New
York is not just a location in my books, it is a character -- at least in the
sense of it being the catalyst that forces my heroines to change, to grow, to
develop.New
York is not just a location in my books, it is a character -- at least in the
sense of it being the catalyst that forces my heroines to change, to grow, to
develop.
Perhaps this is true because New York forced me to change. Everyone who comes to the City to forge a career has to put aside old concepts of how things are supposed to work and reinvent him or herself to survive in a town that is both without limits and without mercy. The stereotype is that you have to move fast here or you'll get trampled in the subway, talk fast or you won't get in a word edgewise and think fast or you'll be left without the shirt on your back or a penny to your name.
The reality is that the city lets you be anything you want to be (which is probably why so many misfits end up here), but always makes you keep things in perspective. It's hard to think you're such a big deal when buildings soar sixty stories on every corner, but it's hard not to feel like a king or queen when you're walking down Fifth Avenue and the sun is shining and the city is pulsating with the energy of million people certain that they are in the nexus of the world.
As you can see from the picture above, taken a block away from my apartment, I am one of those people who has chosen to look at the beauty of New York, rather than its ugliness. I wish I could steer you to the beautiful Mystery Bookstores we used to have, if you are visiting the city (this is a mystery site, after all) -- but they're pretty much gone now. Only their ghosts remain. But mysteries themselves and New York will always be around. So will my favorite New York City Restaurants (I hope), so you shouldn't go away hungry!
*I
expanded this page into an essay for Mystery Scene Magazine.
To read it click on any
New York link
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