad of
two catching some much needed sleep either before the trip begins or now after
its end; you can tell by his look; he doesn’t have one; eyes closed, body limp,
the arm he’s slumped upon without doubt asleep as well. Others are still poking
away at their phones, maybe texting a loved one, maybe reading an article,
perhaps playing some video game, or maybe doing whatever it is that makes them
happy; it doesn’t matter, let them enjoy it if they do. Some are conversing
amongst each other as we continue our trek through this massive stretch of farm
land, still hurling by, still subtly rocking; their conversations remaining as
foreign to me as the menu, but their presence shares a commonplace; their
warmth, their welcome; it doesn’t matter what they are talking about, it’s human
connection and thats a wonderful thing. Another little girl, standing between
her fathers legs, head barely clearing the table, appearing to be eating a bowl
of noodles for the first time, excessively and forcefully attempting to blow
away the heat of the bite, only to find that her efforts are spent having not
cooled the spoonful; she’s not concerned, shes hungry. She takes a swig of water
from a bottle which dwarfs her little hands to wash away the sting of the
scalding noodles, coughs because the sip must have gone down the wrong pipe,
then hurries back to begin again with another round of excessively and
forcefully attempting to blow away the heat of the next scoop; she’s enjoying
those noodles and she finishes the whole bowl of them in this manner; still
unconcerned, tongue slightly burnt, I’m guessing, but fed and happy to be so.
Stewardesses carefully toeing around, hurried taking orders and taming the
nerves of the crowd as they serve out not only plates and snacks and drink, but
more effectively and appealing, attention; they are great at what they do and
impressively patient; also, a sight for sore eyes I’m unashamed to admit, or
admire. Farm land has turned into outskirts of towns, still rural, but in its
own ways charming; I could spend sometime here; only a short while though. And
I, the bald lone “M?iguórén”, again in the corner, looking around and typing
away, taking it all in, and realizing the richness of this amber, of this moment
I’m a part of; all of this, and much more my capacity of attention missed, in
this one moment, the only one either one of us here can see, but rich enough
none the less, no need for anything more.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We may be bugs, stuck in the amber, but this amber is enough. There is
everything we could ever need, here, now, in the amber which embodies us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> “That’s one things Earthlings might learn to do, if they tried hard enough:
> Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones.”
>
> “Um,” said Billy Pilgrim.
Here we are, such as we are; and whether or not we are pleased with this moment,
we have no other choice than in accepting it, and I believe we can do so by
realizing and embracing the richness of the amber we find ourselves stuck in.
Free will is found in the appreciation and the realization of the moment we are
embedded; in our acceptance and in our contribution to such. This moment is all
we are given, its richness derived from our acknowledgement, our autonomy
actualized in our choice to partake, in our chance to just be.
Though a bug stuck in amber cannot choose to move freely, no matter its struggle
to, at least that amber is rich, and in its richness it is sweet, it is warm,
and it is golden. It’s not nothing. It’s very much something, indifferent to our
neediness to know why me, why us, why anything.
It is something.
Here we are, such as we are.
You are only a part of it, yes, but you are, most definitely, a part of it.
A little bug, stuck in the amber of now, and its enough.
> “So it goes…
Oh, wow! We’re already in Xi’an. “Zàijiàn”. “Bàibài”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***
This post was inspired by my reading of Kurt Vonnegut’s classic
‘Slaughterhouse-Five‘. I recommend highly your reading of this book as well.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged China, Kurt Vonnegut, Life, Now, Stuck In The Amber, The Moment, Train,
Traveling on May 7, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES BY JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Ohh, that’s a good question! Uh… I was looking up comedy related books… and
> than this is like… this was just suggested on a Google search… on like Amazon
> and stuff, so… and I’ve heard about it, so I was like, “Ah OK, maybe it time.”
> So, yeah.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Ohh… perspective in my own life? Yeah… ahh… perspective? I don’t know. So far
> its pretty cool. It’s about… ahh, its kind of a cool… well, I’m doing research
> on the book… I took a break from reading it to read the Wikipedia page. The
> book is hailed for its accuracy of said New Orleans… hailed for its accuracy
> of its description of New Orleans, and of its description of its language.
> Being from the south its kind of cool given that I like the way people talk… I
> can hear the voices in my head as I read which is kind of cool… that New
> Orleans southern draw.
WOULD YOU RECOMMENDED, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Oh… yes! For… right now I’m only a chapter in… the foreword and the chapter,
> but so far its fantastic; its great; its definitely… well, I was looking for a
> comedy book, because I do stand up, so I was looking for something like this.
> But this is a great novel so far, again, I’m only in chapter one, but I
> absolutely recommend it, and… why? Probably because its… I mean, so far its
> living up to every review that I’ve read about it, so… so, yeah… yeah man.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged A
Confederacy of Dunces, J Train, John Kennedy Toole, Novel on April 30, 2018 by
cityreadsnyc.
IF THE FATES ALLOW
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By Justin Cude
I am away.
Far away now from most of the things in this life I have come to love, to
accept, to miss.
And that I do; I miss them all, deeply.
But this I chose, and this choice was hard, as most the greats tend to be.
Something inside of me though has always yearned for adventure, and that is
where I currently find myself, both in terms of mind and of body.
This too happens to be something that I have come to love, to accept, to miss as
well.
How couldn’t I?
Now you see where the contrast lies.
Life does that.
It never matches up.
Never offers everything at once.
Never allows you to find your stride in one without tripping you up with the
other.
On one hand I want stable, I want unity, I want consistence.
On the other I want movement, I want differences, I want unexpected.
Currently I am experiencing the latter, and though I am enjoying it fully,
currently I am yearning for the former.
So what to do?
> “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change
> ourselves.” – Viktor Frankl
So then,
I will begin to both allow and to challenge myself to find the two within the
same.
Within those and thats that my life has formed into my stables, I will find the
movement, the differences, the unexpected.
Rather, I will allow them their opportunity to flourish within my life.
No longer block them.
No longer believe them not to be.
And,
Within those and thats where my life has provided my movement, I will find the
stable, the unity, the consistence.
Rather, I will allow them their opportunity to grow within my life.
No longer stunt them.
No longer doubt their strength, their purpose.
And,
If the fates allow,
I will do this with those and thats that I have come to love, to accept, to
miss.
This I hope they do allow.
And,
Since I am still here, this they do.
So,
One final effort before the sun sets.
If, of course, the fates do allow.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Fate, Life, Love, Now on April 15, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
OVER THE EDGE OF THE WORLD BY LAURENCE BERGREEN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Well, I’ve read it before. One of my friends in Hawaii gave it to me actually.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Uh, I’ve gained a lot of interesting knowledge actually. It’s kind of like a
> text book, but it’s still like storybook, so it’s still really, really easy to
> follow and interesting… a lot of information in here. I was surprised!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yes! I’ve been trying to get my dad to read it for the past year… just because
> he’s into the whole history thing… and I mean, if you like history, its
> definitely entertaining enough.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Coffee,
Explore, History, Magellan, Manhattan, Over the Edge of the World, Starbucks on
April 7, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
“THE FUN OF TALK IS TO EXPLORE…”
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By Justin Cude
The next conversation you find yourself in, do me favor; explore, and have fun
doing so.
How many times do we find ourselves a part of the typical, mundane, monotonous
sharing of words, of which we all care very little of asking and of sharing, and
even more so of hearing? No need to respond, for we all already know the answer.
You ask this, I tell that, I ask that, you tell this, and so on. The thinking of
it now makes me sick, depressed even, for that is where most of our breaths are
wasted away. They have their place, this I know, but they do not deserve a
grander lot when compared to the potential.
There is hope though, as there always is with any endeavor in which the mind,
the body and the soul of a human are involved. The mere involvement does not
guarantee the improved quality of experience, but the opportunity is always
there, if those involved are willing and are courageous enough to delve and to
act.
As Hemingway so simply, yet powerfully put it,”The fun of talk is to explore…“.
So, let yourself do so, and allow the same for others involved. Ask for the
answers you so deeply desire to learn, open the gates to those you have not yet
even thought of, share the truths of your being and listen to the truths of
others, all of which will inevitably appear in this exchange of words and of
life, again if you and if all involved are willing.
Want to learn something of another, to a point of excruciating intellectual or
primitive interest? Then ask the damn question, and do so with passion, with
innocence and curiosity, and with life, and allow the conversation to go. Be
courageous and confident enough to ask and to share, but even more so of the
pair in your acquisition of response. Responses, yours or theirs, are not always
what you dreamed them to be, but they are real, no matter their basis of truth
or of origin, or to the degree of their reveal. However, the deeper the better.
Are you scared to do so? Good. You should be. You should be scared to the point
of faint, to where consciousness approaches the fall, mere steps away from being
lost. Feel it. Be afraid it, but join it, and share your words to the same
extent in your response towards the expression of another, and give them the
same. They deserve it, we all do.
Cautious to offend someone with question or with view? To hell with that, for
taking offense only shows one has not yet accepted the harshness of the world,
of reality; not yet ready to dance with, yet to even acknowledge, it’s toil,
it’s strife. Offense taken to words shared, towards ideas expressed and thoughts
revealed, of questions asked, symbolizes only one’s poor attempted defense of
their own internal, an attempt to hide themselves from others, even more so from
themselves. A cowardly act, but one I will acknowledge as common and as
difficult, for the choice to do or to not is enough to debilitate even the
strongest of us.
The truth? No matter what you say, someone will always take offense, and that is
not within your control, so share and pursue anyway, of course again, if you and
if all involved are willing and courageous enough to do so.
And if someone responds with malice? Confront it, don’t shy away. We are
designed for the challenges of life, to confront them and to overcome them, be
them physical or be them vocal. We are built for this, though even more, we
yearn for this; for the confrontation of life and for the overcoming through
expression of self.
And, what about the fun? Didn’t you mention it would be fun? Have your fun,
explore the secrets of the mind, of the opposites, of the people you know
nothing about, and of those for which you think you know much. The fun is in the
exploration, so there truly is no limit, only that of what you set for yourself.
Ask, share, try, fail, connect. Then? Ask, again. Share, again. Try, again.
Fail, again. Connect, again. Then? Again. But, have your fun, for, “When you
stop doing things for fun you might as well be dead.“
“The fun of talk is to explore…“, so do so, no matter the conversation’s nature.
The mystery of the exchange had and of to come, where may it lead? One cannot
truly tell, but this should not stop us, nor do I believe anyone would like for
it to. There is no shame in this, nor should there be. We are all here together,
experiencing the same world, though of varying context, of varying frame. Good.
Intellectual, or that of a more primitive nature, approach the familiar and the
uncharted with growing experience and innocent curiosity, and simply, explore,
for, “You may talk. And I may listen. And miracles might happen.“
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Ernest Hemingway, Life, Talk on February 25, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
PLAYING THE PIANO FOR PLEASURE BY CHARLES COOKE
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Um… I’m a musician, so I just pick up as much literature as I can on music and
> try to extract from it what I can to serve what I do play. My mother does
> estate sells back in Long Island… she cleans out houses and a lot of contents
> end up back at home, and this book made its way from one of the houses… and
> she thought it belonged to me and uh… so, I took that as a sign to take it
> home to go through it. I’ve already read it before, but I’m going back for a
> second time to see what else I can get out of it.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well… as a musician it’s all about this, uh… I believe he wrote for the New
> Yorker back in like the 20s or 30s, this guy Charles Cooke… he was big on the
> amateur musician and how, as an amateur musician, you don’t have to compete
> with professional musicians… you can sort of enjoy it for your own pleasure
> and develop at your own pace… and get a lot out of it without the stress of
> having to compete with top-tier musicians, and… I think there’s a lot to be
> learned from that approach, as I feel there’s so many people in the city
> trying to quote-on-quote “make it” in a creative sense, and if your serious
> about it, that will drive you to compete on those top-tiers, but… if you can
> sort of take a step back and enjoy it on the many tiers below that, and figure
> out your own level, there’s a lot more pleasure to be had that way.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would recommend it to any other musician or artist for what I laid out in
> the previous question, just… I don’t know… I’d recommend it to anybody!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Charles
Cooke, F Train, Manhattan, Music, Musician, Pleasure, Subway on January 28, 2018
by cityreadsnyc.
TO EACH THEIR OWN
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By Justin Cude
I’m tired. However, and I realize this, I’m tired of all of which I know to be
of my control, of my choice.
I’m tired of the comparison. Of comparing myself with others; their wants, their
needs, their dreams and pursuits, their current lot and the futures they speak
of, and so on. It’s not me, not at all, but its easy to. It’s also easy not to,
if of course I choose against it. Similarities, they can exist, but the same?
No, not at all. Remember, to each their own.
I’m tired of the doubt. Of doubting myself, my worth, my place, my acts, my
thoughts. It’s old, it’s tiresome, it’s cruel, self imposed I know, but cruel
the same. It’s not me, it‘s my choice and I can stop this at any moment. To
allow it to remain, to persist, how much of a fool can you be? Stop your pity,
instead choose to try, choose to do, and then you will know. Remember, to each
their own.
I’m tired of the confusion. Of confusing myself, of being confused by others, or
rather, allowing myself to be confused by the pair; the words they say, the
actions they take, and the same of mine; my words, my actions. Choose, choose
now, then choose again, not to be confused and you won’t be. Confusion from
curiosity, let it live, that’s fun, but confusion from your own allowance of
both the internal and the ex-, let it pass you by — give it no mind. Remember,
to each their own.
I’m tired of the hatred. Of the kind from others, but even more so of the
self-loathing of my own partake. Do you enjoy the act of self-defeat? Of
self-betrayal? The tearing down of your own being? Or the destruction of your
own peace? No. Than enough, no more. Allow these thoughts to again pass you by,
for they carry with them no real anchor, only the hope that you may offer harbor
for their taking. Don’t. And of others hatred directed your way? Also, don’t the
same. Choose, then choose again. Remember, to each their own.
Okay, enough of this. Who cares if I’m tired of anything, anyways? Typically not
many, sometimes not a one. Maybe I’d be better off by simply not caring myself,
not of just anything, but of what I perceive to be worth the time. Again, not
that of just anything, but of things of this nature; harmful. Let it go, move
on, simply stop. It can be that easy. It is that easy, if you want it to be. If
you choose it to be. Maybe easy isn’t the word. But, if not easy, able; always
able. Let it be difficult if you must, “If it’s endurable, then endure it”;
accept its confront, but remember, you’re able; always able.
Choose not to be compared — and you won’t feel compared. Don’t feel compared —
and you haven’t been…
Choose not to be doubted — and you won’t feel doubted. Don’t feel doubted — and
you haven’t been…
Choose not to be confused — and you won’t feel confused. Don’t feel confused —
and you haven’t been…
Choose not to be hated — and you won’t feel hated. Don’t feel hated — and you
haven’t been…
“Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed — and
you haven’t been.” – Marcus Aurelius
But I do — than you will. And if I don’t? — than you won’t. Choice always
remains. You’re able; always able.
And in closing, all I want to do in this life, and I assume for many the same,
is love. Love what I do, love who I am with, love where I am, and love where I
am going — than you will — if you choose to. And this choice? Remember, to each
their own.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Choice, Life, Love, Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Stoic, Stoicism, To
Each Their Own on January 12, 2018 by cityreadsnyc.
IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT BY DAVID L. GOLEMON
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> The first book I read by him was called, um… ‘The Supernaturals’… and this is
> part two if it. He has a lot of other books out that I just haven’t gotten
> around to yet, but ‘The Supernaturals‘ was the first.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> It’s about a group of people who met… in the first book they were only about…
> eight people, and only two or three really knew each other. This book takes
> place about seven years later, so these people have gotten closer, but they
> still have a lot of issues. It is about… well, supernaturals… so it is sort of
> a horror book… but its also about human nature. It’s about politics too, which
> is very timely… I mean, I didn’t realize that until I started reading… but its
> very timely now… and its about a president who is disturbingly like what we’ve
> got in the White House. So, um… yeah, so… I have no idea how its going to end,
> but it’s just very, very interesting, and um… some parts are disturbing,
> because… oh my goodness… human nature… people who’ll do anything for power.
> But, then again, there’s a lot of friendship in this too, because again, these
> people have gotten to know each other, and each of these people have like
> real, serious, um… somewhat tragic backgrounds, so… its good to see them come
> together. But yeah, lots of disturbing stuff in here too, which is… uh, I
> mean… to be expected.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Oh, absolutely! I would recommend it to anybody who… who… just enjoys a good
> book that you can just sit down with and just, you know… go with it! Yeah,
> just go with it. Don’t have any preconceived notions about what its about…
> just go with it. Normally people would say, “Well ok, if you like horror, then
> go…”. No… just, just read it… just read it! You know… cause’ I mean… I read
> everything… you know, I read everything. I don’t care, you know… you cant tell
> me, because I’m reading a horror book, only recommend horror books to me… no!
> Read everything! If its an interesting book… recommend it to me, and I will
> read it! So… same thing here… read it!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged David L.
Golemon, Grand Central Station, Horror, Human Nature, Manhattan, Politics,
Supernatural, The Supernaturals, The Supernaturals II on January 9, 2018 by
cityreadsnyc.
