THE SHIRTS: Out On The Ropes In Brooklyn
The author of Look Homeward, Angel wasn’t talking about the Grateful Dead or even The Living Dead.
"Only the dead know Brooklyn."
—Thomas Wolfe
The author of Look Homeward, Angel wasnt talking about the Grateful Dead or even The Living Dead. He was asserting that unless youre a bonafide lifeless corpse, you cant begin to comprehend the myriad of neighborhoods, intersections and subway stops that comprise Brooklyn, borough of Kings and, if you believe the local chamber of commerce, the fourth largest city in the U.S.A.
Last'time I ventured into Brooklyn was three years ago to see a 1928 silent film about Rasputin, featuring actual footage of The Mad Monk. The picture was shown in someones Park Slope apartment while unwanted children cowered in the hallway. Even at that, it was an event I had prepared for days in advance, somehow envisioning a trip to Brooklyn as a voyage to the Underworld. Id packed a picnic basket with large amounts of food, narcotics and alcohol—and that was just for the walk to the subway.