Holus Bolus

All at once.

The High Line, September 2018

BY Author Moira Sweeney | Posted on | FILED UNDER Categories Culminant, Foudroyant, Georgic, Holus Bolus, Manhattan, Vaticinate

I love coming to know a city through walking. When I was last in New York in early Autumn 2018, I travelled by foot almost everywhere – from Mid to Downtown Manhattan, across Brooklyn Bridge to the Time Out Market and from Brooklyn Heights down to Carroll Gardens. Amongst my many photographs mapping these treks, are a series of short audio-visual clips on The High Line. In the late, warm afternoon sun, walkers meander lazily, casting their fleeting shadows on the trees and foliage of the Line. The moving imagery and sounds are now traces of a fully breathing city, in temporary slumber, waiting to dazzle again. 

The High Line, September 2018

A Block Party in Brooklyn

BY Author Ana Almeyda-Cohen | Posted on | FILED UNDER Categories Brooklyn, Culminant, Holus Bolus

Block Party

The sounds, rhythms, and feelings that are heard, felt, and sensed being outside in New York City during the summer is one of a kind. Being at a block party captures all of these sensations, HOLUS BOLUS. I had never been to a block party in Brooklyn and when I did finally go, I was torn between enjoying the moment (sans technology) or shooting a quick video to capture the moment and share with my friends and family later. I chose the latter. In this video, everything is captured. Though in a hasting fashion, from the stoop of the brownstone, at a sort of CULMINANT, you can: palpitate the sound of the speakers, the rhythm of the hip-hop music playing, the urge to dance from your street, and the need say nothing–just watch, listen, and record.

A tribute to Borges and Stevenson

BY Author In Choi | Posted on | FILED UNDER Categories history, Holus Bolus

Although I was born and grew up in Korea, I read books mostly written by English and American authors as a child. I especially loved Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Back then, my only reason for reading was for the joy of reading itself.

After my family immigrated to US, learning to read in my second language has become the biggest challenge I had to overcome. Throughout my colleges years, I spent a lot of time just reading textbooks for all the math and computer science classes I had to take. Then, reading just became a punishing exercise where my only objective was to understand and acquire the necessary knowledge to get through the course work.

In my late 20s, I began to realize that throughout my young adulthood all I read was technical books that did not give me any joy (although without them, I probably wouldn’t have a career). At the same time, I thought my reading level in English was just good enough for me to read books written by “serious” writers.

For whatever reason, it didn’t occur to me that I could go back to authors I used to love in my childhood. Somehow, I thought that they had to be “serious” writers. Of all the writers that I started to read, Jorge Luis Borges and James Joyce spoke to me more than anyone else. Borges especially became a literature teacher I never had. While reading some of the forewords in his book, I was delighted to learn that one of his favorite writers was none other than Robert Louis Stevenson.

Inspired by that fact, I recently reread Treasure Island in its original English. There was so much joy in just getting lost in the book and I came upon a scene that was a defining moment in the story (at least to me). It is a moment when Jim Hawkins realizes who he is or who he should be.

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The word holus bolus is used ever more appropriately. How beautiful it is to get a reading advice on English literature from a blind Argentine writer whose time was well before mine! This experience made my recent trip to Buenos Aires all the more special.

I hope anyone who reads this post becomes Borges’ disciple like me. I think this beautiful prose “A Prayer” can easily turn anyone into one:

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Holus Bolus: Williamsburg, Brooklyn by Heather Kramer

BY Author Heather | Posted on | FILED UNDER Categories Brooklyn, Holus Bolus, Places, Words

I’d seen this sort of thing in movies before.

Pigeons, perched atop a roof, staring down at the streets below as if they’d dare never venture below their elevated homes. And in fact they never do. At least the ones that neighbor me.

Three times a day their shadows fall through my window as they swoop in a circle around their building, around the sky. As if they were swimming in a school, they’d stay in close formation while covering every inch with their pattern. A mysterious man would wave a long stick and shout to them as they would fly. They’d come home when he’d stop waving (I later found out this was for exercise). It was best at dusk, for the pigeons would be pink from the setting sun and they’d paint the walls new colors with their wings.

A swarm. A cluster. A gathering of flight. All a mystery to me, until the day I went onto my own roof, and waved over to the man waving the flag.

After our shouted salutations, he agreed to let me find my way up the stairs to meet my winged neighbors. I called up from the street and he threw down a key for me. Stairs, more stairs and a ladder.

He met me with his round smile and informed me that he loved birds, he really did, he just loved them. I found my way to the coop, only to be met with the most beautiful hum. Pigeons wandered the roof, pecked at their food, fluttered about, all while making their individual coo. It was as if they sang in a choir, never leaving a silent moment.

Although not fond of the camera, they were fond of the sky and would soar at any gust of wind or sudden movement. A community of softly singing birds, all with the gift of adorning my apartment with their fluttering shadows and causing the occasional person to glance up when they were in the streets at the right moment.

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Holus-Bolus

BY Author Melanie Daly | Posted on | FILED UNDER Categories Holus Bolus, Queens

Holus-Bolus

The bus driver keeps telling us, “Move back to the rear.”

But no one is listening, people plugged in

with their white earphones, their bluetooth headsets

singing and talking to no one, but loudly.

The driver’s not going to move unless we retreat further into the bus.

I can’t go anywhere, pressed against a heavyset man wearing a backpack.

I’d rather walk, but it’s 30 degrees out and windy.  No one wants to move,

did I already say?  We finally go and at Calamus Street, I almost crack up,

literally, like Van Gogh, my head almost splits in two.  Forty people

cramming to get on and we’re already 10 over quota.  Everyone’s a critic.

I’m a critic at 7am when I just want to get on the subway, get a seat,

go to work to make my money and pay my bill.  ‘It boils down to bills,’

my dad used to say.  Boiling bills, we work to pay and we pay

to work, but not really in that order always, though it seems so.

Oh the subway, we finally make it and people are pushing and shoving

and It’s no goddamn race someone yells.  People come to blows at 7am,

did you know?  Have you ever witnessed two elderly women having a slapping

fight?  A homophobic man reapetedly yelling FAGGOT FAGGOT at the top of his lungs

because another man bumped him?  It’s not too pleasant

traveling among strangers, among that energy.  No wonder we plug in,

pretend we’re alone, horse blinders protecting us from the universe.

Melanie Daly