THEODORA: ACTRESS, EMPRESS, WHORE BY STELLA DUFFY
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Truthfully? I work in the same building as Penguin Publishing, and there’s
> always free books in the mailroom. Yeah! That’s how I came across it.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well… its mainly about a woman who is just trying to find herself… and she’s
> going through these major changes, so I feel like, in regard to perspective… I
> mean the character, she’s very daring and true to herself, so I feel if
> anything, that’s the perspective… to just stay bold!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yes, I would recommend it. Probably to one of my best friends who is an
> English teacher, just because I feel like she would appreciate literature
> taking place in the 6th century. So… that’s who I would recommend it too.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged 18th
Century, Hoboken, PATH, Stella Duffy, Theodora, True, Women on December 31, 2017
by cityreadsnyc.
NOTHING MORE
Leave a reply
By Justin Cude
It isn’t lonely,
for I have been there before.
Its absence,
nothing more.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pair this short read with ‘The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being
Alone‘, brought to you by Maria Popova’s brainpickings.
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This entry was posted in A Poem to Share, CityReads NYC, My Writing and tagged A
Poem to Share, Absence, Loneliness, Poetry on November 27, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THE CONSTANT PRINCESS BY PHILIPPA GREGORY
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Funny you should ask! I’m actually in a book club, and I am about to meet
> them… um, pretty soon. This was a book that someone else chose. It’s only like
> five of us, but one of them picked this book for the month… and I’m just about
> to finish it up. Otherwise, I would never think to pick this out. It’s really
> good actually… I like it. That’s the part of… the good thing about book club…
> you read books that you wouldn’t normally pick yourself.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well… this is like… kind of a historical account of the Queen of England, in
> around the early 1500s… and, uh… so I guess it just kind of opened my eyes to
> thinking… or the logic of that time. I guess that’s pretty much it.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Absolutely! This is… it has a really strong female, hero character… and, so…
> it shows that women can overcome… we all can overcome.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Manhattan, Overcome, Philippa Gregory, The Constant Princess, Union Square,
Women on November 20, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
REMEMBER, YOU MUST DIE.
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By Justin Cude
Death; oh, how it has flooded my mind lately. More appropriately, the thought
alone has consumed my attention, stood defiantly in place against my hesitant
rebuttal, and toiled with my attempted understanding of its ominous position.
However, with this, and with recent encounter of its inevitability and its
swiftness, death’s ever lingering presence has also brought about a sense of
compartmentalization, towards how I divide the allotment of my time, who I
decide to allow my being, and what I deem as worthy within and of my life.
Death has a funny, and yet a not so comical way of bringing back to the moment
reality. We all will die, yes, there is no changing this. Despite our various
efforts towards a guaranteed life of longevity, no matter how cautious or how
tame we live out our days, they are numbered, and they remain, with unyielding
persistence, in tally; destination and departure unknown. With this… memento
mori.
Derived from Latin origin, memento mori, when translated to our modern form of
the English language, reminds us bluntly, ‘Remember you must die’. In reference
to the piece pictured above, from a perspective more poetically crafted,
‘Vanité’, master pieced by 17th Century French painter Philippe de Champaigne,
displays through detailed expression the thin line of existence in which we
abide. The tulip (life), the skull (death), and the hourglass (time); life, our
current experience, remaining in constant shadow of death, which we may
encounter at any moment. The only guarantee between the triad conveyed at
median; death.
There is no guarantee of a life, even less, if possible, no assurance of time.
We aren’t promised a single breath, no law of nature ensuring us an abundance,
or even a presence, of either element. So why are we so wasteful of it? Why do
we engage with such petty occurrences and tasks? Why do we allow our lives to be
consumed with such oblivion, with negligence towards its fragility? There
remains a thin line between our existence and our demise, yet, we act as if the
former is forever. Again… memento mori.
As mentioned, I recently encountered death, not my life, but a loved one, and as
I write this, with mind lost in consumption of its very nature, I find it, with
slight grief, irresponsible and selfish of myself to only be aware of it now, in
light only because of our latest confront. A loved one, so dear and close to my
heart, to my being, to my life, almost taken away, by a true evil of this world,
one which affects us all, directly and indirectly; addiction. Stolen it felt,
robbed, if even only for a moment, with monstrous lack of care or of concern for
all involved, for death does not carry with it a sense of compassion or refrain,
only a duty, a duty to take, always too soon it feels, for death doesn’t, it
only does.
How arrogant it feels though, how wrong and self-loathed it seems to allow the
tribulation of another the right to provide you with any sense of pain, or for
that matter, of thanks; he experienced this inevitably, you merely observed, for
now. You have no mind even to what it truly entails, to what he truly
experienced. Is there pain? Perhaps a release? How intense the struggle? Do we
succumb with ease? Or, maybe, just nothing.
Enough, these thoughts, they’re needed, these feelings too, and it’s okay, life
tends to provide the test first and the lesson later, death staying true to this
form. Meditate on this however, understand what this is, this feeling, this
experience, this will happen again, to you even, to another so dear, sooner or
later, but no matter, for it will happen again, no matter.
But oh how it hurts when you are so near it, how odd and unsure the moment it
provides, how abrupt it impedes everything, stops us on our path and challenges
us to accept, for with death there is no other way, no alternative route, so
accept. Death ceases life, but life itself does not cease, and that is the
hardest truth to accept. Beyond you is more, beyond our loved ones, beyond this
moment, the same, but no matter, nor you or I will be a part of that, we are
only a part of this, right now, so the future, no matter, only now.
So than, what to take from this? Death is always there, here rather, around you
and I, always, right now. You are already dead, your life already destined to
end, finale inscripted, you just don’t know it yet, you don’t truly know it, and
by the time you’re allowed to, you’re gone, too late.
So than, what to take from this? Live, live now, before it is too late, do not
fear death, rather accept it, embrace its forthcoming with repose, for… ”nobody
dies before his time comes, so I am calm. I know I am going to die, I just don’t
know when.”
Thankfully, with deep gratefulness of fate and of circumstance, he is still here
with us, still able to converse, still given time to express ideas and to share
perspectives, to create and to learn, still capable of life and of love and of
all that comes with it. We all are, remember this, you the same if you are
reading this now.
However, this experience, as gratuitous its perceived purpose at the time,
excavated from within me, from depths of inactive essence, from thoughts of idle
action, an awakening and a forging of a practice, one towards understanding and
of gratuity, towards acceptance and of regard, for this life, for death to come,
and for the sustain of this moment… “thankful, for it is not ours to own, only
to borrow. Death will come, know this, use this.”
You may be sitting there, reading this, believing it to be a rather pessimistic
piece, but I would argue against this innate impulse of thought. Allow this
idea, or truth rather, to bring about a vigor for this life, for this moment.
Again we all will die, yes, but now, right now, truly be grateful to be alive, I
beg you.
Wherever you are, right now, reading this, look up from your screen, now around
you, and find the beauty of this moment, better yet, bring beauty to this
moment. Take a deep breath, come back to your being, feel the world and its
nature around you, understand the best you can with acquiescence the common fate
of us all, and be grateful and amazed to be a part of it. You will die, yes, no
matter, but for now you must live.
From this moment on, in our constant face with death, to reference the always
pertinent Stoic philosophy, to quote Marcus Aurelius, “…think of what a precious
privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy,to love.”
And with this, memento mori.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Death, Life, Marcus Aurelius, Memento Mori, Philosophy, Stoic, Stoicism
on October 31, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THE TIN DRUM BY GÜNTER GRASS
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HOW DID YOU COMES ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Oh! I go off into Strand, and I simply like to read… I just… I guess lately I
> like to read European authors… and he’s German; I’ve never heard of him
> actually, and realized that he actually received a Nobel Prize for literature.
> This was his first book… written 50 years ago. Yeah, he was born in the 20s,
> in Germany, so, even though it’s a translation, it’s absolutely interesting to
> read. But, yeah… well, I’m on page 13… interesting enough!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THE BOOK?
> Actually… with this book, its difficult to say… considering that I’m only on
> page 13, but… I mean, I think that he writes in a very poetic way. However, it
> is from the perspective of someone who is in a mental health institution, so…
> it’s not as focused as you would expect. Yeah, I think that it is very
> interesting! I read reviews of the book, and they said it was quite
> revolutionary at the time, right, when it was published. Sorry, I can’t tell
> you more about the perspective!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Again… very hard to say… very hard to say at this point. I mean, I was born in
> Romania, right, so I feel very close, like geographically to the area… so I
> think of everyone who is coming from there, trying to understand that period,
> would probably gain from reading it. So, I would definitely recommend it to my
> daughters, because I think that the style is very different to what you read
> these days… not that it’s better, but it’s quite different; like the sentences
> are a lot longer, and the paragraphs have a lot more ideas… that sometimes
> makes it hard to follow actually! But, a lot of thought… you sometimes have to
> read paragraphs again, in order to really get it!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
European, European Authors, German, Gunter Grass, Manhattan, Mental Health,
Nobel Peace Prize, NYC Streets, The Tin Drum on October 17, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
VISIBILITY MARKETING BY DAVID AVRIN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> I came across the book a few weeks ago at… Strand Bookstore. I’m a business
> person… an entrepreneur… and marketing is everything… and so, I looked in the
> column… the row that marketing books were, and I came across this one. And one
> thing… one of the reasons that I picked this book, as opposed to some of the
> others… it’s from 2016, and so I wanted something that was fairly current, in
> light of social media and those types of things. So, yeah…. so I chose this
> one.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FORM THIS BOOK?
> I think one of the main points is being authentic. In other words, if you say
> that… in terms of a business… if you present yourself as, or position yourself
> as being… you know, a person concerned with customer service, providing good
> customer service… than you need to do it. If you say you provide products on
> this day, or services on another day, or whatever… than you need to do it. You
> know… so that’s one of the things about being authentic… if you say you’re
> going to do something, than do it.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Umm… I would recommend it. I will say… to be honest… some of the stuff I knew,
> so it’s more so reinforcement for me, because I read this type of stuff… and I
> have read it for the last 20+ years. But, I would recommend it, and I would
> recommend it mostly to someone who’s starting out I would say… in business…
> because marketing is crucial and most people think it’s just about having a
> product or service, and that’s it… and then everybody will just flock to them
> because it’s such a great idea, great product or service… but it really is
> about how people engage or interact with your product or service, or you as a
> company… and it is about being true, to the brand, true to what you say the
> company stands for. So, I would recommend it to… uhh… mostly newbies… but
> anybody can learn!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P.S. This individual is also a writer himself, author of the book Think Outside
the Cell: An Entrepreneur’s Guide for the Incarcerated and Formerly
Incarcerated.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Authentic, Authenticity, Business, David Avrin, Entrepreneur, Manhattan,
Marketing, Visibility Marketing, Washington Square Park on October 10, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
THE NAME OF THE WIND BY PATRICK ROTHFUSS
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Umm… I was… how did I come across this book? I think I was reading a review of
> another book… it was a fantasy book… and it mentioned this one, which is the
> first in a trilogy, and it described as… like, “Harry Potter for adults”… so I
> was like, “Yes, I need to read that!”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Oh man! What perspective? Umm… well the thing about the book that is
> interesting… that makes it different from normal fantasy genre… is the hero of
> the story is telling his own story, looking back on it. So, it kind of plays
> with perspective in an interesting way… I wonder if it’s gonna kind of like,
> mess with that at all, and have him be an unreliable narrator, or anything
> like that. But, umm… I don’t know… as far as perspective in my own life? Not
> really!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yes! I would recommend it to anyone who’s remotely interested in fantasy…
> likes Game of Thrones… any of that stuff; it’s really well written. A lot of
> times I get scared to start a book, so I’m like, “Oh, what if I don’t like
> it?” But, this sucked me in immediately! I’ve already read 200 pages in about
> a week… so… yeah! It’s addictive! I definitely recommend it for fantasy fans.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Battery
Park, Fantasy, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Manhattan, Patrick Rothfuss, The
Kingkiller Chronicle, The Name of the Wind, Triology on September 21, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
A POEM TO SHARE: ‘SMILE’ BY GLORIA CARTER
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Listening to Jay Z’s latest album released, 4:44 , I was moved by one song in
particular, more specifically it’s ending passage. Given the beginning of a new
week, I wanted to share with you all the beautiful words of Gloria Carter, Jay
Z’s mother, and her reasoning for our choice to Smile:
> Good morn or evening friends,
>
> Living in the shadows, can you imagine what kind of life it is to live? In the
> shadows people see you as happy and free, because that’s what you want them to
> see.
>
> Living two lives, happy but not free. You live in the shadows for fear of
> someone hurting your family or the person you love. The world is changing and
> they say it’s time to be free, but you live in the fear of just being me.
>
> Living in the shadows feels like a safe place to be, no harm for them, no harm
> for me. But life is short and it’s time to be free. Love who you love, because
> life isn’t guaranteed.
>
> Smile.
>
> – Gloria Carter, ‘Smile’
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This entry was posted in A Poem to Share and tagged A Poem to Share, Gloria
Carter, Jay Z, Smile on September 18, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
TREASURE ISLAND BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> This is a book my father read to me as a child… a lot of sweet memories… some
> of the best memories of childhood is my dad reading to me as a kid, so I
> thought I’d re-read this one.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> It’s an adventure story… a coming of age story, and the cool thing about it
> is… it follows this young boy who’s serving as the shipmate on a boat, and
> it’s really… he’s realizing a lot the realities of a pretty harsh and broken
> world. But, it’s told in a really just fun, kind of, you know, child’s story;
> I think there’s something beautiful about it, because I read it as a child and
> it just seemed like an “adventure story” and a fun time, but you look back as
> you grow up and you realize that you’re learning things about our broken world
> and how we embrace them… and how we deal with them.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah… I think it’s a great story; I’d recommend people to read it to their
> kids… yeah, I don’t know if people still do that, but it definitely is a
> special thing… at least in my memory. But, I think there’s something to
> reading simple fiction as an adult, you… if you’ve like … like, I’m finishing
> up studies at university… you read a lot of kind of erudite, and thick books…
> and there’s something about reading something simple and easy, it just gets
> you back to the joy of reading… you get to 110 pages in two hours, you know…
> it’s just nice.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Childhood, Manhattan, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, Washington Square
Park on September 7, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
POSITIVE DISCIPLINE BY JANE NELSEN ED.D.
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Because I needed to read it for work, so it’s a good tool to learn how to work
> with kids.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> It shows that there are many ways to be kind, and to be strict with kids, and
> you have to know how to use both.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Ok… would I recommend it? Yes, because for parents that do not know how to
> teach kids… this book is perfect.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Hoboken,
Kids, New Jersey, Parenting, Positive Discipline, Teaching on August 29, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
MOVE ON AND LET IT BE
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By Justin Cude
> When I find myself in times of trouble
> Mother Mary comes to me
> Speaking words of wisdom
> Let it be…
When you find yourself in times of trouble, whoever or whatever Mary may be to
you and your natural incline, let the guidance of your own directing mind lead
you; nothing more. Listen to your internal words of wisdom, be selective from
which you hear external of this, move on and let it be.
> And in my hour of darkness
> She is standing right in front of me
> Speaking words of wisdom
> Let it be…
In your hour of darkness, or moment, or second, or however present it’s
duration, allow the internal to stare you down as you stare back, never wavering
nor allowing oneself to turn away in guilt, or in shame, or in doubt; strong and
steady stare back, accept this, allow it, embrace it, become it if you dare,
then, move on and let it be.
> And when the broken-hearted people
> Living in the world agree
> There will be an answer
> Let it be…
And when the broken-hearted people, or those broken by disagreement or by
disgrace of their own nature, living in this world agree to begin accepting
first themselves and second their brother’s and sister’s, there will appear an
answer. Once acknowledged, once accepted, once felt and embraced, no more doubt
of this, no more hate of this, no more refraining from this, move on and let it
be.
> For though they may be parted there is
> Still a chance that they will see
> There will be an answer
> Let it be…
For though they may be parted, at this moment of opportune, which is every
moment we are given if we understand it’s potential, there will forever remain a
chance that they will see. Allow others their rightful time to become aware, in
due time, in accordance with their own nature, in timing of their own experience
and choice. There will always be an answer, move on and let it be.
> And when the night is cloudy
> There is still a light that shines on me
> Shine until tomorrow
> Let it be…
And when the night is cloudy, and the opportune moment seems to have passed,
understand, or rather truly see, that there is still a light shining down on me,
on you, on him or her, on us all, and it will shine whether we accept it or not,
always there will remain an answer, on until tomorrow and of tomorrow of that,
move on and let it be.
> I wake up to the sound of music
> Mother Mary comes to me
> Speaking words of wisdom
> Let it be…
Waking up to the sound of music, whatever that melody of serenity is to you, the
Mary of your choosing and of your nature will come to you, there is no right or
wrong here so do not worry, once again, speaking, some moments with a subtle
whisper and others with roaring demand, words of wisdom for you. Listen, accept,
or not, it’s up to you, if not now, maybe later, but, no matter your choice,
move on and let it be.
> There will be an answer
> Let it be
There will always be an answer, but that is for you to see, move on and let it
be.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Let It Be, Life, Move On, Music, Poetry, The Beatles on August 24, 2017
by cityreadsnyc.
