Stacy Horn

Whenever I use a library for the first time I’m intimidated. This is how I react in almost any new situation: get scared. But every library has their own way of doing things, some more eccentric than others (not naming names, I want to keep all librarians on my side) and I’m always initially anxious to get it right.

To prepare for my Library of Congress I printed out maps and made a step-by-step list, go to this room and get registered, etc. On top of my first-visit anxiety, I had only four hours to do what I needed to do and I couldn’t waste precious seconds standing in a hall wondering where to go.

I got there all red and puffy because I practically ran from the train station, plus I was dressed for New York and it was HOT. As a result my id picture was the WORST picture of me ever, and that just made me more anxious. But in a few minutes I was holding the actual papers I’d come to see, not copies, and I was thrilled. Some libraries make you wear gloves and I hate wearing gloves. It takes some of the excitement away. Oh God, this is sounding perilously close to you-know-what, but the sense of touch is so important and you want nothing separating you from the thing in your hands.

Next week, the Houghton Library at Harvard!! Which I’ve never been to so of course I’m terrified. What am I scared of? That the library will be staffed by serial killers?

This is the window of a liquor store on Hudson Street. What’s the deal with the pigs?

I couldn’t sleep one night and I watched an episode of a BBC series called Doctor Who. It’s been true love ever since. The show been on for decades and different actors have taken over playing the Doctor. They’ve even made changing the actors part of the mythology. The doctor periodically regenerates, and that’s how they explain the totally new appearance. The current Doctor is my favorite. My love for him is in the stratosphere.

It runs on BBC America and the new season starts tomorrow. Here is all you need to know to jump right in, and I promise if you give it a try you will thank me.

The Doctor is the last of a race called Time Lords and they can travel through time and space. His time machine is called a Tardis and it’s shaped like a British police box, which looks like an old-fashioned telephone booth (I’ve never been to England). The Doctor always travels with someone else, called a companion, and the current companion is Amy Pond. My love for her is in the stratosphere too. There’s all sorts of bad guys throughout the universe and my favorites are the sleeping angels and the daleks. There’s also another character called River Song. I don’t quite know what her relationship is to the doctor, and I think we’re not supposed to yet. She can travel in time too, apparently, and she and the Doctor keep crossing paths in time and there are hints that they might be married in the future.

There’s a lot more, but that’s really all you need to start watching and to know stratospheric love.

I took this passing through Union Square. That spire in the distance is Grace Church.

I literally ran by the Capitol Building on my way to the Library of Congress. I had only four hours to browse three collections and I almost made it. I didn’t get to three boxes, but that’s okay. I got to the main ones I wanted to see.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything that made me scream. There was one long letter though, that I didn’t stop to read—I was just racing through the boxes, photographing everything that looked like it might lead to an interesting story—and maybe there will be something good in that letter.

Still, I had to go down there and see. It would have driven me crazy wondering if there was something in there I could have really used. Next week, Harvard!

Well, my phone call with my new editor went very well. She really likes it, and she does want changes, but of the “more of this” variety, and none of the “less of this” and more importantly no major over-hauling. So yay!!

I’m running down to the Library of Congress to check a few archives. I have to get there and back in a day and I’ve been emailing with a librarian to work out the logistics. I’m literally going to jump on a bus and take a 4 hour plus ride to DC, run over to the Performing Arts Reading Room, take pictures like mad (they won’t let you copy older materials, but you can photograph them) then run back to Union Station and jump on a bus back home. I’ll be leaving the house at 7:20am and getting back around 10:30pm. Quite the whirlwind of a day!

A semi-secret garden in the West Village. Where did I see this? Morton Street? But this is looking down what was probably an alley leading to a stable for horses.

For two reasons, maybe three. First, after trying on 16,000 pairs of jeans, and returning what I’d bought two times to the Levi’s store, and three times to the Lucky store, I now have two pairs of new jeans. I ended up with the Lola Skinny straight jeans from Lucky, and their Classic Rider. I got the Classic Riders in a size that’s a little too big because one size down was too small. So I’m going to have to get them tailored, which is a drag, but what are you going to do?

Now I’m hoping I can get these jeans to last me more than a year? Maybe two? I’m sure the people at the Lucky store on 5th Avenue don’t want to see me for a while.

Second reason life is good again, my camera is back!!! What did I shoot first? Dogs.

My maybe third reason I’ll know after I speak to my new editor to see what she thought of what I sent her. This is a VERY scary phone call for me. I’m going to have to just bite the bullet and call her. I already know she doesn’t hate it, she emailed me, so I shouldn’t be feeling this scared, but I am.