DOINGS AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE. Frequent alicublog commenter Michael Webster has put up a slideshow of his Hurricane Sandy New York pictures that warrants your attention. As with his other work, Michael doesn't go for the Pulitzer money-shots, instead showing people and things as they mostly are, even in disasters. I think it gives a more believable picture of what South Brooklynites were suffering than most of what's out there.
On a more upbeat note, new on the blogroll is frequent alicublog commenter John E. Williams who has turned his personal music blog, Abandoned and Heartbroke, into a fun ride for fans of pop crap, posting videos you'd forgotten about (Shark Tape!) and commentating like a stoned FM DJ in the 70s. (John also designed the cover of my lurid novel.)
Thanks for linking Michael Webster's photos. They *are* Pulitzer-worthy.
ReplyDeleteSo John E. Williams has finally gotten out of Roger Ailes' basement?
ReplyDeleteWTG, John!
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Fantastic photos. Really human -- so different for the faux-drama of what passes for photojournalism these days. The second photo in this round-up shows you exactly what's wrong with today's photographers. http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/tag/fabienne-cherisma/
ReplyDeleteUh-oh, I better clean up the joint in case I have company. Thanks, Roy! At least FM DJs had the excuse of actually being stoned.
ReplyDeleteThose photos are quietly devastating. They have more clearly shown me the reality of what has been done to my old home than anything else I have seen so far. Michael Webster deserves a book, and not just for the Sandy shots.
You say that now! Wait'll Roger Ailes comes along and comandeers it!
ReplyDeleteI got nothing other than warmest regards to any of the Alicuratti or cherished of the Alicurratti dealing with the aftermath of Sandy.
ReplyDeleteAnd while I have only looked at a few of the pictures, they are a treasure, thanks to Roy and Michael. This StarBucks is beginning to drive me batty, but I have saved a copy of John's page to my folder of shit I have yet to read, for offline browsing purposes.
Later Haters, I miss almost each and every one of thee.
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Amazing photos. Some of them look like they entailed personal risk. Powerful stuff. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAlly C, regarding second photo, yep. Not nearly as serious, but here's my take on the same phenomenon from the Mermaid Parade a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks Roy. Wasn't expecting this when I checked out Alicublog this morning.
If there's a better blog on the intertubez, I don't know of it!
ReplyDeleteWow. Just wow.
ReplyDeleteFunny you say "these days"; the subject and perspective reminds me of the B&W urban landscape stuff we did in the early '70's. I've missed that intimacy. Thanks Michael. And, Roy.
ReplyDeleteBeg to differ, Roy. Michael's photos are deserving of a Pulitzer. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteFor just a second I thought "why is that lady putting sandbags ONTOP OF SAND?"
ReplyDeleteGreat pix.
Fantastic pictures. They gave me the chills. Especially the woman putting sand into pink bags, and the mysterious picture of the dolls drowned in their plastic bag.
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos; great job, Michael, and my only request is to find out what happened to Lola Star and her cute little pink sandbags. (I'm not implicitly criticizing her, as I'm not one to point fingers WRT disaster preparation; several years ago, on my birthday yet, I turned my car radio off at the beginning of a drive on a dark and stormy night and ended up driving right past a serious tornado that could have easily pitched me, car and all, straight into the Illinois River.)
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to put oneself in the mindset of someone who has built up a business, has fiought gentrification and the destruction of "Joe Schmo's Riviera" all the way, and now sees everything she has built in jeopardy. It's heartbreaking to see these unique coastal communities being devastated, and the thought of "disaster capitalism" turning these areas into a playground for rich folks gets me nauseous.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures of Sheepshead Bay are heartbreaking. I've always loved those honky-tonk, working class waterfront neighborhoods like Broad Channel, Rockaway Beach, Edgwater in the Bronx, and my personal favorite, City Island. Those tiny bungalows have fascinated me since I was a child. Thanks for risking your ass to take these photos.
ReplyDeleteYea, Lola's great. Her stores looked okay from the outside the day after the storm, and the pink bags were cute, but they were likely flooded pretty bad on the inside. Hopefully she got everything at leas six foot or so off the floor. Few did.
ReplyDeleteAs for gentrification, I don't know about Lola, but most of the old timers that didn't get booted are now saying nice things about development. Seems the attitude is that there's nothing they can do to stop it, so they might as well do what they can to maintain their lifestyle and hopefully profit a bit from it.
If you're interested, this was my take on it from a few years ago. I had seen Bloomberg on tv arguing in favor of the development. About Coney Island he said "no one goes there anymore." Yet, I went there all the time and it was just about the most crowded place I'd ever seen. Of course what he meant was "very few wealthy white people go there anymore."