GEORGE, NICHOLAS AND WILHELM BY MIRANDA CARTER
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> It was probably an internet search… my mom is housebound so I buy a lot of
> books for her and she’s interested in history, so… and I’m interested in
> history, so… I think I just came across it and it looked interesting… and it
> is, very!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> I just think it’s fascinating to… you know, it really helps us to understand
> where we are if we know where we came from… and, I think it’s just
> fascinating! What fascinates me about that time period is that, you know, all
> of the monarch’s that were involved, in World War I… they were cousins, all
> related to Queen Victoria… and that sort of… not really incest, it’s not the
> right way of putting it, but… yeah, they were… they’re still all related… the
> royals. But, I just find it very fascinating… and I think that we have to
> understand history in order to understand the present.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I’d recommend it to people who… you know, what I like about the book is that
> it’s… it’s history, but it’s very readable… I think people are sometimes
> afraid of reading biography, autobiography history because they expect it to
> be dry, but this is really a beautifully written book… Miranda Carter is the
> author, and… yeah, I’d recommend it to anybody who’s interested in… I mean,
> it’s European history, it’s not American history… I read a lot of American
> history as well… but, I think we’re living in a time right now which is going
> to be written about, a lot! We’re actually… we’re living in the middle of
> history… I mean we always are, but… right now it’s just really fascinating,
> and… you know, it’s fascinating to see what our relationship with Germany is
> becoming because everything that happened in this book… you know, the end of
> War World I was only a hundred years ago… a tremendous amount has changed in a
> very short period of time, and I just find that fascinating… the acceleration
> of things… and now with the internet and these devices that we all carry,
> things are accelerating at a really fast pace, and… I don’t know… I think
> looking at the past gives us perspective on the present.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged European
History, History, Manhattan, Miranda Carter, Past, Present, Union Square, World
War I on August 16, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
STATION ELEVEN BY EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Actually, I bought it in… is it World Aid? First Aid?… Goodwill! The american
> version! I’m actually on holiday and I just needed something to read… and, as
> I like a bit of Sci-fi, the description caught my eye… about a flu pandemic
> so, you know… very american, based I think… well, anyways… at the moment I
> can’t remember where its based… but, it’s american! And, yeah, it’s so far
> been brilliant!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Perspective? Hmm… I guess… people are people, everywhere! Umm… I’ve literally
> only read a few pages… hang on… Toronto! It actually takes places in Toronto!
> Well, so far, not a lot has happened… a guy actually died on stage and the
> main witness that you see this from actually wants to be a paramedic, so it’s
> all kind of tying in and it proved that his calling was true, as he ran up on
> stage and tried to help and save him. And, his girlfriend went home and left
> him there… so. He was thinking that she would feel that he was a hero, but all
> she said was, “could you bring milk? I’ve gone home!” We haven’t even hit the
> flu part yet! So yeah, I guess that’s what I mean by people are people!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I think it’s a touch too early to tell… but so far I would, to people who like
> books that are a bit different… maybe. And, a bit weird! Yeah… so that’s it!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Astor
Place, Different, Emily St. John Mandel, Flu Pandemic, Manhattan, On Holiday,
Sci-fi, Station Eleven, Toronto on August 7, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
INFINITE JEST BY DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> I actually heard of the writer himself first from a friend of mine. He
> recommended to me a commencement speech from the same author called ‘This is
> Water’, and after reading that I decided to look at a couple of his fictional
> works because I prefer fiction over nonfiction. So, I read his first novel,
> which was ‘The Broom of the System‘, and umm… because I kind of liked his
> style I decided to go on to this one because it’s known as his magnum opus,
> and so… a lot of people sing high praises for it, but a lot of people also
> kind of criticize it for being so lengthy and just kind of like rambling, but
> I think that it will be an interesting read.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> I mean the thing is… more than a perspective from the book… like from the
> information from within the book, I think it’s teaching me something about
> being a reader, and I think it’s… it’s making me realize just how, I guess…
> how much more I have to read, or how much more I have to experience through
> reading itself, because… it’s like I’m reading the book, and I’m like going
> right to the dictionary because I’m like, “Oh, I don’t know what this means, I
> don’t know what this means!”, I think that just… it’s also kind of… it’s kind
> of really an awe-inspiring feeling knowing that there are so many writers that
> are just so talented. I’m actually majoring in English so I… I’m like… perhaps
> looking forward to publishing something in the future, but just knowing that
> there are geniuses out there who can use diction so freely… and such complex
> symbols or analogies with… ease… it just… it really humbles the reader. So,
> it’s teaching me a lot about just how much work I have left to do.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Umm… I think… so, I did say that I read a previous book of his, ‘The Broom of
> the System‘, but I also read a series of his essays… just really recently;
> it’s called ‘A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again‘. What I’ve heard from
> people is that… because this is quite a lengthy book, unless you’re really
> invested, or unless you’re really curious about the author or the book itself,
> I think that you’ll find it really difficult to continue reading it, because I
> find myself sometimes struggling through a page but I’m just like, “OK, I know
> what to expect from the writer”, because of his previous writings, so I’m kind
> of looking forward to it no matter how lengthy it is. So, I think if someone
> were to get into this writer, I would recommend his essays first… and then I
> would recommend maybe reading ‘Infinite Jest‘.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged A
Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace, Essays, Infinite
Jest, Life, Manhattan, Reading, The Broom of the System, Washington Square Park,
Writing on August 1, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THE MARTIAN TALES TRILOGY BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
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HOW DID COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Well, I’m familiar with the seriesfrom a child… like, I read most of them in
> school and haven’t touched them… I’m up there so… since like, junior high. So,
> you know, 20 years later! I was in Barnes & Noble and I was just like, “You
> know what? I love the series I just haven’t gone there in a while… I haven’t
> read them in so long”. It’s my first summer read; I read a lot of books in the
> summer!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well, I really found it interesting… the author wrote it during a time period
> where there were so many different… I guess in terms of turn of the century
> here in America… he wrote in the perspective of a Virginian that grew up at
> the end of the Civil War, so then the conflicts that were going on were
> addressed… you know, people were still referred to as slaves at that time…
> like everyone… they were itemized into specific categories based on wealth and
> color and race and religion. But the character eventually travels to, which
> I’m familiar with, to Mars or the red planet, or whatever they’re calling it
> in the book, and the order of hierarchy of people is actually reversed; like
> the red skin person is, they’re the top because they are the top tier people…
> the darker skinned people are like the oldest living, or the black race is the
> oldest living race of people… and the white race is kind of referred to as
> like a monkey or like a third-level… like kind of in reverse order as it was
> set up at that time in our country. Yeah, it’s a very interesting perspective
> which I remembered from reading it before, and it’s like I wanted to re-read
> it and see where I’m at now and how I see it with, you know, a lot of the
> progress we have made and then watching a lot of the regression in the past
> election we’ve had, and I’m like, [bctt tweet=”Some of these things I need to
> revisit” username=”cityreadsnyc”], and really just get in touch with my… I
> grew up in the south, so get in touch with my southern roots a little bit, so.
> I’ve found it interesting so far.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would definitely recommend it for… well, first of all, it’s a classic so…
> but it’s a classic that reads in a fast paced modern perspective, or a
> relate-able perspective… so, if you’re someone that went to go see ‘Lord of
> the Rings’, or went to go see ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, and enjoy reading…
> you would actually enjoy reading this because it still is relate-able and
> adaptable currently. It’s not just something that’s only for a specific time
> period; it’s very general and you can relate to most of the characters in it.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Aaron
Parrett, Civil Rights, Civil War, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Guardians of the Galaxy,
Hierarchy, People, The Lord of the Rings, The Martian Tales Trilogy, Washington
Square Park on July 28, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
HOW TO SPEND OUR LIVES: IN THE MOMENTS, OF COURSE.
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By Justin Cude
[bctt tweet=”How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. –
Annie Dillard” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
Are you there yet? Are you where you want to be? Or, better yet, are you where
you believe you should be? Are you doing whatever it is you would like to do?
With whom you intended to do it with? No? Well, perhaps then it is now that we
change the way we view our experience here before our uncertain lot of time
chooses to depart from us.
For years — and I would wager for many the same — I had been working towards a
destination, an end point, a place that I felt I needed to reach before I could
fully enjoy this life. I was wrong and I am here now to share with you why. If I
had not stumbled upon the commencement quote of this piece, who knows how much
longer I were to have fallen for the promise of tomorrow without ever having
realized the offering of today; more appropriately, the offering of now. Please,
before moving on any further into this read, do your best to comprehend and to
truly welcome into this moment the power and the defiance of this quote’s
meaning, in alliance with its subtle plea:
>
[bctt tweet=”How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
username=”cityreadsnyc”]
There is no place of reach, not one destination that will provide any of us with
our ideal environment nor peace of mind to feel and to do and to create, to live
rather, however it is we would like to. Along with this, there is no other time
but now to realize that the actions we take at this very moment, the priorities
that we set for our current engagement, the tasks that we deem as worthy of our
attention at this junction of time and of opportunity, and the people that we
surround ourselves with this instant, either by nearest allocation or of distant
admiration, do in fact provide the context of our lives; the context contained
in the raw sensations of now rather then of later. In complete accordance with
this, waiting for certain things to come to fruition, or for certain events to
occur, we must realize that we do not have choice, for they currently are not
and they may never be, and that is OK. This is not to take away the importance
of future, for the acts of planning, of envisioning and of progressing still
serve as healthy exercises, as long as we remain indifferent to their presence
and engaged in the moment we are given. Instead, what’s important to understand
is exactly what this quote is telling us:
>
[bctt tweet=”How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
username=”cityreadsnyc”]
Our lives are now. They are not tomorrow and they are no longer yesterday. So,
whatever it is we aspire to, however it is we would like to spend our days,
wherever it is we would like for this occur, and whomever it is we would like
for it to be surrounded by, realize your life is only now, and now is the only
time it can happen. A string of consciously engaged moments make a life, not a
longing for our tomorrows, or a holding onto of our yesterdays. But, of equal to
or of greater importance to understand along with this is that you are not the
only one this moment encapsulates. We all have a now and they may not always
match; not in wants, not in needs, not in location, not in ideals, and not in
other countless facets of our instant; accept this and carry on. This moment is
more precious than you think, so this indifference should not take us away from
ours. It should only provide us with greater opportunity towards becoming more
attuned with ourselves in the time we are allotted, in which case we can learn
to appreciate and to be more grateful for our contemporary. Therefore, right
now, let us all remind ourselves:
>
[bctt tweet=”How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
username=”cityreadsnyc”]
Live accordingly.
**Updated 8/1/2017**
At this very moment, while going back and reading underlined content from my
most recent completed read, ‘The Stress of Life’ by Hans Selye, M.D., I came
across a vigorously highlighted section which further supports the needed and
demanded attention from us all for this moment, the one right now, the one you
are choosing to use to read this, and the subsequent moments we may be granted;
enjoy:
> So many people work hard and intelligently for some immediate objective which
> promises leisure to enjoy life tomorrow; but tomorrow never becomes today.
> There is always another objective which promises even more leisure in exchange
> for just a little more work. Hence, very few people in the usual walks of life
> retain the ability to really enjoy themselves: that wonderful gift which they
> all possessed as children. But it hurts to be conscious of this defect, so
> adults dope themselves with more work (or other things) to divert attention
> from their loss. Some people nowadays even speak of “workaholism” for the
> behavior of those who work merely as a means of escape from a life which
> became stale.
>
> The inspired painter, poet, composer, astronomer, or biologist never grows up
> in this respect; he does not tend to get the feeling of aimlessly drifting, no
> matter how poor or old he may be. He retains the childlike ability to enjoy
> the impractical by-products of his activity. Pleasures are always impractical,
> they can lead us to no reward. They are the reward. It is common place to say
> that money is no ultimate aim, but few people seem to live as though they
> understood this. The labors of the artist who succeeds in expressing some
> hidden aspect of his soul in painting, or of the physician who learns how a
> hitherto inexplicable disease develops, may have practical advantages for him
> — benefits which can be expressed in dollars — but this is not the kind of
> reward that can make his life a real success. The great financier must also
> seek his final compensation elsewhere. To find it he must stop worrying about
> the success of his enterprises, at least long enough to think of his own
> success. He must first find a way of life which can assure him the equanimity
> necessary for enjoyment, and then he must learn to distinguish between what
> can give him pleasure and what are only means to buy pleasure.
>
> The most acquisitive person is so busy reinvesting that he never learns how to
> cash in. “Realistic people” who pursue “practical aims” are rarely as
> realistic and practical, in the long run of life, as the dreamers who pursue
> only their dreams.
Again, live accordingly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For other perspectives on our moment, pair this reading with What is a
Prospector? , Janis Joplin on the Urgency for Love, and Neil Young on one’s
Fervent, Unyielding Search for the Fabled ‘Heart of Gold’.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Annie Dillard, Life, Live, Moments, Now on July 22, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
ARISTOTLE’S ‘NICOMACHEAN ETHICS’
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> It was a book that has been on my list because I’m really interested in Stoic
> Philosophy; I really like reading Plato and Aristotle and all that… and so I
> hadn’t read this one… and so I put it on the list!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Oh… that’s a tough one! A lot of… you know… practical ideas about the human
> condition are spoken about in this book and it’s really… well, one of the
> interesting perspectives is how universal it is, after thousands and thousands
> of years! You can pick up this book and realize, [bctt tweet=”Wow! Things
> haven’t really changed in the human psyche all that much! ”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”]So, that’s been my main take away and kind of using
> some of these lessons and concepts to inform my own life.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Oh… that’s a tough question… another one! These are good! Umm… I would
> recommend it if you’re looking into thinking deep and thinking about society…
> thinking about people… thinking about yourself… and examining it in a
> different lens, and kind of questioning the world around you. So, that’s who’d
> I recommend it to… anyone who’s looking for answers… or looking to ask more
> questions!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Aristotle, Life, Manhattan, Nicomachean Ethics, Philosophy, Questioning, Stoic,
Stoicism, Thinking, Union Square on July 18, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
REALITY’S DELUSION: HOW SURE ARE WE?
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By Justin Cude
> “Reflect often on the speed with which all things in being, or coming into
> being, are carried past and swept away.”
Recently, in conversation with a new acquaintance, a perspective was shared with
me, or rather towards me, depicting the substance of a situation in context of
our exchange; “There is reality and there is delusion of situation, and this is
an example of the latter”. It didn’t hit me then, but as I pondered his
statement later on, a thought stirred about in my mind indicating error in his
chosen insight, not in accordance with his intent but rather with the concepts
entirety. Be it ignorance or ambition on my part, nonetheless, this narrow
inclination is one far too often shared, justified, believed and cast onto
others as definitive truth that the self-appointed arbitrator has deemed
reality; be aware of this, but ignore it. However, for sake of digression,
pressing on, though not spoken aloud for auditory consumption, thoughts of
internal reserve contain the ability to produce a noise much louder, within the
individual at first and potential for the greater good second, if expressed
effectively and with collective intent. Now, in this text, I hope to give
opportunity for its communicable understanding.
> “Existence is like a river in ceaseless flow, its actions a constant
> succession of change, its causes innumerable in their variety”
>
> – Marcus Aurelius
This reality so often spoken about, one thrown around with such strong and
confident conviction, remains in a constant state of change, for the concept of
reality itself understands the weakness of its own stable and the dubious
fluidity of its mere arguable grasp. This is not a new understanding, for it is
truthfully the product of many great minds of before, and of our worlds
observatory nature; thought of, understood and communicated through the ages by
virtue of mediums of both presenter’s choice and of the times expressible
permit. However, for sake of skeptics needed assurance of example, one relevant
to our current moment of existence, ponder on the following:
>
[bctt tweet=”Reality is negotiable. Scarcely anything stands still, even what is
most immediate. – Tim Ferriss” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
Far too often we are fed to belief against this, having been taught by others
who have been fed the same. I am not ignorant enough to fail to realize that
this is not the case with all, as there are numerous examples to look upon,
expressing themselves no matter the field nor their pursuit. Artists, creators,
musicians, innovators of business, trade, architecture, industry, fashion,
scientists of all studies, writers, poets, inventors, and so on; the list
remains unending. What do they have in common? What sets them apart apart from
the rest? What grabs our attention of their pursuits fruition? They question one
thing; reality! Then, they make the choice to ignore the commotion, to make
their own noise in this world, to follow their own unique beat in line with
their visions rhythm.
> “We should not, like sheep, follow the herd of creatures in front of us,
> making our way where others go, not where we ought to go.”
>
> – Seneca
Reality in this context represents a paradigm of nature; the two are the same,
both in mystery and in question. But, for the majority conditioned to leave
nature, and in accordance reality, left alone, how do we begin the revealing? In
these moments, we shall turn to others, towards their examples and towards their
work, and in this moment, as I struggle with this myself, I turn to none other
than Hans Selye, MD, otherwise known as the Father of Stress. Without now taking
the exploratory dive into his life’s impressive and profoundly progressive work,
I instead want to share with you what lead him down his own road of unknown,
towards the unraveling of his own questioning, shared in an excerpt from his
famous classic ‘The Stress of Life’, a book about stress in the applicable sense
and of our unique ability and innate quality to adapt. Though the language is
relevant in regard to his particular question, the concept shared and practiced
is appropriate no matter your contemplate:
> How to Question Nature
>
> What is disease – not one disease, just disease in general? This question
> lingered on in my mind, as it undoubtedly has in the minds of most physicians
> of all nations throughout history. But there was no hope for an early answer,
> for Nature – the source of all knowledge – rarely replies to questions unless
> they are put to her in the form of experiments to which she can say “yes” or
> “no.” She is not loquacious ; she merely nods in the affirmative or in the
> negative…
>
> Occasionally, if we ask, “What would you do in these circumstances?” or, “What
> is in such and such a place?” she will silently show us a picture. But, she
> never explains. You have to work things out yourself first, aided only by
> instinct and the feeble powers of the human brain, until you can ask precise
> questions, to which Nature can answer in her precise but silent sign language
> of nods and pictures. Understanding grows out of a mosaic of such answers. It
> is up to the scientist to draw a blueprint of the questions he has to ask
> before the mosaic makes sense. It is curious how few laymen, or even
> physicians, understand this…
>
> Only those blessed with the understanding that comes from a sincere and
> profound love of Nature will, by an intuitive feeling for her ways, succeed in
> constructing a blue print of the many questions that need to be asked to get
> even an approximate answer to such a question. Only those cursed with a
> consuming, uncontrollable curiosity for Nature’s secrets will be able to –
> because they will have to – spend their lives working out patiently, one by
> one, the innumerable technical problems involved in performing each of the
> countless experiments required.
