Stacy Horn

I just heard from my very first college roommate!  We were students together at the Florida Institute of Technology, but after one semester we both decided we wanted to study photography and left.  (Neither of us became photographers, although I did it for a few years after college.  She went on and studied physics and worked at Bell Labs!!  VERY impressive.)

When I look back I have to ask, what was the rush??  On the one hand, I guess this is a good thing about me, when I make a decision to do something I do it, little hesitation. But still.  This was a fun place and I really liked so many of the people who went there.  Did I have to leave immediately??  

That’s me on the left, and Elisa on the right, partying one night on the beach. Oh!!  I’m wearing my shark’s tooth necklace that I had made.  I miss that.

This was the shot I was really going for, I love taking pictures of lots of shades of gray in color. But when I walked over to take the shot below a little guy came out to stop me. 

I wonder why?  What is it?  I was just drawn to the yellow, love yellow things now.  

He was kind of an icky guy, but that could have been simply because he was trying to prevent me from doing something I wanted to do.  I was mad at myself later, because if I hadn’t reacted, and got all annoyed, and had instead made an attempt to be nice to the guy it probably would have been fine.  Or fine-er than it was.  But as it was he got on the phone to either the cops or his mob bosses to report me.  I laughed because it had the feel of running to mommy.  “I told her to stop taking pictures and she didn’t!” But it was a fake laugh, a forced laugh.

Here’s a pulled back shot of the whole structure I was photographing.  There was a Department of Sanitation sign.  I’m not sure what the problem was, and the photo-guard wouldn’t tell me, only that it was private property, which didn’t seem like it could be true, it looked like City property and that’s when I thought, “sanitation … mob …”

I was so traumatized by the movie Invaders From Mars that whenever I see anything even remotely like it I get the creeps, all these years later.

I took this walking towards the Hudson River.  I was somewhere up in the 70’s, I forget which block (probably due to TRAUMA).

Doesn’t it look a little like the path leading up to the sandpit in Invaders From Mars?  It’s just missing that fence running up along the left.  And trees.  It’s the urban version. This is the best sandpit alien landing pad we could come up with in the city. Seriously, I saw it and immediately thought Invaders From Mars, first thing.  I will never forget that sandpit. Whatever a sandpit is, besides being a good hiding spot for aliens.

I walked back home along the river from an unsuccessful shopping trip uptown.  I had a little adventure along the way, which I will post about. Nothing truly exciting, but I got a nice picture out of it.

I was threatened by someone who either works for the City or the mob. Or aliens. Okay, not aliens.  

Or does he???

When I look at pictures of wood buildings in the neighborhood which were taken when they were new, or new-ish, they looked dilapidated, even then.  What I like about the White Horse Tavern is that is has that look exactly.  Even though it’s famous as a former writer’s bar I read that it was once a longshoreman’s bar.  That’s what it looks like, a longshoreman’s bar.

Here’s a detail.  It looks seedy, basically, which is more authentic to my neighborhood (the far West Village).  At least for a certain period anyway.  I have good camera news, by the way!  A friend’s boyfriend is a fashion photographer, and she also has a Canon G9, (the camera I just bought) and he uses one as a back-up, and he is going to give us lessons on what all these billion controls mean!!

Don’t go to see House Bunny.  I was hoping it was going to be a nice surprise, like Legally Blonde, but no.  Man was it bad.  And just weird. Like it wasn’t made by … people.  I actually thought while watching it that it was made by guys who had never spoken to a woman in their lives, and was surprised when the credits rolled and I saw that it was written, produced and directed by women.  And then I learned later it was made by the same screenwriters as Legally Blonde.

The humor, what passed for humor, just made me cringe.  Don’t go.

But do read The Brief History of the Dead.

And if you missed the new summer show In Plain Sight download it and watch it.

And get the Bridgid’s Abbey cheese from Cato Corner Farm at the Greenmarket (if you’re in New York).

I took this picture on Commerce Street facing Morton Street.  A pretty spot, no?