Author Archives: riverby

… an essay written 27 years ago.. Like the whale, whose two eyes must concentrate on two different scenes at once, and attempt to merge them into one intelligence, I am often in the position of trying to direct the … Continue reading →

The large tree across the street draws my attention every morning and evening as the early and late sun throws a lovely glow on the buildings and on the maple’s foliage beginning to turn from its late summer green to … Continue reading →

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”    Albert Einstein  “I have been found guilty of the misdemeanor known as making light of Einstein”                  ee cummings “The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by … Continue reading →

The city sky is uniformly gray this morning.   Across the street, the lack of sunlight makes the otherwise ornate buildings dull. There are few people in the city this week; sidewalks are empty, traffic is light. Since this is … Continue reading →

Very early 1970s. “All in the Family.” Gloria comes home in her friend’s clothing, acts ashamed, and won’t speak to her family. Finally she confides in Edith that a man pulled her behind a construction site and tried to rape … Continue reading →

Mohammed peeked over his shoulder as he slid the car into the late night traffic on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. He had a big smile. “Well, Mama, how was your night out at the bar?”  Before answering I adjusted the … Continue reading →

The sky is an amazing pale violet and blue and pink that cannot be captured with my camera phone. It’s dusk and I’m in the backyard having finished cutting back the roses for fall. The roses are in large planters … Continue reading →

1964 Tony was working at the NYC Parks Department on Lexington Avenue as a “parkie,” playing basketball and other stuff with the kids from the tenements. He was also studying for his master’s in Art History, being mentored by Ad … Continue reading →

1/1 Sitting in my bedroom in the dark, looking out my window onto the dark street, what I can see are the Christmas lights winding down from the steps to the brownstone, with those big old fashioned colored bubs. There … Continue reading →