>
> What is disease? – What is stress?
>
> I did not know how to ask the first of these questions; I did not even think
> of asking the second.
In closing, do not be afraid to question reality nor apprehensive in your
questionings implement. Reality is largely, by its own nature, negotiable and
plastic, and we as humans were meant to explore every facet of our enigmatic
undergo. If you do not know where to start, in form with the ones who have found
their paths continued questioning, start with an interest, and if that one
doesn’t work, start again with another. You do not need to know much to begin,
other than to begin is the only way. And, to keep equipped in mind, parallel
with what’s to come:
>
[bctt tweet=”Remember that all is opinion. – Marcus Aurelius”
username=”cityreadsnyc”]
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Delusion, Hans Selye, Marcus Aurelius, Questioning, Reality, Seneca, Tim
Ferriss on July 12, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN BY BETTY SMITH
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> This was on one of my reading lists when I was in high school. I had like a
> hundred contemporary classics that I wanted to read through, and a hundred
> like “Classic Classics” that I wanted to get through… I don’t remember what my
> lists were titled… but this was on there! I had seen it in book stores, never
> bought it and then I went to my Godmothers place in Boston and she had a copy…
> long story short, she gave it to me with a nice little note in the back! It
> says… [bctt tweet=”Eyes changed after they looked at new things.”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”]
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well… to be honest with you, its kind of… well, the girls perspective is that
> she’s just really eager to learn and to gain education anyway she possibly
> can… which I guess is kind of nice for me to be reading while I’m in business
> school because I don’t really want to be in school. I like to learn things,
> but I like to learn them on my own and not forcibly in a classroom… but here’s
> a girl who can’t do that… and so she’s learning on her own, because she just
> doesn’t have the luxury to learn in a classroom. So… I think that’s kind of
> the perspective that I’ve gotten so far… and maybe it’s been a little
> motivating!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yes, I’d recommend it. Umm… it is a little slower as I kind of mentioned… and
> I think it’s… I’ve been reading it for over a year… I mean I’ve read other
> books in between but, I’ve been reading it for about a year and I think I’d
> recommend it to people who are still in school or who are thinking about going
> to school. For me it’s kind of also… I miss New York… and it references a lot
> of old New York that I wasn’t even a part of but… it just kind of makes me
> nostalgic. So, anyone who wants to read about growing up in Brooklyn in the
> 19… I don’t know, I think it starts in 1910 or 1920 something… so, that would
> be… yeah… I also think it’s like a contemporary classic… Betty Smith I think
> published this around the 50s or so and it’s on those classic lists so… yeah,
> I think it’s more of a young adult into… like, I would say maybe early teens
> to late 20s would be a good group to read it… I’m not sure, honestly. It’s
> kind of a baseline book… like it’s not… there’s not much going on in it… but
> there’s also a lot going on in it… internally and externally. It’s just kind
> of more like seeing the perspective of living in poverty in Brooklyn during
> that era… and what you would have to do to sort of survive and get by. I don’t
> know what else to say about it… it’s just a great book.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged A Tree
Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Education, Learning, School
on July 6, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN BY J. K. ROWLING
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> So… I’m an avid movie watcher and a good friend of mine, Amy, put me into the
> movies years ago. At first I was like, “No, I’m not watching this cause I
> don’t want to be a part of the system! And everybody’s obsessed with these
> things!” And then I sat down and I watched them… and I was obsessed! The
> movies captivated me but I’m not a big fiction reader… I read history, but I’m
> not a big fiction reader… but um… my wife has been bugging me, “Babe, come on…
> like every year I’m like babe it’s time for us to do our Harry Potter binge!”…
> and we watch all the movies again… and she’s like, “You’ve gotta read the
> books!” So… at first I was like, “You know babe? You know me… I struggle when
> I read fiction books… like, I’m good.” So she said, “Fine, I’ll buy you the
> audio book.” And so she gave me the audio book of the first one, and I
> listened to it… and it was incredible. I couldn’t stop listening to it! So
> then I was like, “Babe… I think I want to read the second set of books.” So
> she bought the collection… and I read book two in about a week and a half… and
> I’ve just been storming through book three! This one’s my favorite movie… and
> now it’s my favorite book! This is…. this is incredible! The symbolism in it…
> you know, the story in general has captivated me on a whole different level…
> that’s why I said you picked the wrong person to interview ’cause I have this
> like deep Harry Potter theology about my life and… ‘Prisoner of Azkaban‘
> really embodies, you know, that selflessness and that… living for others… the
> thing that I’ve always loved about the series in general!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Oooh! So… I was just telling him… there is, you know… the interesting thing
> about Harry Potter… and if you know about the story of Harry Potter… you know,
> he’s this kid and he’s born in one world but his parents were killed, so he
> had to be raised in another world… and later on he goes back to this other
> world and… some reject him, some accept him, some glorify him, some… you know…
> hate him… and it’s this… this thing where he has the weight of the world on
> his shoulders and he is literally just existing as a kid… growing up and
> learning. I realized, for me… it doesn’t matter what your destiny is, it
> doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what your background is, what
> your future holds… you know[bctt tweet=”… grow, and just live! Take the
> shackles off yourself and be free!” username=”cityreadsnyc”] For me, it hits a
> little closer to home because as a Christian I look at… I’m like man, Jesus
> came to this earth and he died to give his life to us for our sins, and I’m
> like… here’s this kid who came to a world… they didn’t receive him in it…
> ultimately in the end there’s this correlation to that, and I don’t want to
> give any spoiler alerts, but… if you haven’t seen it, check it out… but if you
> know it, you know he ends up giving up a lot of himself for this world and it
> becomes this beautiful story of love and no matter what… in this story
> particularly, he has so much anger towards this one character, then in the
> end, ends up forgiving him and showing grace to him… and it’s so amazing
> because… he’s just a kid. You know, I’m like, if this kid can embody this kind
> of love and this kind of passion for life, then… so can I. That means
> everyday, live it to the fullest… everyday be free… everyday take the shackles
> off myself, the shackles that people have put on me… my parents have put on
> me, my friends have put on me, teachers put on you, educators put on you… and,
> whatever people put on you, it is to your best interest if you just… take them
> off, and just be you. Be Harry Potter, be free in your little world, learn
> what you got to learn… and if people say you’re not good enough, whatever… you
> know, just live free man… be free for who you are. There’s too much beauty in
> this world to live it beneath shackles and chains. So… that’s what I got from
> this.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Umm… oddly enough… I’d recommend this book to everybody and anybody! You know,
> for kids, it is an imagination roller-coaster! Like, this woman… and even when
> you know her story of how she wrote it, you start to realize that the woman
> who wrote this, J.K. Rowling… she’s a conqueror; she fought against so much
> just to get to a place where she could produce these magical books. And then,
> so much more as a Christian… you know, I know people who are like, “Ah, no!
> It’s witchcraft… you shouldn’t read it.” And then I realized one of the
> greatest authors in my opinion… C.S. Lewis… penned one of the greatest fiction
> stories… ‘The Chronicles of Narnia‘… and if you ever get a chance to read
> those book’s, which I did go back and read… they are an incredible adaptation
> of what it means to really just… believe! The problem with the day we live in
> now is, we stop believing. Everything has to be tangible before we believe,
> and I’m sorry man, like… I want to go back and believe in the mysticism, and
> believe in the magic, believe in the force of love… the beauty of what magic
> does and how it makes us feel… I want to believe and I don’t ever want to lose
> that, and I don’t ever want to lose my imagination, because… what I’m noticing
> is that the reason why the world looks the way it does is because people
> stopped having imagination…. people stopped believing for more. Books like
> this man, they open kids up to the world; to see and to be like… [bctt
> tweet=”Man, the flick of a wand could create this! And I’m like, Yes! Go out
> and imagine.” username=”cityreadsnyc”] You don’t have a wand, but you have a
> computer… and you might not have a wand, but you can build something… and go
> and stretch your imagination… and I don’t care if somebody tells you that you
> can’t fly; jeez louise… you can fly! Somebody tells you, “You can’t walk on
> water.” Give it a chance… you might walk on water! People will tell you so
> much… and I look at it and I’m like… somebody told me one day, “Naj, you will
> never teleport.” And I was like, “That’s my lifelong dream, to one day
> teleport.” They kept saying you will never teleport, and I’m like, “Cool…
> because somebody told somebody they’d never fly… and now look at us… we’re
> flying!” The minute I stop believing that I’ll teleport… that’s when that
> dream is dead, and that’s when I will never teleport. And trust me, it sounds
> silly… look, I’m 36 years old… I’m not actually sitting out here saying,
> “Yeah, jump off a building and fly!” I’m not talking about being irrational or
> irresponsible; I’m talking about… just dream! Dream big man! Dream that this
> world will stop living based on the colors of our souls, thinking that it’s
> just black or white… no man… dream one day! Look at Martin Luther King… he had
> a dream, and that dream turned into a reality! We’re still fighting for it,
> but… that was a dream, and somebody told him lunacy, somebody told him it was
> magic, that it was imagination… and I just… it’s when we give up on those
> dreams, when we give up on changing the world, that’s when the world stops
> changing…and that’s it. I recommend it to everybody and anybody. [bctt
> tweet=”The thing is… just have your eyes open! ” username=”cityreadsnyc”]Like
> me… I wrote this book off when it was a movie because I was like, “Witchcraft,
> Witchcraft, Witchcraft!”… until a friend of mine was like, “Nah, it’s chill.
> Check it out!” Stop living with your eyes closed, you know… you never know…
> you’re rejecting stuff for rejecting stuff sake… accept stuff and then sift
> through it and realize if you don’t want to spit it to somebody else, or if
> you don’t think you should even eat it… spit it out, you know… put it to the
> side. But yeah… there’s so much more about it man!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Believe,
C.S. Lewis, Dreams, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K.
Rowling, Love, Magic, Manhattan, Mystic, The Chronicles of Narnia, Union Square
on June 28, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
CONSIDER THE LOBSTER AND OTHER ESSAYS BY DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> This is my roommates book actually, and he’s traveling in Europe so I borrowed
> it while he’s gone… and I’m in love with it… it’s great!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well… David Foster Wallace’s writing is amazing… his style, if you’re not
> familiar… it’s like he uses these end notes that are used to put jokes in the
> middle of… well not always jokes, sometimes their informatory… but uh, in the
> middle of the text, which is great. But the very first… as far as insight
> goes… it’s really his vocabulary… it’s amazing so it’s… I mean I’m a song
> writer so it helps me jot words through my mind. [bctt tweet=”He’s also very
> funny and smart which I love; it’s great when someone can mix the two.”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”] It’s sad… unfortunately, he ended up committing
> suicide… but yes, he was very smart. The specific essay I’m on right now is
> about him covering the 2000 primaries when John McCain was going against Bush…
> so, he’s just talking about the times current politics in 2000 so it’s very
> interesting to read that from his perspective.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would recommend this for sure! To who? I mean, literally everyone! I think…
> it’s just…. all of it is amazing… but yeah, anybody who is interested in
> writing… his grammar is impeccable and his vocabulary is just amazing. So,
> like I said, as far as songwriting goes, it’s really helping me out a lot just
> purely through his vocabulary… it’s amazing!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Consider
the Lobster and Other Essays, David Foster Wallace, Madison Square Park,
Manhattan, Politics on June 26, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
‘THE MAN IN THE ARENA’: MUCH MORE THAN A QUOTE
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By Justin Cude
As I write, I am under the assumption that most of you who will read this post
will have also had prior exposure to the ambitiously moving quote from Theodore
Roosevelt, known now more prominently as “The Man In The Arena”. Though
expression of equal and greater value in regard to it’s surrounding content both
initiates and further facilitates these words, given its lot in the grander
scheme of oracle derive, for those who have not yet felt the quotes might,
enjoy:
> It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man
> stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit
> belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust
> and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again
> and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who
> does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great
> devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the
> end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at
> least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those
> cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
As stated; Moving; Powerful; Inspiring. However, in this short piece of mine
what I wanted to share with you all, as mentioned in the preceding passage, was
content of equal or greater value, both prior and post Roosevelt’s illustrious
recite. Below I will share with you words leading up to the discounting of the
critic, to those eloquently following suit with the cold and timid souls who
neither know victory nor defeat; again, enjoy:
Prior to the discounted critic:
> The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer. There are many men
> who feel a kind of twister pride in cynicism; there are many who confine
> themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not
> even attempt. There is no more unhealthy being, no man less worthy of respect,
> than he who either really holds, or feigns to hold, an attitude of sneering
> disbelief toward all that is great and lofty, whether in achievement or in
> that noble effort which, even if it fails, comes to second achievement. A
> cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticize work which the
> critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will
> not accept contact with life’s realities – all these are marks, not as the
> possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. They mark the
> men unfit to bear their part painfully in the stern strife of living, who
> seek, in the affection of contempt for the achievements of others, to hide
> from others and from themselves in their own weakness. The role is easy; there
> is none easier, save only the role of the man who sneers alike at both
> criticism and performance.
In short; Do yourself instead of talking of others doing. Act as opposed to
remaining apprehensive. Remain indifferent to the words of others who merely
contain the superficial expanse of aggressive words but very little, to
non-existent, in their actions fruition. We all contain the ability to act, but
we must be courageous in its implement and in its practice. [bctt tweet=”It’s OK
to be afraid, but fear more the consequence of idle and fear less the act
itself.” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
Post those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat:
> Let those who have, keep, let those who have not, strive to attain, a high
> standard of cultivation and scholarship. Yet let us remember that these stand
> second to certain other things. There is need of a sound body, and even more
> of a sound mind. But above mind and above body stands character – the sum of
> those qualities which we mean when we speak of a man’s force and courage, of
> his good faith and sense of honor. I believe in exercise for the body, always
> provided that we keep in mind that physical development is a means and not an
> end. I believe, of course, in giving to all the people a good education. But
> the education must contain much besides book-learning in order to be really
> good. We must ever remember that no keenness and subtleness of intellect, no
> polish, no cleverness, in any way make up for the lack of the great solid
> qualities. Self restraint, self mastery, common sense, the power of accepting
> individual responsibility and yet of acting in conjunction with others,
> courage and resolution – these are the qualities which mark a masterful
> people. Without them no people can control itself, or save itself from being
> controlled from the outside. I speak to brilliant assemblage; I speak in a
> great university which represents the flower of the highest intellectual
> development; I pay all homage to intellect and to elaborate and specialized
> training of the intellect; and yet I know I shall have the assent of all of
> you present when I add that more important still are the commonplace,
> every-day qualities and virtues.
In short; development of the collective should remain the highest standard and
consequential aim of a society. However, this starts with the individual, with
the lone development and sustain of self-mastery. Thereafter, or in midst of,
the greater pursuit of collective progression, not in terms of industry or of
capital expansion, but in the realization and in the development of an aware,
able, and self-mastered people. To interject with ever relevant and always
comprehensible Stoic perspective, to quote Marcus Aurelius, “That which is not
good for the bee-hive cannot be good for the bees.” We are the bees and our
moment of existence, along with our universal position is the bee-hive. We are
responsible, so as a people, let us become aware of this responsibility, for the
hive and for the bees which make up that hive.”With great responsibility comes
great power”, and that power is found in the human practice of doing.
The responsibility we all were handed from our first breath, or rather from our
first insight of being and of aware, remains ours to our last breath, or rather
in the passing on of character and of understanding on a generational basis;
this will be difficult, this will be hard, and this will be ours. [bctt
tweet=”Own the duty or be owned by the duty’s in-acted upon declare.”
username=”cityreadsnyc”] And, to further quote Theodore Roosevelt, in moments of
our inevitable disbelief or refrain, find strength and courage in these words:
> “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort,
> pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy
> life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them
> well.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attached below is a copy of Roosevelt’s entire speech, titled “Citizenship In A
Republic”; I encourage you to read it. However, as with any reading, understand
the context the best you can, take from it what you will and leave behind what
you choose. Reading itself is an act of individual understanding, unique to you,
your desires, your perspective and your ever evolving existence. And remember,
enjoy!
