Photowalking Brooklyn: Pics and Bits. At Night. Inspired by Lydia Davis (Part 1)

I was in the middle of writing a post on 'Body Heat,' the film, when I happened to hear an interview with Lydia Davis on the 'Between The Covers' podcast, hosted by the excellent David Naimon. This happens all the time. I’m in the middle of something, and then I’m pulled into something else. I’ve stopped fighting it.

For those who don’t know who Lydia Davis is, she’s an award-winning writer of very short (micro/ flash) fiction; many of her stories are a single-sentence or paragraph long. You can read a few here.

I’m too old to behave like a child. But guess what? I’ve stopped fighting it. So I drop everything, grab my camera (walking without a camera is like sucking on a cigar without lighting it), and hit the streets of Brooklyn. It’s night. And it’s not safe. But what am I saving myself for?

1. The Eyelash Shop

   

   Nestled between brownstone buildings, its neon sign flickering. A rat eating a donut on the sidewalk is bathed in blue. Inside, women huddled in plush chairs are gossiping in Urdu. One extension at a time, they’re turning ordinary blinks into captivating winks.

2. In the Heart of Brooklyn

   

   Hello, concrete.
   Hello, creativity.

   A lone sunflower emerged from a crack in the asphalt, its golden petals defying the urban landscape. The audacity of nature reclaiming a piece of the city, yet no one pays attention.
   Goodnight.

3. The Verrazzano

   

   Screeching tires and emergency lights blinking like distressed fireflies. A pileup in the dead of night. Metal against metal, entangled like lovers. In the eerie silence that followed, the bridge held its breath, bearing witness.

4. The Boardwalk Lamp

   

   As the night deepened, a passerby asked, "What's your secret?" The boardwalk lamp winked, "I've seen more tales unfold than the sea has waves; secrets, my friend, are my currency."

Thanks for reading! Part 2 coming soon.

‘Til next time,

ak