This is not a paid advertisement, but it is an advertisement! My client Tricia Romano worked on her book, THE FREAKS CAME OUT TO WRITE, for seven years through a tragic personal loss and Covid. She Finished the Fucker big time and it’s a great joy to see book showered with praise. It’s a sprawling oral history of The Village Voice that covers six decades and includes over two hundred interviews. Here are just a few of the raves that have been coming in from the New York Times, NPR, and The New Yorker. If you love downtown, the art scene, politics, performance art, activism, feminism, gay rights, theater, punk music, hip hop and jazz. If you ever lived in New York (or wanted to), were born too early or too late, this book brings it all to life. It’s a great ride.
Tell me about your New York state of mind.
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Betsy Lerner 
Only in NY for my job decades ago. Itcwas something below zero temperature. I adked the cab to take mectovsee The Statue.of Liberty. He said “Lady, the water is frozen.” And…H&H bagels are the best I’ve ever had in my life!
H&H the best.
I’m from the Buffalo, NY area and I was only in the city once or twice in my life. I actually went through the city back when I was in college (1970 something) as my boyfriend at the time was from Long Island. Although I have only sparse memories of the actual city, the book looks too interesting to pass up! Thanks for the heads up!
Congratulations to Tricia Romano!
I grew up in Yonkers and spent a lot of time in the city during the early 1970s. The Village Voice was a go to guide for finding out what was going on, concerts, off Broadway plays, way off Broadway plays (saw “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in some small Village basement theater and it was powerful and way more faithful to the book then the movie) and just getting a different take on what was going on in the city and the world. The Voice understood what was happening in the city and where to find those happenings. The subways ran all night, but the bus from the Bronx into Yonkers slowed its services way down after midnight and I did a lot of walking through places not entirely safe.
Once I applied through the Voice’s classifieds to be part of an experiment (for a decent pay) trying out a new psychoactive drug. I called the Voice to apply and the woman on the other end told me, “Sorry Jack, a Jill got that job.” In retrospect, I’m kinda glad I wasn’t selected to be a human guinea pig, but I thought the rejection was laid down in perfect NYC fashion.
I’ve traveled a lot since then and New York City is still the barometer with which I gauge cities. 50 years later, NYC still comes out on top
Great Voice story. Thanks!
Congratulations, Tricia, and congratulations, Betsy!
“Tell me about your New York state of mind.”
I had for the first three decades of my life what I believe to be the routine provincial’s fear and resentment of NYC. Then I was invited to go to NYC for a spell, and I went, and NYC cast its spell on me.
Living there, working there, and studying there changed my life. I couldn’t stay, but you go to NYC and spend some time, and in a sense, part of you never comes back.
I’ve been under that spell since the first time I visited the village when I was fifteen.
I was a Jersey-girl until I left for Africa in ’68. Still astounds me how driving into the city back then was no big deal. I loved it. Sometimes my friends and I would take the bus in, hop on the Staten Island Ferry and go cruising. (it only cost a nickle) It was our own personal yacht ya know.
Landed a position as an intern at a museum in the city because it was my dream to authenticate fine art. Had to tell them I was off to Jo’burg for a couple of years. Funny the pathways that deviate from your master plan.
A date once took me on the Staten Island Ferry. So romantic.
Congratulations to Tricia and you! 🎉🎉🎉
NYC – I’ve been once, and that was when I was about 7 or 8, and it was a blip on the radar of my life. We were on our yearly trip to Maine. Somehow my dad got turned around, and my mother had a panic attack, because, “Oh my God, how did we end up in New York City?!?!?” We stopped for directions, and there we were, in the car Ralph Nader said was a death trap, my brother and I staring up at the biggest buildings we’d ever seen.
NYC is other-worldly to me, almost like going to another country. I’d like to go, except I’m intimidated by it all.
Being intimidated by the driving in the city makes sense to me. NYC, though, is great — so much to see and do. It’s always wise to be cautious (I could tell you some stories… Once my Indiana girlfriend and I were walking toward a somewhat secluded area in Central Park and we noticed two guys hurrying to follow us, so we decided on a different, more populated trail and all was well), but walking around midtown, checking out one of any number of Broadway shows, listening to trippy jazz in a small club and enjoying excellent food are only some of the things to do. A day trip just to hang out in Washington Square Park or crossing a few streets and going from Little Italy to Chinatown, stopping in cool little shops or just sitting on a bench and watching the world go by is as good a way to spend a day as any. People always say to avoid eye contact and, while it is true that many people will frown and ignore you if you smile at them, you’d be surprised how many smile back.
This was supposed to be a reply to Donna’s comment above. Oops.