The Man In The Arena – Citizenship In A Republic – Theodore Roosevelt
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Citizenship In A Republic, Collective, Historical Speeches,
Responsibility, The Man In The Arena, Theodore Roosevelt on June 22, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
INFINITE JEST BY DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Well it’s really famous… I mean, it’s considered one of the great american
> novels… so I knew about it. It’s one of my very good friend’s favorite book…
> and everyone kind of shits on it for being like a really liberal, douche-bag
> kind of book and I was just like, “OK, I should definitely read it before I
> judge it.”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Umm… it has a lot of really complex characters who are very… endearing; I like
> that. It also goes across time, so it’s a little bit confusing… but in a nice
> way.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Oh! That is a hard question! Umm… I would recommend it to people who don’t
> really pay attention to a book’s reputation before they read it… because if
> they do pay attention to the book’s reputation then what I recommend doesn’t
> matter because this book has a really notorious reputation. But, for someone
> who likes being disoriented and appreciates a… a genius… I mean, he really was
> a master at what he did… then yeah, I would recommend that they try it.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Characters, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest, Manhattan, Washington Square
Park on June 19, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
UNDER MILK WOOD BY DYLAN THOMAS
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Well, it was written as sort of a poetic radio play by Dylan Thomas. Strangely
> enough it was first performed here in New York City in 1953. He was Welch but,
> uh… he occasionally came here and he lived here… in fact, he was a terrible
> alcoholic and he drank himself to death here. There’s a famous pub up in, uh…
> near the Meat Packing District where he would frequent. Well, anyways, I’ve
> known about it for many years and I think I probably heard it on the radio
> when I was a small… young, boy. And I haven’t really read it for a long, long
> time. So, as I was in the pub the other week I thought, “hmm… I’ll get a copy
> of ‘Under Milk Wood‘ and read it.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> It’s really about the kind of individuality and eccentricity of people… and
> how that should be just love and admired, regardless of any kind of moral
> judgement. So it’s… it’s pretty amazing; it’s a great read.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Well, funny… I would recommend it to anyone, but… my daughter lives here in
> New York and she’s not a great reader, so first thing I’m going to say to her
> when she gets home is, apart from reading Raymond Calvel, which I’ve also
> given her… she must read this. She’s 32 and she’s not been a great reader of
> fiction… which is her loss so far.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Battery
Park, Dylan Thomas, Individuality, Life, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, Poet,
Poetic Radio, Poetry, Under Milk Wood on June 16, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE BY DIANA WYNNE JONES
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> You know what? I’m a big Miyazaki fan… I don’t know if you’re familiar with
> him or not. He is an animator and makes movies… and he turned this one into a
> movie a while back. But… I’ve seen the movie a couple times, and you know
> what?… It just… it was literally face up on a table in a bookstore labeled
> “Your Next Favorite Book“… and I had just finished reading something else, so
> I was like, “yeah, alright, I’ll give that a shot… why not?” I’ve always dug
> the movie so I guess I’ll give the book a try.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Oh man! Perspective I have gained from the book? Umm… I mean… perspective.
> Well, ok… so listen this book is about magic and how magic works… and, I think
> more than perspective what this one has done is actually really confirm a lot
> of things that are going on in my life. [bctt tweet=”You know… every once in
> awhile you pick up a book that you just needed to pick up…”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”] …and it sort of starts talking to you, and through
> the book you start having a conversation with yourself about what you’re up
> to… and so this book is about magic. It’s about how most magic is rooted in
> belief, cause I mean like… duh! Most magic is… if you want to think of prayer
> as magic, then you know, that’s how it works… faith. And also, the main
> character in this is sort of trying to reconcile where he’s from, where he’s
> going, what he’s doing… all from the same place. So… I guess it’s just got me
> really thinking about who I am and where I am and where I’m heading and what
> I’m doing…. if that makes sense.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Oh, so far so good… yeah! If you’re a fan of fantasy… it’s definitely YA
> fantasy… and then it’s like there’s some coming of age elements in it. One of
> the main characters is someone who is sort of figuring out how powerful she
> is… and in her particular society, they have always told her that… so she’s
> the oldest of three sisters and the caveat in their society is the oldest of
> three sisters will never amount to anything. And so, one day she sort of
> accidentally goes off to seek her fortune and continues to find out more and
> more how powerful she actually is… and how much she can get done. [bctt
> tweet=”So, I think I would recommend it to anyone who’s a little lost…”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”] anyone who knows that they belief in some things but
> isn’t quite sure why… and really anybody who wants just to take a trip… I
> mean… it is a trip! It is just a really, really great world. It’s so hard, I
> mean… this book is fairly old but it’s so difficult now that fantasy has
> become so mainstream to happen upon a world that feels different than
> Hogwarts or Middle Earth… and it’s really nice and refreshing to be sort of
> bamfing in and out of… and also one of the fantasy worlds is rooted in our own
> reality which I always really enjoyed how Hogwarts does as well… I guess
> Middle Earth does as well…you’ve gotta die and sail across the seas to us… but
> uh, yeah… so I guess really, anybody who wants to sort of expand their
> horizons… pick it up and give it a read. I do not read quickly and I am
> crushing this!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Bryant
Park, Diana Wynne Jones, Fantasy, Howl's Moving Castle, Lost, Magic, Manhattan,
Power, Questioning on June 11, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
A HAITIAN PROVERB
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By Justin Cude
> [bctt tweet=”Behind mountains are more mountains.” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
In the presence of mountains, simply observe. Do they stand alone, isolated and
surrounded by terrain of less impressive and of less daunting physique? No. They
instead are surrounded by more mountains, though different in stature and in
design, mountains still; every peak, valley, and edge providing their own set of
challenges in quest towards their overcoming. Further, upon reach of ones
summit, what is awaiting our array? More mountains to climb. Rest for now, enjoy
this moment.
This thing standing in your way, the one you have been chiseling away at for an
enduring duration of both time and of being; finished. Time to enjoy the
fulfillment of conquering that which has, at moments, made you doubt your own
ability, your own will, your own worth. No more. It is done; for now but not for
long.
Take time to reflect the moments of past and to survey the best you can the
moments of ahead. Then prepare for the work, for that is the only truth which we
know the next mountain to contain; the work demanded for the overcoming of its
presented challenge.
Whether of the mind, or of the laws which dictate nature, we know the road ahead
will not remain as tranquil as the moment of now. We aren’t done; we never were.
Only the relaxation of our dynamic experience was upon us; the state which lies
between the highs and the lows of our worlds natural tendencies, a moments
stagnancy pro tem between the opposite ends of the same spectrum. We are only
momentarily experiencing the serenity before the collapse of a pillar or before
the proliferation of yet another blockade; both obstacles in their own respects,
both challenges to overcome. Don’t be scared, for this is only again the
beginning. You’ve been here before, and you will be here again.
> “Live on in your blessings, your destiny’s been won. But ours calls us on from
> one ordeal to the next.” – Virgil
Do not fear this. What more is life than in the overcoming of whatever lie
ahead, whether of the physical or of the psychological world. Take for instance,
the story of Sisyphus, a prince punished by Zeus to an eternal battle of will,
perseverance and physical sustain, doomed to the task of pushing a boulder up a
hill, only for that boulder to once again roll down. Our lives are no different.
Whereas Sisyphus’ moments of tranquility came in form of reaching the top of the
hill, and in the calm before the realization of the boulders decent to the
re-positioning of yet another beginning, our lives compare in both method and
madness. We will reach peaks of our choosing and of our fate, we will have
moments of reward and of serenity because of this, and we will fall back down to
yet again another beginning; again, and again, and again. So the question is, if
this is the fate with which we are presented and with which we are left to face,
what do we do? [bctt tweet=”We begin again.” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
Whatever the mask the new obstacle in front of us chooses to wear, remember it
is only that; a mask, one we do not have to view in its chosen presentation.
Rather, through the power of perception, we can reveal its true being and
manipulate its power over us accordingly. It doesn’t have to be a monster, which
is largely a determination of the subconscious mind. It can simply be an
impediment of nature, wearing a mask depicting our fear, a mask we can chose to
remove with the power of our conscious being. We may not have decisive power
over its presence, but we do have that power over its meaning and over its
control of us. However, perception, like any other quality of the mind we
possess, must be understood, practiced, and applied, for other wise it will
remain nothing more than a mystery of our untapped and undeveloped conscience.
We have choice over meaning, and in this, limitless control of our perception.
Circumstances, though good at establishing environment, do not provide context;
only we can do that.
> “You don’t have to turn this into something. It doesn’t have to upset you.
> Things can’t shape our decisions by themselves.”
>
> — Marcus Aurelius
Remember, “Behind mountains, are more mountains”, but also,[bctt tweet=”Behind
our overcoming, is our earned ability to overcome again.”
username=”cityreadsnyc”]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This piece was inspired by the reading of Ryan Holiday’s, ‘The Obstacle Is The
Way’. A great read!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged A Haitian Proverb, Obstacle, Overcome, Perception on June 7, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
KOREA, WOMEN, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS 11
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KOREAN TEXT: ??, ??, ??? ???? 11
HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Umm… well… I’m on Twitter now and then and I follow designers… female
> designers… and it was something that was being mentioned often, so I kind of
> wanted to check it out. Here I never get to find Korean books, so whenever I
> visit home I try to get as many books as I can… and this was one of them.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well… I’ve just found it really interesting that, although I expected a really
> aggressive feminism in the design field in Korea, it was actually… like some
> people were not feeling or experiencing the discrimination… and that some
> female designers thought themselves lucky enough to have male supporters… like
> within their family or colleagues. Oh… I also have found it interesting to
> have female designers, of different age groups, or of different positions in
> their field… talking to each other in interview format… which was easier for
> me to read and to understand their perspectives, instead of just long, long
> writings from one persons perspective… I thought that interview conversation
> format to be way better for me to absorb. Also… this book looks into the
> mystery of… [bctt tweet=”Where did all the female art students go?”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”] …illustrating why some had to stop… and how the
> survivors survived… since the stats show that the majority of the design
> students are female yet the notable and established designers are highly
> consisted of men. It really shows how there are different shapes of feminism…
> that the individuals experience… and how they deal with it.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yes, definitely… I would probably recommend it to guys… like, male designers…
> or non-designers as well. But… I think… you know how guys… I mean I’m not
> trying to be offensive about this, but… guys would have less experiences of
> what we experience… and they would probably take it for granted… of what they
> get in the field. So, if not, that’s great… but in my experience I would not
> say that, so… yeah… yeah… I think I would recommend it to my designer friends…
> my male designer friends. Also, I would recommend it to both male and female
> designers of director positions… thinking and hoping they would gain a better
> idea of how to enhance the growing female designers to balance their work and
> life as women better… without having to give one up.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Design,
Feminism, Graphic Design, Korea, Madison Square Park, Manhattan, Women, Work on
June 4, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
BOUNDARIES OF THE SOUL BY JUNE SINGER
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> First of all… I am studying psychology… and second, I love parapsychology. So,
> this book is about that… so, that is why I read it. One chapter focuses on
> reincarnation and I am just now looking at that chapter.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> To tell you the truth… I opened the book… I just bought it… and I opened it
> on the chapter about reincarnation and I just started to read it. [bctt
> tweet=”I read books I like that… look to the chapter I am interested to… and I
> read it.” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> If you like psychology just like me… I would recommend it to you. But, you
> don’t like psychology… I don’t know. Or… maybe this book might just help you
> to become interested in psychology.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Brooklyn, J Train, M Train, Parapsychology, Psychology, Reincarnation on May 30,
2017 by cityreadsnyc.
NOT EXACTLY GHOSTS BY ANDREW CALDECOTT
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Umm… I was researching Victorian ghost stories… you know, like Christmas… like
> those scary ghost stories in that Christmas song. So I started just reading
> different Victorian ghost stories around Christmas and it’s just been… kind of
> uh… sending me down a worm hole of all these different authors… and so, the
> author was just somebody that cropped up when trying to find other ghost
> stories.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Umm… unlike a lot of other Victorian ghost stories… not exactly ghost stories
> is… just that; they’re not exactly ghost stories. I mean, the tradition, you
> know… tends to be about haunted love stories… they tend to be romantic as well
> as scary. This stuff is all… well, one of these stories was about this little
> kid who had heard one of the neighbor kids had fallen down a well and they
> heard another kid screaming for help, and so it scared the kid… and he didn’t
> find out until years later that it wasn’t a ghost… that it was somebody he in
> theory could have helped but he didn’t realize because he thought it was a
> ghost. You know… so it’s… it’s an interesting riff on the Victorian ghost
> stories in that they tend not to be about ghosts.
… when asked, “do most ghosts stories tend to happen in that way?”
> No… that’s just the one that I finished most recently. Yeah… they tend to be…
> like for instance, one of the ghost stories was actually just about… [bctt
> tweet=”A haunted writing desk that compelled people to write grave stone
> epitaphs…” username=”cityreadsnyc”]… you know… and, it turned out that it was
> once owned by this guy that had gotten in trouble for slander and so… because
> he was writing these horrible little poems about people and… so his spirit had
> made people write these non-sense, little grave stone things… you know … but
> again, it wasn’t really a ghost… it was just this idea that this man’s ill
> temper had gotten into the desk and compelled other people to be… grumpy, I
> guess.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I honestly don’t know if I would recommend it yet… umm… yeah, I suppose that I
> would but… I would say that if you were… you know… a person who is reading a
> bunch of Victorian ghost stories… it’s a nice change of pace because it’s
> clearly written by somebody who had spent a lot of time reading them and just
> decided what he wanted to do different with the form. I just don’t know who
> that person would be.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Flatiron
District, Ghost Stories, Haunted, Madison Square Park, Not Exactly Ghosts,
Scary, Sir Andrew Caldecott, Victorian Ghost Stories on May 24, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
WHAT IS A PROSPECTOR?
3 Replies
By Justin Cude
> What is a prospector? It’s someone who believes it’s out there; who wakes up
> every morning, again, and again, and again… and again… believing it’s out
> there. And then it’s not. Right? It’s not. And he’s standing on the edge of
> the desert, staring a new days sunrise right in the eye, and he hears that
> little voice, and that little voice says this… “go ahead… keep walking”. And
> the sun gets higher and higher, and it’s shining down on him, and it’s really
> hot, and he doesn’t have any water to drink, and everybody that came with him
> wants to turn back, and eventually they do turn back… and there he is… and
> he’s all alone, with the belief that it’s out there. That’s a prospector.
We are all prospectors, ones of our own taking. Our experience, one we have
coined as life, entails day after day prospecting; for meanings from our past,
for context from our current, and for potential from our future, though the
median should be of our only concern. We all have our own visions for what it is
we want out of this life, and our own reasons to justify those visions, this
serving as a force to live. However, when we catch ourselves falling for
illusory prospection, both of the worn and of the uncharted trek, for something
outside of our own unique truth, there inly reason for concern, reason for
redirection back to our original basis of prospect. It is in these moments of
realization that we must turn back to our truth, to our core, to our self,
beginning again in pursuit towards a deeper understanding of our own existence,
towards becoming more conscious of our own being.
Whereas a prospector by profession canvases the land for areas of opportunity
for the excavation of earth’s internal trove, a prospector of life surveys the
moments, for the creation and the validation of ones internal vision; again,
their vision for their purpose of this life. In this I am not speaking about
ones ideal profession nor their moment-to-moment plan of how they will live out
their days. Instead, I myself in search, want to learn more and express upon
further the fathomless, internal depths of our collective and individual
existence; our morals, our beliefs, our values and our motives. It’s easy to
think, less so challenging to convince ourselves, that we are all motivated the
same, driven by the same promises, chasing the same outcomes, and doing so by
the same means; but, we all innately know this to be false, though we may
sometimes catch ourselves a part of it. Dependent upon many factors this life
exposes us to, be them cultural, spiritual, natural or synthetic, experiences we
encounter, our derived meaning from those experiences, and our choices of
decision leads us, whether woke to this or not, towards the creation and the
living out of our own unique truth. You have one, I have one, we all have one,
but even I will admit that sounds limiting; bear with me.
> “All we had to do was look. Open our eyes. The gold was wrong, the find too
> good. Why did no one look? Cause no one wanted to know. We all wanted to
> believe. Why? It’s been going on for centuries. We all want to believe….”
How many times have we found ourselves in pursuit of the inauthentic? Not due to
the pursuits lack of authenticity, for any chase can mean something to one and
nothing to another, but due to the routes direction away from our individual
align. How many times have we caught ourselves believing that this end, or this
ownership or attachment, that this find, will provide us with the feel and the
experience we desire? This is not to say that goals achieved nor projects
completed fail to bring about a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment, because
they do, or rather they can, if these efforts truly matter to us and are
extracted from our deepest truth. But, that’s where we can easily become lost,
and where most of our feelings of worry and dislocation stem from. We all want
to believe that there is a map we can follow, one that will deliver us to our
find, and once there, that that find will provide us with our happiness and with
our joy. Why do we believe this? Because we want to. We want to believe that
it’s easy, that it’s set in stone, that it’s out there waiting for us. Why won’t
it be? Because we didn’t look. Instead we have chosen to be fooled by false
pursuit before ever opening up in vulnerability to ourselves. Rather than
digging deep and finding what candidly aligns with our truth, we drifted, took
someones else’s path, found it to be false and started again, only to find this
method of search poor in its lead towards ourselves, for the only way to find
ones self is to look; to look inside and to be honest with and courageous in the
face of our own truth. What is it for you?
