How quickly a month goes by! I had an incredible time in New York. I wrote and wrote and wrote, which was the point of the trip this year. Last year I was there to research. It was bit of a battle at times to stay in and write because it's New York. No matter how much The City called, I really needed to hunker down at the laptop. But do not feel sorry for me.  I mean, look at my desk: 

That's where I spent a lot of daytime this year. In NY I'm usually out from morning to night. I usually meet a friend for breakfast, then go to a museum, then grab a falafel and head to the park or the piers, then I meet another friend for dinner and a show and then dancing. This time I'd only socialize after I'd logged my four hours. Sometimes I'd do that at home (above) and sometimes at a cafe. It depended on my mood. And logging four hours on the stopwatch—of actually moving forward in the novel—sometimes took 10 hours! That's because every time I went back to find a previously written scene; or each time I went online to research something; or to grab a sandwich or pour an iced coffee or to stretch; the clock went off. Still, I managed to do and see a fair amount; almost achieving the four hours a day for thirty days I'd set as an ideal goal for myself. I was in bed most nights by midnight and up every morning at 7. Lots of these pictures are taken after 7pm, even the ones with great light. This small sampling should give you an idea of what it was like this year. And for that particular person who said I should have some pictures of myself on my blog, here you go:

 

(above) Yoga at midnight in SoHo after seeing Arias with a Twist. (More yoga in unlikely places later.)

 

John took this one. More SoHo photo fun. The best pic ever taken of me, I think. It seriously seems to capture something. 

In this one I'm talking to Mark back home while taking a pic of my reflection in the window of KMart. Notice the Mud Truck behind me. YUM! I was on my way to DOMA to write that day, probably. 

 

Jess, Anne-E, Me, and Tom. The Performing Arts Workshop crew one night at Greg and Michael's (in front of an incredible painting at the other end of "my desk" (which is Michael and Greg's dining room table)) before taking on the East Village and introducing the folks there to our improvisational dance moves.

That's Michael. We had so much fun that night with the folks from PAW. He's the world's best host and co-cook and friend. I miss him already. 

That's me above in the bathroom at the Dance Theater Workshop where my friend John and I saw Dance by Neil Greenberg (incredible!) and later had dinner with Neil and his partner. They were a delight. I lost my favorite had that night (pictured above) after putting it in the sleeve of my sports coat while at dinner and then forgetting about it while carrying the jacket home. (You only need a jacket for air conditioned buildings in NY in June/July). 

 

The light that night in Chelsea was breathtaking...

...so a lot of people were just hanging out... 

... including John and me...(John is a brilliant fiction writer and poet. I heard him read one of the first nights I was there.)

I'm obsessed with taking pictures of graffiti. My computer's memory is full because of how many I have from everywhere I go. 

 

 ...

 

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 ...see?

 

and that one is me with graffiti (and a psychotic look on my face!).

 

I never wrote in or drank anything from Starbucks while in NY...how could I with the Mud Truck so nearby? But I did use the bathroom at Starbs once and saw this. I thought it was hilarious. Is that for when they say the price for an iced mochacino? (Whatever that is??) 

 

I'll let you interpret the above picture as you will. 

 

I love New York's aura. This was taken while waiting for Farhad at Waverly Place and 6th Ave...

 

Some would argue that New York is (above)...It's actually a building where a gallery show we were supposed to see was housed but for some reason it was closed. We looked at the show through the window. 

Above is one show we did see. The New York Waterfalls, a grand exhibition by artist Olafur Eliasson. It was raining that night and it was magical to see the waterfalls through the waterfalls. It's worth clicking on the artist's statement. You can find it by clicking on that last link.  

 

 Above are Carmine, Michael, and my cuz Greg, who put together an unforgettable last night together in the city. We went to see Edward Albee's The Occupant with Mercedes Reuhl and then dinner at The Union Square Cafe. 

 

As promised, more yoga at arguably innaporpriate places. I don't know what it is about a marble circle that makes me want to do a backbend, but it happens every time. This was at The Winter Garden, at the World Financial Center, completely rebuilt now after the damage on 9/11. It was the first time I'd been to ground zero. 

 

So much space...That pic was taken my last day in the city. I had to catch a 7pm flight and wanted to get in as much as possible. The day included a walk through the West Village, the Piers, Battery Park City, SoHo, Tribeca, and then back to the East Village. 

 

If you look above the tree in the background of this shot, you can see my girlfriend. :) I hope you enjoyed the pics. Stay tuned for an update on my upcoming private writing workshop back in SF.