> “… Don’t let me die out here for nothing…”
Are these detours detrimental to our truth? I would argue not, for I believe
they, dependent upon our view of them, facilitate potential for deeper
understanding of ourselves with opportune for gain of traction back towards our
path; in many respects, they are needed. However, where these detours can turn
into derailments occurs in the continuous decisive moments to ignore ones self,
falling for the “what should be’s” and ignoring the “what is”. It’s important to
understand that this perspective is not based on situation nor circumstance, but
instead focused on the individual and their internal being; please do not
confuse this with “I am who I am, so I am”, but rather, “I am who I am, because
I do.” Who we are, what we envision, what we pursue, and what carries meaning
for us is found in action, whether by means of force or with a yielding
passivity unique to our own reasons, for both can be considered action when
meaning of decision is understood. However, be careful what you pursue.
> “… I never cared about the money; I cared about the gold…”
Figuratively speaking, but with examples of warranted existence in our lives,
money in the aforementioned quote can be viewed as the collectives declared
possession worthy of pursuit, whereas gold in this light represents our own
unique individual formation of something innate to our selves and righteous in
our exploring. Whereas the striving for and attaining of what the majority views
as the all encompassing acquisition may lead to moments of external reward and
abundance, this same path orients us into position for the destruction of our
truth and the disunification of our being; again, be careful what you pursue.
There is no map, there is no guide, and seldom is there actionable and decisive
aid, that is unless the route declared is constructed in your own design; in
which case, markers towards your find will begin to appear. Still however,
remain mindful of your truth. In the same tone, we should not respond to this
with feelings of overwhelm, but rather a sense of vigor towards our
advantageous turn of now; the prospection of what we as individuals deem worthy
of our beings. I will not attempt to provide any relevant succor, for it
wouldn’t serve in its intend and I truthfully would not know what to impart.
However, there is a truth I believe we all know, but far too often neglect; that
our gold is found in the authentic, in the loyal and in the willing, in the
connection, in the love and in the appreciation, in the struggle, in the trying
and in the failing, in the work, and in the overcoming, all of which are unique
in light towards our individual align and towards the earned fruition of our
vision. So, why not choose towards the aim of your gold, whatever that is for
you? Family, friendship, love, a career, a state-of-mind, a location, health,
wealth, some sort of creative endeavor, a cause, a movement, all of the above,
etc. The choice is yours, the moment for your avail. And in the end? Good luck!
Your area for prospecting is ready for your taking. As we’ve all heard before;
Fortune tends to favor the bold. So be bold. Be clear however of what that
fortune is to you.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Gold, Life, Perspective, Prospector on May 22, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
COLORLESS TSUKURU TAZAKI AND HIS YEARS OF PILGRIMAGE BY HARUKI MURAKAMI
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> In a thrift shop, I saw it and I thought… well my boyfriend likes this writer
> so I thought, “OK, this looks like a present for him.” But now, I started it
> myself!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well… I’ve found interesting this writer; he’s really detailed, you know, with
> all of the personalities. I don’t know… I think… [bctt tweet=”Maybe there just
> are so many different people… you know… we all have a life.”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”]
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> Yeah… I would! I’ve read things before from this writer and… it’s fiction most
> of the time but still it’s so close to reality… and I think it’s like… I don’t
> know, it’s… I would recommend it to… hmm… people who are interested in things
> of the world!
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Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, Haruki Murakami, Life,
Manhattan, Thrift Shop on May 19, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THE WAY WE LIVE NOW BY ANTHONY TROLLOPE
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> So, I was actually reading a review for Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ on GoodReads
> and one of the comments recommend Anthony Trollope’s ‘The Way We Live Now’. If
> you want to jump into a classic, without going for after ‘War and Peace’ this
> one is a nice step. It’s a book for adults, but it’s not… you know… as intense
> as ‘War and Peace’ but it’s sort of a nice book to read before.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Perceptive?… I think what has really stood out to me so far… I mean I’m only a
> hundred pages in, but I guess… across eras, and centuries and varied
> societies, how wealth can distort relationships between family members; its
> fascinating! Even now… now we believe it to be a modern phenomenon, but… I
> mean… over a hundred years ago, you have family tension over wealth… or
> resulting around that. [bctt tweet=”So, its interesting to see something just
> never leave…” username=”cityreadsnyc”] …even though they are decades old…
> centuries old. That’s it exactly… the same themes remain throughout history.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would highly, highly recommend it… particularly to the readers who would
> like to expand their vocabulary. Of course, as you know… given that it was
> written over a hundred years ago, the language is different, but there are a
> lot of nice, old English words, you know, that people use in their
> day-to-day vocabulary… ones that I am trying to incorporate into my day-to-day
> vocabulary. So, for the avid reader who likes to expand their vocabulary… who
> likes time pieces… and who may be interested in wealth as well… I would highly
> recommend it to that reader.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Anthony
Trollope, Leo Tolstoy, The Way We Live Now, Vocabulary, War and Peace, Welath on
May 16, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST BY MOHSIN HAMID
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Well, today I was… I’m going to Italy on Friday, and I was looking for some
> books to read on the plane, but… I’m already almost half way through this!
> Anyways… so I saw The Reluctant Fundamentalist and it looked very interesting
> so I picked it up.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Umm… well…. do you know anything about the book? (Where as I answered, “I have
> no idea”) Ok, so… it’s a great book. So it takes place in New York, I think
> right after 9/11… well, it kind of flip-flops back and forth between him, the
> main character, and Lahore, speaking to an American and then kind of
> flashbacks between him coming to university in the United States and then
> getting a big job at this firm. So right now he’s talking about “it just was
> 9/11” and he was flying back from Manila when he got stopped and learning
> about whats going on. So… it’s pretty intense!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would definitely recommend it! [bctt tweet=”I think I would recommend it to
> anyone who hasn’t traveled that much..” username=”cityreadsnyc”]. …because I
> think… well New Yorkers may be a little different… but, I think Americans in
> general don’t travel very much, so they don’t get a chance to develop a sense
> of other peoples perspectives and… I mean, I’m only on page 76, but so far
> you’re gaining a really good perspective on why someone may view the United
> States, or Americans, in a certain light.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Mohsin
Hamid, Perspective, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Travel on May 14, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
NEIL YOUNG ON ONE’S FERVENT, UNYIELDING SEARCH FOR THE FABLED ‘HEART OF GOLD’
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By Justin Cude
> I want to live,
> I want to give
> I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold.
> It’s these expressions
> I never give
> That keep me searching for a heart of gold.
With an air of melancholy surrounding his tones entirety, Neil Young momentarily
encapsulates the enduring travail of ones search for a treasure in its purest
form, a search fed and deceived by the minds’ susceptibility towards yearn. In
one of his many depictions of love, Neil Young’s ‘Heart of Gold’ both recites
and reflects on a life lived in pursuit of the undiscovered, a token of fabled
purity of the song’s naming; a heart of gold. Laboring away in search,
expressions of love remain withheld, repressed and hoarded in hope for eventual
outlet in the finding of a heart deserved. However, the search remains and time
awaits no one: And I’m getting old. Keep me searching for a heart of gold. And
I’m getting old.
> I’ve been to Hollywood
> I’ve been to Redwood
> I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold.
> I’ve been in my mind,
> It’s such a fine line
> That keeps me searching for a heart of gold.
This pursuit has no barriers and chooses to forage rather then to remain idle,
impatient and reluctant to receive, instead anxious to find and claim. Our world
is vast in sense of its physical traits and in the sense of our human spirit,
sub rosa of course to ones selected expressionism. Where one can travel in
search for this treasure within the confines of our physical world, the same can
be done in the mind with far less restraint and with far more expanse, dependent
upon ones perceived attributes towards a heart of this taking and the extent to
which their creative imagination can concoct it into reality; unfortunately, a
reality only of the mind. There remains a fine line between what we want and
what we need, what we envision and what truly exists, more so in the realm of
love than in any other facet of our experience. However, obsessed and unyielding
with our preconceived notions of this treasure, the search remains and time
continues to await no one: And I’m getting old. Keep me searching for a heart of
gold. And I’m getting old.
> Keep me searching for a heart of gold.
> You keep me searching and I’m growing old.
> Keep me searching for a heart of gold
> I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold.
Resisting the need for acknowledgement of truth, one continues ones hunt,
weathered by the journeys lacking return of invested sacrifice, but unwavering
to the minds promise of loves holy grail. Keep searching one does, willingly
ignoring the love which exists already, bypassing the current gleam of believed
to be lesser-in-value treasures for the mining of a longed for, more precious in
mind metal worthy of appreciating. Keep mining one does, discarding the nickels,
the coppers, the silvers, the still worthy but devalued by the majority’s
incognizant appraise, for the one believed to contain what we want, what we
need, what we so wholeheartedly convince ourselves will finally be enough. But…
the search continues and time, staying true to form, awaits no one: And I’m
getting old. Keep me searching for a heart of gold. And I’m getting old.
Simply put, a heart of gold does not exist. So easy it is to convenience
ourselves that it does, choosing to remain in quest for someone we believe is
worthy of our love and who will return that love with the same intensity and
style. Remaining delusional to this understanding, we fall for the fairy-tale
that someone, somewhere will be exactly what our heart desires, unfortunately
turning the search into an outward aim towards someone-else, somewhere-else,
ignoring our current love and it’s opportunity for deeper experience which
already exists in our lives; a scenario more true now in our world of perceived
to be endless options.
Carelessly, we remain in search. Why? Because we have not yet found our heart of
gold. Mining wherever we find solace, exposing ourselves to other precious
metals, though not of gold, tarnished due to their laxity against the elements,
beautiful all the more so given their unique mar, the search continues, the
journey thus far overlooked. Why settle for the less valuable while the gold is
still out there? Someone-else, somewhere-else, we tell ourselves; that’s why.
We picture this heart of gold waiting for us, wanting to be found as much as our
desire to find it, sitting there, only to gleam in response to our presence
alone. But, haven’t other metals gleamed before in our presence? This may be
true, but not like gold, we convince ourselves, though we have yet to see it.
Neglecting the other metals, we subsequently have chosen to neglect an abundance
of affection on the journey, in search for something which does not exist, never
truly giving chance to experiencing enduring love. Even if we were to ever find
a heart of gold, meaning some attributes align with our version of this, we
would find that it is not perfect, for nothing in this life is. Like the other
metals, it would be worn, it would be tarnished, and it would carry with it its
own unique imperfections, from the beginning never truly possessing the
capability of living up to ones expectations of what it should be.
In choosing to search for perfection in love, we have chosen also to not love,
for the search will deprive us of the energy needed towards the fostering and
growing of what we instead have chosen to neglect. Understanding that a heart of
gold does not exist, we can begin to find beauty derived from love in the
gleaming of other treasures. Refocusing our outward search for myth
inward…towards a love contained in the raw sensations of now …perhaps we can
experience and grow along with a love worthy and treasured in its purest form;
an imperfect binding of imperfect beings, tarnished, worn and marred, but
acknowledged and appreciated.
For other beautifully crafted perspectives on love, pair this with Van Morrison
on Love and its Dynamic Journey and Janis Joplin on the Urgency for Love.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Folk, Heart of Gold, Life, Love, Music, Neil Young, Rock n Roll, Time on
May 2, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
TICKING AWAY
1 Reply
By Justin Cude
Awoken, laying in bed the other morning, every breath released I heard a ticking
noise, like that of a clock. Honestly, it kind of scared me then, but I laid
there listening for it all the more so. Whether real or imaginative, I realized
truth in the moment. Every breath brought in and released from is one breath
closer towards death. Typically, our natural response to such a thought stirs
about momentary existential worry and anxiety about something which we cannot
control. However, while engaged in the experience I reflected back to a quote I
had come across just days before:
> You are afraid of dying. But, come now, how is this life of yours anything but
> death? – Seneca
Death surrounds us during every moment of our lives, and we experience it daily
whether we are attuned to this truth or not. Deaths’ presence can be found in
the most common and simplest acts within our days, of which take up a good
amount of our time and attention; the eating of food which was once alive, the
kissing of our loved ones goodbye leaving to take on the days tasks, the coming
to an end of a day lived, the drifting back into sleep at night, and the act of
breathing itself. All of these, though different in severity when compared to
the actual loss of life, remain indifferent in nature; they all represent loss,
permanent or temporary…but still loss.
Though we tend to view death as a negative part of life, one we try to avoid at
all costs, it is still going to happen. Instead, we should acknowledge this
truth, do our best to understand it, and come to the realization that it is out
of our control. Death, no matter its mold, is a part of this world, of our
experience, equal to or more so lifelike than any other truth our existence may
hold. This should not scare you or bring about worry for it is simply what is;
an unavoidable natural phenomenon with meaning bewildered:
> Death, like birth, is a secret of nature. – Marcus Aurelius
Though you may have more behind you than ahead of you, none the less, every
breath inches you closer. We can view this as a reason for our despair or,
rather a potent force for our claim of life. Was I listening to the ticking
away of my life at that moment? It truly does not matter, for whether I was or
not, the fact remains; every breath we are getting closer to the end. So… what
will you do with the remaining?
> It is not that we are given a short life but we make it short, and we are not
> ill-supplied but wasteful of it. – Seneca
Do not just tick away, for that would be wasteful of a life intended to be not.
For all we know, this life is all we get. Do not fear what you cannot control.
Be here now, for the entire concept of future is laid upon an ambiguous string.
Again, this should not scare us for it is simply what is:
> The whole future lies in uncertainty. Live immediately. – Seneca
Actualize this and you are free from the burden of failing in attempt for your
control of it. However, for basis of anchor, realize that you are in control of
one main component of this equation; how you spend your time, how you experience
it, is in your hands. Let that provide you with your sense of control. Our
autonomy is found in our perspective and there simply exists far too much good
and beauty for us to worry about a perceived negative. Instead:
> Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with
> them. – Marcus Aurelius
Please, do not just tick away, for you are worthy of much more.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P.S. For a healthy daily dose of this type of perspective, I highly recommend
everyone to check out Ryan Holiday’s “The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on
Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living.” It has provided me with great
thought and insight into a world that tends to confuse.
Additionally, check out DailyStoic.com, which provides Stoic Wisdom for Everyday
Life. Another great thought provoking resource.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Life, Marcus Aurelius, Ryan Holiday, Seneca, Stoicism, Time on April 28,
2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THE LIFE OF ELIZABETH I BY ALISON WEIR
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Well, a long time ago I read another book by Alison Weir called ‘The Six Wives
> of Henry VIII‘… and that was a great book… sort of my first introduction to
> that period of English history… so I knew she was a good writer, and so when I
> saw this in a used bookstore I picked it up. It kind of continues within the
> same period… well, there’s one other book in the middle between these two
> called ‘The Children of Henry VIII‘, but… I mean… if you know the basics of
> what happened then it’s not that hard to follow along; I’m planning on reading
> all three!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Hmm… perspective? Well, its mostly about Elizabeth and I’m in the very
> beginning. [bctt tweet=”So, I guess… how early experiences affect one’s
> outlook…” username=”cityreadsnyc”] her childhood was, to put it mildly, not
> particularly secure and not particularly pleasant. She was delegitimized and
> then legitimized again…. she was the prisoner in the tower and then became the
> Queen of England. So I guess what I’ve learned so far… well actually, it seems
> to have given her, you know, she kept her own council for the rest of her life
> and was wary of revealing emotion… that was actually good for her, but I think
> it also gave her some other things that made her a great Queen… [bctt
> tweet=”But I wonder if it also didn’t make her somewhat unhappy… later on.”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”]
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would recommend this to anyone who likes English history… I’d recommend this
> book… actually, I’d recommend the ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII‘ because this
> is one of those subjects that a lot of people have heard about and… there was
> this show, The Tudors, which was on a while ago… and obviously, you know, it
> kind of follows the history… but this pretty much tells you what happened in
> chronological order and makes you… if you read ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII‘…
> I mean it’s really a popular history book… it’s not a scholarly work, but it’s
> accurate enough and it’s just a really good book. Anyone interested in history
> should read that book. Generally, I recommend anyone to educate themselves in
> English history, because to a degree this country is an extension of Great
> Britain… a successor to some of its traits and so fourth. So, yeah, I
> definitely recommend this book, the author, and the author’s other books.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Alison
Weir, English History, King, King Henry VIII, Penn Station, Queen, Queen
Elizabeth I, Royalty, The Life of Elizabeth I, The Six Wives of Henry VIII on
April 24, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
VAN MORRISON ON LOVE AND ITS DYNAMIC JOURNEY
2 Replies
By Justin Cude
> The journey’s longer than
>
> I thought my love.
>
> There’s lots of things
>
> Get in the way.
>
> But every time I think of you
>
> You just steal my heart away.
For a world currently obsessed with instant gratification, a false-sense of the
existence of immediate wisdom and the impatience towards authenticity, Van
Morrison’s “Steal My Heart Away” reminds us all that the road is longer than we
may think, the journey longer than we may sometimes believe; slow down. Simple
with his language, Morrison acknowledges the longevity of life (The journey’s
longer than I thought my love…), captures its struggles and toil (There’s lots
of things get in the way…), and openly succumbs to vulnerability in the company
of love (But every time I think of you, you just steal my heart away).
> Just like the sunshine after rain
>
> I’ll come.
>
> To be with you will save the day.
>
> ‘Cause I know
>
> When I’m with you again
>
> You just steal my heart away.
Like the sunshine after the rain, the returning of an oceans’ wave after
retreat, the inhale of breath after exhalation, life is dynamic, love all the
more so. Presence with love is vital but this is often learned from times of its
absence, innately equivalent to the aforementioned traits of our physical world.
Such observations further express the dynamic nature of life and of love; no
sunrise will ever look the same, no wave will ever hug the shore as the one
before it, and no breath will ever bring about the same sensation of life as its
prior. Where there once was, there is no more, but it will return, only
different then before.
There is no one way to define love or its presence, for we all feel and express,
gain and lose, want and need it in our own unique way. However, “Steal My Heart
Away” reminds us of love’s one enduring truth; acceptance. As versed, the
journey is longer than we thought; accept and endure. Lots of things get in the
way; accept and overcome. One day, someone will steal your heart away,
and whether they remain present in your life or not; accept and, most
importantly, love.
The reoccurring truth here is you must first accept, then follow that acceptance
with action. Moreover, this can be seen and experienced simply by observing the
world around you; the physicality of our world is built upon the same substance
of which love is. However, in the case of our human experience, the nature of
the subsequent action is left to its maker; you. But remember this, to always
love, for it is the only way to accept anything in this life. Even if you do not
receive the same love in return, which is a hard determination in itself paired
with ambiguity and assumption, the importance and the power of love far outweigh
the bitterness of its opposite. Think… what would become of the world if the sun
never returned after the rain? What for the ocean if it decided never to come
back after a waves retreat? What would happen if your lungs refused to fill with
air after exhalation? And… what to you if you choose to never love again after
its departure?
As the stoics like to put it, ‘Amor Fati’; love of fate; love of one’s fate:
love of what happens. If you let it, our world tells you what happens. The sun
leaves to return, the ocean pulls away to once again roll in, and the breath
leaves us so we can breathe again.
For the sake of expressing this perspective on love in a more musically inclined
and contextually relevant fashion, to further quote Van Morrison:
> If my heart could do my thinking
>
> And my head begin to feel
>
> I would look upon the world anew
>
> And know whats truly real.
Love is real. Continue to love,
To enjoy this beautifully crafted song, listen here:
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Love, Music, Van Morrison on April 17, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
#JUSTFINISHED: VIKTOR FRANKL’S “MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING”
1 Reply
By Justin Cude
Early this past Saturday morning, sitting outside Ridgewood’s ‘Boulangerir
Patisserie’ coffee shop, in what seemed to be the first sunny day of Spring for
the City of New York, I finished one of my current reads; Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s
Search For Meaning.” I will not attempt to generalize or to depict the weight of
which this book holds inside of itself, for my attempt to do so will not serve
the book, the author, nor the moment in time from which it comes the justice and
the respect it deserves. Below however, I will share with you a few passages
from its bindings which resonated in me deeply emotional connections with my
currently evolving, yet growing, perspective on life, paired with brief
interjections of my own undertake. Enjoy…
> I consider it a dangerous misconception of mental hygiene to assume that what
> a man needs in the first place is equilibrium or, as it is called in biology,
> “homeostasis,” i.e., a tensionless state. What man actually needs is not a
> tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile
> goal, a freely chosen task. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at
> any cost but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.
Though we may sometimes fool ourselves into believing that what we want is in
fact a life free from suffering and from toil, in actuality, what we yearn for
is the ability to overcome whatever struggle we are presented, for on the other
side of this overcoming is a stronger, more resilient, beautifully worn version
of ourselves. This act of overcoming brings about meaning but is also derived
and endured for the meaning upon which we place on it… ourselves.
> If architects want to strengthen a decrepit arch, they increase the load which
> is laid upon it, for thereby the parts are joined more firmly together. So if
> therapists wish to foster their patients’ mental health, they should not be
> afraid to create a sound amount of tension through a reorientation toward the
> meaning of one’s life.
The meaning of our lives are not always presented to us; In fact, I would argue
they never are. We do not simply stumble upon what it is we want in this life,
but rather on the contrary, we create the lives we want based upon experiences,
struggling, failing, overcoming, and placing meaning upon which what we want to
place meaning to. Think about that. What is life if we do not place value upon
our own meanings? I am aware of the “stumble upon” moments in our lives which do
in fact lead to some sort of deeper understanding of the world around us and of
ourselves, but it is still the individual who decides that meaning and learns
from it and uses it how they choose.
> To achieve personal meaning, he says, one must transcend subjective pleasures
> by doing something that “points, and is directed, to something, or someone,
> other than oneself… by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to
> love.
Do not fall for the false heroism of individual pursuit, for it is merely a
lonely existence placed upon a pedestal, believed to bring about courage and
grit but instead leads to isolation and the yearning for connection. We are
people, and we need people; it is that simple. This is not to say that there
does not exist room for individual pursuits during the duration of our lives,
but they shall not outweigh nor lessen the value of the collective, whatever
that collective is to you (your family, your spouse, your relationship, a team,
a group, a business, a community, etc.). Do not isolate yourself to be alone
while forgetting that you are not. We are here to help and to sometimes be
helped.
> The choices humans make should be active rather than passive. In making
> personal choices we affirm our autonomy. “A human being is not one thing among
> others; things determine each other,” Frankl writes, “but man is ultimately
> self determining. What he becomes– within the limits of endowment and
> environment– he has made out of himself.”
We have all heard the saying that “this life is meant to be lived.” It is… but
not in the way we are sometimes blindly lead to believe. This statement does not
mean that life will present to us the means to our ends or the points to be
reached, it simply means to live your life. Not every day will be great and not
every moment one to be remembered, that is if we hold expectations for these to
be handed to us; that is not how life works. If we want our lives to consist of
days which are great and of moments we want to remember, we must first
understand this… that that is completely in our control, determined upon our
choices, our actions, and our perspective, all of which are collectively
intertwined. Though many times throughout our lives we do not choose the
environment nor the situation, we do however chose our reaction and our meaning;
let that bring you peace. What we take from the moments which make up our lives,
what we subsequently learn from them, is ours; observed, analyzed, reasoned,
understood and applied uniquely to our perspective and to our meaning.
I do not know why exactly, but I feel the need to end this with a verse from one
of my favorite John Lennon songs, “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)“. Though derived
from a different time and from a different nature, contextually it makes sense,
as most things do in this life if we stop and observe, simply studying the
cohesiveness which exists in our universe:
> Before you cross the street
> Take my hand
> Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.
If I had to put a meaning to it and its relevance to my reading of this book, I
guess it would be found in the simplicity of the verses tone. “Before you cross
the street”… that is to say before you make decisions in your life, think and
provide meaning. “Take my hand”… remember you are not alone and your pursuits
should not bring about unnecessary isolation. It’s OK to take someones hand;
there is more reward in helping others than in selfishly helping ourselves.
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”… there is a
life to be lived, and what we become falls upon the responsibility of ourselves.
Not every moment has to have some sort of philosophical meaning, and that makes
life beautiful. The meaning may be thought about later, or it may not. Though I
understand the contradictory ending to this, understand that that is OK. Enjoy
your life, the highs and the lows, and craft your own meaning, accordingly.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Uncategorized and tagged
John Lennon, Just Finished, Life, Man's Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl on
April 12, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THOSE WHO LEAVE AND THOSE WHO STAY BY ELENA FERRANTE
Leave a reply
HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> My husband has read it before… so he told me it was good. It’s a four part
> series book.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> It’s about two Italian girlfriends who go through life… from when they first
> meet, when they are in middle to high school and I assume to the end of their
> lives. It’s very much character work, you go deeply into their lives and you
> become attached. You can relate to them, their psychology, struggles, self
> doubt, drive… The historical setting goes back to the communist and fascist
> movements in the 50s-60s… you get involved in the political context of those
> years.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I’ll definitely recommend it to the C-Train riders after a long day at work…
> because we always need to wait for the train and to disconnect from our world.
> You are not going to expand your knowledge in a particular topic but you will
> live each page, you will be in the moment, immersing yourself; [bctt
> tweet=”It’s an emotional reading. A journey you will embark on.”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”]
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Elena
Ferrante, Manhattan, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay on April 10, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
GIOVANNI’S ROOM BY JAMES BALDWIN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Hmm… number one… James Baldwin is one of my favorite authors and poets…and… I
> read this book first about 18 years ago, recommended from a friend of mine. I
> grew up in France, so… this book takes place… it’s by an African American
> author who has lived in France for a long time… who is also, somewhat of a
> philosopher. It’s about his life’s journey and self identity… [bctt
> tweet=”Both as a man of color but also his sexuality, and being accepted of
> course in Europe…” username=”cityreadsnyc”] …and his trials and tribulations
> in the states, also, in comparison to that in Europe. And then his
> experiences… following his other books… coming back to the states and being
> apart of the civil rights struggle.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> Well, I just got it again today! But… the reason I am reading it again is
> because… as I’ve grown as a person and have read many other books, and his
> books also… and now that his documentary, which we just talked about,
> came out… I kind of wanted to revisit it… and noticed that this was one of my
> favorite books. And so, I just kind of wanted to go back to it and see what my
> perspective would be after… many grays, you know… since 18 years ago.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I highly, highly recommend it to everyone… in all demographic, in all race. It
> is a book of understanding compassion, especially in the current political
> climate that we are in.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Compassion, Giovanni's Room, James Baldwin, Manhattan, Understanding on April 3,
2017 by cityreadsnyc.
VIKTOR FRANKL ON SUFFERING AND SPIRITUAL FREEDOM
3 Replies
By Justin Cude
> But what about human liberty? Is there no spiritual freedom in regard to
> behavior and reaction to any given surroundings? Is that theory true which
> would have us believe that man is no more than a product of many conditional
> and environmental factors — be they biological, psychological, or sociological
> nature? Is man but an accidental product of these? Most important, do the
> prisoners’ reactions to the singular world of the concentration camp prove
> that man cannot escape the influences of his surroundings? Does man have no
> choice of action in the face of such circumstances?…
In his enduring book, “Man’s Search for Meaning“, Austrian Neurologist and
Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl questions the environmental influence on man
and reassures for us the presence of choice we innately possess. Referencing
with great detail his and his fellow mans’ time during the Holocaust, within the
inhumane and surreal conditions of concentration camp life, Frankl takes you to
the lowest depths of human experience. But, upon momentary and subsequent life
long observation into this experience, he assures for us the truth and the power
of our last remaining individual liberty — spiritual freedom.
> … We can answer these questions from experience as well as on principle. The
> experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action. There
> were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which proved that apathy could
> be overcome, irritability suppressed. Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual
> freedom of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic
> and physical stress.
>
> We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through
> the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may
> have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can
> be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms– To choose
> one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
>
> And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the
> opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would
> or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very
> self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the
> plaything of circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded
> into the form of the typical inmate.
>
> Seen from this point of view, the mental reactions of the inmates of a
> concentration camp must seem more to us than the mere expression of certain
> physical and sociological conditions. Even though conditions such as lack of
> sleep, insufficient food and various mental stresses may suggest that the
> inmates were bound to react in certain ways, in the final analysis it becomes
> clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner
> decision, and not the result of camp influences alone. Fundamentally,
> therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall
> become of him– mentally and spiritually. He may retain his human dignity even
> in a concentration camp. Dostoevksi said once, there is only one thing that I
> dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings. These words frequently came to my
> mind after I became acquainted with those martyrs whose behavior in camp,
> whose suffering and death, bore witness to the fact that the last inner
> freedom cannot be lost. It can be said that they were worthy of their
> sufferings; the way they bore their suffering was a genuine inner achievement.
> It is this… Spiritual Freedom– which cannot be taken away– that makes life
> meaningful and purposeful.
Independent of one’s current environment, or suffering, the human experience is
largely dependent upon our perspective, a perspective which is instilled through
the narrative we create for ourselves. We have choice; we do. We can choose to
view our lives as a part of some uncontrollable fate for which we did not create
or ask for, and rest assure many times in life things do happen that we cannot
control. But, on the contrary, we can also view our lives however we choose to,
uniquely crafted and experienced based upon one thing– Our last remaining
freedom– freedom of spirit.
Understand, no matter what you are going through, no matter how bad we have
painted this experience to be, at any given moment there is choice; choice of
action, choice of thought, choice of meaning. Place the value upon life
yourself, free from external forces in which, again, for the most part, you
cannot control. Give meaning to what you want to give meaning to and base that
meaning accordingly to the perspective you want. It’s your choice. And, if your
suffering is confusing to you at this moment, find peace in this: Everywhere man
is confronted with fate, with the chance of achieving something through his own
suffering.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Choice, Life, Man's Search For Meaning, Suffering, Viktor Frankl, Wisdom
on April 1, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
MEMOIRS OF HADRIAN BY MARGUERITE YOURCENAR
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> Well… one of my teachers from school had told me about this book… he actually
> gave this one to me. So yeah, here we go… this is the bookI am reading for
> now. He had told me that it was interesting… and so far it is.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> This book contains a lot of experience. A lot of it deals with things in life
> we have all been through; the book connects with you. [bctt tweet=”It teaches
> you how to appreciate life more; how you can live your life better then
> before… ” username=”cityreadsnyc”]…whatever that means to you. It tells you to
> always stay on the positive side… if your mind is positive then you will
> always be in the positive. That is why I like this book; it’s amazing.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I recommend this to people who love to read books; they must be opened minded.
> For the ones who look to experience new things in life, which… whether the
> story is true or not true, reading this its still going to teach you a lot of
> lessons.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Life,
Memoirs of Hadrian, Philosophy, Queens on March 27, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
#JUSTFINISHED: ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S “THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA”
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By Justin Cude
> “A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for.” – John
> A. Shedd
Traveling along the Atlantic east coast, up Highway 13 through the small towns
of Chesapeake Bay, I finished one of my current reads; Ernest Hemingway’s “The
Old Man and the Sea”. The trips initial crossing of the Chesapeake Bay
Bridge-Tunnel aided the imagination in the minds fruition of this classics’ main
setting; the sea. Needless to say, the tone was right and the book provided a
plethora of wisdom and thought. Below I share with you a few of my favorite
quotes from the read. Enjoy…
On preparation…
> “But, he thought, I keep them with precision. Only I have no luck anymore. But
> who knows? Maybe today. Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But
> I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”
On establishing your own image…
> “I wish I could show him what sort of man I am. But then he would see the
> cramped hand… [bctt tweet=”Let him think I am more than I am and I will be
> so.”
On the human experience of endure…
> “But man is not made for defeat, he said. A man can be destroyed but not
> defeated.”
On choice of thought…
> “Don’t think old man,” he said aloud. Sail on this course and take it when it
> comes. But I must think, he thought. Because it is all I have left.”
On perspective of situation…
> “Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do
> with what there is.”
On the now…
> “He was a fish to keep a man all winter, he thought. Don’t think of that. Just
> rest and try to get your hands in shape to defend what is left of him.”
On illusion…
> “What can I think of now? he thought. Nothing. I must think of nothing and
> wait for the next ones. I wish it had really been a dream, he thought. But who
> knows? It might have turned out well.”
On being the captain of your own fate…
> “It is easy when you are beaten, he thought. I never knew how easy it was. And
> what beat you, he thought. Nothing, he said aloud. I went out too far.”
The above quotes only lightly express the wisdom and thought one can extract
from the reading of this book. Furthermore, the beauty of reading provides us
the opportunity to pull from a book what is unique, wanted or needed according
to ones life. If you have read it, or choose to in the future, please let me
know what you think, along with sharing with me your favorite quotes in the
comment section below!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Uncategorized and tagged
Ernest Hemingway, Just Finished, The Old Man and the Sea, Traveling, Wisdom on
March 19, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
“IRON” MIKE TYSON ON THE GIFT OF LIFE
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I have been a fan of boxing for as long as I can remember. The brutal and honest
expression of two beings giving their all for something they have placed value
upon greater than themselves; what more can we ask for. Whether it is for their
country, their families, becoming the best of something in this world, or for
the satisfaction of seeing ones hard work and devotion to ones craft come to
fruition, outside of the result, boxing itself teaches us a very important truth
within life. Simply put… [bctt tweet=”You will get hit and you will fall, but it
is never about that… it is about getting back up.” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
Coined as the “Baddest Man on the Planet, “Iron” Mike Tyson at one point
represented the image and the presence of brutality. He destroyed any foe we
placed in front of him and did so with a prowess of rage and aggression. But,
the purpose of this post is not to focus on what once was, which was a narrative
fabricated largely by the world instead of by the individual. Rather on the
contrary, I want to share with you the beauty of life and how who we are painted
to be is never truly who we are. Below is an expert from the documentary film
“Champs“, a beautifully crafted story focusing on the life and times of three
greats within the sport: Bernard Hopkins, Evander Holyfield, and Mike Tyson.
Ending the film, Tyson shares with us a perspective on life and the gift in
which it is. Enjoy…
> “It all comes down to family, love, forgiveness, respect. Closing the gap
> between who I am and who I want to be. Finding different ways of becoming more
> conscious about myself. Human beings think a lot of themselves, you know. They
> think that we will be that privileged to see the end of the world; I don’t
> think that we are gonna have that privilege. I know there are things that
> happen that are bad but, we have to look at all the good that is happening out
> here. I see a new birth in the world; I see people respecting people more. We
> have to evolve; this is a great world and its the best deal we ever get in
> this life, you know…. [bctt tweet=”Life it self… we got this for nothing; look
> at all we get in return.” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
What I took from this perspective and from the person sharing it, is that this
world is very good at pointing out and sharing the negative, whether of the
individual or of the collective whole. Who we are is never concrete and what
this world becomes is only up to us. Who we are as individuals and as a
collective falls upon our shoulders. If we can see and appreciate the uniqueness
of the individual without applying our own bias or presumption, along with
applying this gratuity to the world, nothing can get in our way. Look around
yourself today and appreciate life. And like Mike, look around at all we get in
return for simply being here. Its beautiful!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Boxing, Life, Mike Tyson on March 17, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING BY IBRAM X. KENDI
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> “That’s a good question… umm… I think it came up on my GoodReads. I’m on
> GoodReads and I think one of my friends marked it as a book he wanted to read
> so I checked it out and added it to my list.”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> “Man… I was actually just talking about this earlier! So, essentially the way
> the book goes… he breaks it down into three different ideas… and then looks at
> racist ideas through those three different lenses; its the segregationists, or
> the racists, the anti-racists, and the assimilationists. So, you have
> segregationists people who are just flat out racist… your anti-racist people
> who are firmly against racism and all its forms… and then your
> assimilationists… and those are the ones who say that if black people were to
> be more like white people, or if black people could aspire to whiteness, then
> everything would be better… and, I think the biggest thing that I’ve taken
> from this book is that I would have firmly put myself within the anti-racist
> category… but I found that so many of my thoughts and views, which were shaped
> by the racist society that we live in …put me in the assimilationist category…
> where I would say things like, “Oh, if we black people could just do this…
> then, you know, we’d be viewed differently.” But… uplift suasion… which is
> something he talks about… which is the idea that if we would act a certain
> way then white people would respect us… and media suasion… which is if white
> people would just see more good black people then they would think differently
> about us; historically both have proven to not work. It’s just been… eye
> opening… kind of like… if you’ve seen the documentary 13th. And so… you know
> how that entire documentary, your just going wow… WOW? You read this book and
> you’re just going…WOW! [bctt tweet=”So yeah… its incredible! I’d recommend it
> to anybody.” username=”cityreadsnyc”]
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> ” I would recommend this book… literally… to everybody. I would recommend it
> to racists, so that they can see where there ideas came from… I would
> recommend it to anti-racists, so that they can see the history of the
> struggle… and I would recommend it to assimilationists, because most
> assimilationists don’t realize that that is the category they fall into… and
> reading this book would really open their eyes and give them a new
> perspective.”
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged America,
Ibram X. Kendi, Manhattan, Penn Station, Racism, Stamped from the Beginning on
March 8, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
JANIS JOPLIN ON THE URGENCY FOR LOVE
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Towards the end of an innately passionate and deeply sexual live recording of
Janis Joplin’s ‘Ball and Chain’, the uniquely beautiful and equally as talented
artist reminds us all of the importance of urgency for love within our brief
experience we call life. Enjoy…
> “And when everybody in the world wants the same damn thing. When everybody in
> the world who needs the same old thing. When I want to work for your love
> daddy. When I want to try for your love daddy. I don’t understand… how come
> you’re gone, man.
>
> I don’t understand why half the world is still crying man, when the other half
> of the world is still crying too; and I can’t get it together. I mean, if
> you’ve got a cat for one day, man… say maybe you want a cat for 365 days,
> right? You ain’t got it for 365 days; you’ve got it for one day… [bctt
> tweet=”Well I’ll tell you… that one day, better be your life.”
> username=”cityreadsnyc”] …Because, you know, you can say… you can cry about
> the other 364, but you’re gonna lose that one day man, and that’s all you got…
> you gotta call that love; that’s what it is man. If you’ve got it today, you
> don’t wear it tomorrow; because we don’t need it. Cause’… as a matter of fact…
> as we discovered on the terrain… tomorrow never happens man; it’s all the same
> fuckin’ day!
>
> So you gotta… when you wanna hold somebody, you’ve gotta hold’em like its the
> last minute of your life, baby; you gotta hold it. Cause’ someday some weight
> is gonna come on your shoulders babe… its gonna feel too heavy, its gonna
> weigh on ya, its gonna feel just like… a ball and chain.”
For the actual recording, listen here…
To enjoy the full experience of Janis singing “Ball and Chain” at live at
Monterey Pop Festival 1967, watch the video below…
For a truly authentic musical experience of the Festivals entirety…click the
image below!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Thought on Thoughts and
tagged Janis Joplin, Love, Music on February 27, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> I watched the movies and fell in love with them. I read The Hobbit in middle
> school and hated it honestly. But, I am the sort to read the book if I dig the
> movie… and I really dig the movies!
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> I’ve gained the perspective that darkness is apart of light; that we have
> challenges we don’t want to face, but… that we have to face as the person we
> decide to be. I’ve gained that becoming your enemy only perpetuates the cycle
> of darkness (Bilbo not killing Gollum when he had the chance) and that villans
> even have something to teach us and are a necessary part of life. I’ve learned
> that evil happens whether we are paying attention or not and that good happens
> whether we are looking for it or not, too. Life comes down to choice; who do
> you want to be.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would recommend this book to anybody, but… letting go of the fact that not
> everybody loves fantasy and sci-fi, I would recommend it to fans of the latter
> genre. I would do this because these ethics represent life. While I admit the
> racist undertones, as should be acknowledged, the Lord of the Rings series as
> whole represents exsistence in general in our universe and more relevantly
> serves as a great metaphor for America during the Trump administration.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Brooklyn, Bushwick, J.R.R Tolkien, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings on February
26, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
A POEM TO SHARE: MARY OLIVER’S “WILD GEESE”
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Today while listening to Tim Ferriss’ most recent podcast episode, #223: Calming
Philosophies for Chaotic Times with Krista Tippett, I was introduced to the
beautifully crafted poem below by Mary Oliver, which can be found within her New
and Selected Poems, Volume One. Enjoy…
> You do not have to be good.
> You do not have to walk on your knees
> For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
> You only have to let the soft animal of your body
> love what it loves.
> Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
> Meanwhile the world goes on.
> Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
> are moving across the landscapes,
> over the prairies and the deep trees,
> the mountains and the rivers.
> Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
> are heading home again.
> Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
> the world offers itself to your imagination,
> calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
> over and over announcing your place
> in the family of things.
If you enjoy posts of this type, let me know! It goes without saying, a poem
every now and then is good for the soul!
Respectfully,
CityReads NYC
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This entry was posted in A Poem to Share and tagged Krista Tippett, Mary Oliver,
Poetry, Tim Ferriss, Wild Geese on February 23, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
#JUSTFINISHED: DALTON TRUMBO’S “JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN”
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Sipping my Americano at the corner of Rivington and Clinton at the Lower East
Side’s Marm Cafe, I finished one of my current reads; Dalton Trumbo’s “johnny
got his gun”. It is my belief that by being exposed to the darkness every now
and then we learn to appreciate the light that encapsulates us, the light we to
often neglect and overlook. This book provides a healthy dose of the dark.
Enjoy…
> Is it possible for anything to resist change, even a mere commodity that can
> be bought, buried, banned, damned, praised or ignored. Johnny held a different
> meaning for three different wars. Its present meaning is what each reader
> conceives it to be, and each reader is gloriously different from each other
> reader, and each is also changing.
>
> I’ve let it remain as it was to see what it is.
Dalton Trumbo
Los Angeles
March 25,1959
> But exactly how many hundreds or thousands of the dead-while-living does that
> give us? We don’t ask. We turn away from them; we avert our eyes, ears, nose,
> mouth, face.”Why should I look, it wasn’t my fault, was it?” It was, of
> course, but no matter. Time presses. Death waits even for us. We have a dream
> to pursue, the whitest white hope of them all, and we must follow and find it
> before the light fails.
>
> So long, losers. God bless. Take care. We’ll be seeing you.
Dalton Trumbo
Los Angeles
January 3, 1970
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Uncategorized and tagged
Banned, Dalton Trumbo, Johnny Got His Gun, Just Finished, Manhattan on February
21, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
THE RINGS OF SATURN BY W. G. SEBALD
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> “I was actually in Richmond… where I’m from… and I saw it in a used book store
> that I use to frequent in college… but, I heard about it through another book
> I was reading; Known and Strange Things by Teju Cole.
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> “I guess in terms of… travel… like what travel writing can be. The author does
> a great job of situating himself in a certain location, whether it’s Belgium
> or otherwise, with a deep understanding of the history of the place he is in;
> he weaves through those two things.”
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> I would recommend it… (a train whistles by causing momentary hestiation)…
> Yeah, I mean, I would recommend it to maybe someone who is traveling soon…
> maybe to someone who is into history. And why? I guess for escape, but also
> for understanding.
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged F Train,
Known and Strange Things, LES, Manhattan, Teju Cole, The Rings of Saturn, W.G.
Sebald on February 18, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
SUBWAY POETRY…
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IF YOU LIVE IN NEW YORK OR HAVE TRAVELED HERE IN THE PAST, THEN YOU HAVE SEEN
THIS BEFORE. IF NEITHER, ENJOY…
> “As you fly swiftly underground with a song in your ears or lost in the maze
> of a book, remember the ones who descended here into the mire of bedrock to
> bore a hole through this granite, to clear a passage for you where there was
> only darkness and stone. Remember as you come up into the light.”
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MTA POETRY IN MOTION, THE POETRY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, AND
ARTIST SARAH SZE.
– CITYREADS NYC
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This entry was posted in A Poem to Share on February 15, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND & OTHER STORIES BY FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> “Well, I just decided that I wanted to start with something, you know… when I
> was about to start reading something in the English language… I wanted to
> start with a classic, so I decided to start from the East; from the Russian
> literature. He is, as they say, one of the greatest writers from over there,
> Dostoevsky… so why not?
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> “Let’s say, so far, I’ve gained good insight into how a different
> culture…Eastern culture compared to the Western culture thinks. I can then
> compare my character with the characters in the book…you know, to see where I
> am compared to all of these guys in life.”
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> “Well, I would definitely recommend it to actors, because it has a huge
> spectrum of characters with a lot of different roles. And, I would recommend
> it also to, let’s say the… the writer or someone who is just starting to write
> professionally… although this type of writer probably already has it in his
> collection. Also, definitely I would recommend it to high school students or
> kids… it’s definitely better than staring at your phone and just social
> networking, liking, sharing.”
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Brooklyn, Classic, Fyodor Dostoevsky, M Train, Manhattan on February 10, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
THE BLIND OWL BY SADEGH HEDAYAT
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> “There is this book store cafe in Ridgewood called Topos…I was wandering the
> aisles and I stumbled upon it there and I bought it; that’s it.”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> “The whole thing behind the book is that the author…the narrator…is kind of
> losing his mind in a sense, so he has this very repetitive nature to his
> narration. As a reader you catch on to the repetitiveness and you realize that
> he is also forgetting things, which explains the repeating. You end up going
> through the process with him, as if you’re observing a loved one losing their
> mind. The book has a very Edgar Allan Poe feel to it, with a hint of Toni
> Morrison, which I think is amazing; it’s been really cool so far!
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> “Oh wow!…I would definitely recommend it, and…actually…I have a person in mind
> already. I would recommend it to my poetry teacher who I am getting for my new
> semester; I think he would be really into it. I just had another course with
> him and it was an amazing course. Just given the style that this is written
> in, I think it would really intrigue him…and also the fact that it’s by a POC
> author…along with it being set it the Middle East. These things interest him
> so I think it would be great!
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Brooklyn, M Train, Ridegwood, Sadegh Hedayat, The Blind Owl on February 9, 2017
by cityreadsnyc.
AMERICAN PSYCHO BY BRET EASTON ELLIS
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> “I came across American Psycho… well I had seen the movie when I was a bit
> younger, and I don’t think grasped everything that the movie was about. And
> now, I was in the Strand bookstore, right off of 14th street, Union Square,
> and I saw it and said to myself I need to read this book. Obviously everybody
> always says the book is better than the movie and I needed to find out… I
> thought it was the right time.”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> “I think I’ve been able to, sort of, gain a really vivid picture of some of
> the things that can go through an individuals mind… one that is obsessed with
> appearance and material wealth; basically an elitist. It’s putting things into
> a perspectivethat, I don’t know, maybe all of this, having the top of the line
> clothes, make-up, workout routine, everything; maybe it’s not as important as
> we are all made to think.”
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> “I would definitely recommend this book; to anybody. I mean, obviously someone
> who could handle the language and the graphic imagery that’s being painted.
> Yeah… I guess it would be… those who would gain the most from reading American
> Psycho would be those who, you know… maybe find themselves going down the
> wrong path in life. Maybe someone that is second guessing everything we are
> being told; everything that the TV tells you, that advertisements tell you.
> And if they do read this book I think that they will gain a perspective of who
> they are in this world, rather than subscribing to some ad.”
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged American
Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis, Brooklyn, Bushwick on February 8, 2017 by
cityreadsnyc.
WHISTLING VIVALDI BY CLAUDE M. STEELE
1 Reply
HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> “I’m a teacher and my school gave it to me to read.”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> “Well, this guy is not… Oh, what to say! He’s not a great storyteller. It’s
> not necessarily what you would call a “good read”. But, it’s super interesting
> if you are at all interested behind the sociology behind stereotypes, and how
> being… well I guess it’s written for teachers but it’s also just showing how
> any adult within any situation dealing with youth could help shape their
> performance based on how they set the situation up. But, if you think about
> it, age really doesn’t have anything to do with it. Anybody in a position of
> power, who sets up a situation for anybody else… so bosses, anybody in
> management, anybody… responsible, should be responsible for other people’s
> whole selves.”
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> “Yes, I’d recommend it. I would definitely recommend it for all teachers, but
> I feel like everyone should read this book, especially given the… yeah, given
> our political climate right now.”
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged Claude
Steele, D Train, Manhattan, Stereotypes, Whistling Vivaldi on February 7, 2017
by cityreadsnyc.
“SURELY YOU’RE JOKING, MR. FEYNMAN!” BY RICHARD FEYNMAN
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> “So, I told one of my friends about Richard Feynman, and I kind of droned on
> about physics for a good 15 to 20 minutes. She’s a very good friend of mine so
> she said “OK, I’m going to do something nice for him”… so she bought me the
> Feynman books.”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> “Right off the bat, Richard Feynman talks about the importance of curiosity
> and his drive to solve puzzles. That’s what kind of made him this… this genius
> that he was. He always had this… almost an obsession to solve puzzles and
> that’s what drove him to be as great as he was. And maybe if I can emulate
> some of that in my life… maybe I can get there.”
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> “I would recommend this book particularly to children, because this is not
> necessarily a complicated read. It’s very simple… the language is fairly
> simple so kids can understand and learn the importance of curiosity.“
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged F Train,
Manhattan, Physics, Richard Feynman, Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman on January
31, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
TOOLS OF TITANS BY TIM FERRISS
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HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE BOOK?
> “I’ve been a fan of Tim’s for a long time now and when the opportunity to see
> him live came up it was a no brainier. Back in December, as apart of his Tools
> of Titansbook release, he hosted and recorded a live podcast in front of an
> audience at the 92nd Street Y with a great line up of guests. Simply put, it
> was awesome. Everyone who was there got two copies of the book, signed, with
> the price of the ticket. Even if I didn’t go I would have bought the book, but
> again, this was an easy opportunity to invest in.”
SO FAR, WHAT PERSPECTIVE HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THIS BOOK?
> “Well, that’s a very broad question… for any book… but especially this
> book. If you ever read it, which I recommend everybody do, you’ll see exactly
> what I mean. This book shares so much that it’s hard to single out one
> perspective. That being said, this book has reinforced for me the belief that,
> at any given moment, there is so much that we as individuals do not know;
> never stop learning, never stop asking questions. We all are bound to
> benefit.”
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND IF SO, TO WHO AND WHY?
> “Of course I would. To anybody who considers themselves their own human
> guinea-pig… their own evolving experiment. If not that, than anybody who just
> wants to learn some really cool stuff, gain some amazing insight and who wants
> to hear some extremely entertaining stories. This book truly has it all. I’d
> recommend it for the same reason Tony Robbins as a kid invested $35 to attend
> a Jim Rohn seminar. Tim is a modern day Jim, and Tools of Titans is his
> seminar. Invest in yourself; get the book.”
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, People From The Blog and tagged
Brooklyn, Bushwick, M Train, Self Help, Tim Ferriss, Tools of Titans on January
28, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
OUR PURPOSE…
… to provide insights into what everyday New Yorkers are reading, through asking
them the following questions behind the meaning of their current read:
1) How did you come across the book?
2) So far, what perspective have you gained from i t?
3) Would you recommend it, and if so, to who and why?
Simple in nature, it is my hope that these answered questions will, simply,
spark your interest into reading more books!
Enjoy!
CityReads NYC
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This entry was posted in CityReads NYC, My Writing, Uncategorized on January 24,
2017 by cityreadsnyc.
CITYREADS NYC
Hello All!
I am very excited to announce the official “pre-launch” of my blog, CityReads
NYC! Simply put, I will be sharing with you insights into what exactly every day
New Yorkers are reading, whether it be during their morning or evening commute,
while taking a lunch break, or when simply taking a moment to enjoy a few pages
from their current read! I hope you enjoy my passionate and dedicated service
towards providing you with ways to broaden your perspective through the current
reading material of the beautiful people of New York City!
Respectfully,
CityReads NYC
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This entry was posted in Uncategorized on January 1, 2017 by cityreadsnyc.
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