Brooklyn and Literary references

SDC · 6th September 2008, 04:19 PM

I feel challenged to come up with literary references to Brooklyn, a.k.a. Kings County, New York City. It has about 3 mln residents and covers about 70 sq miles. The wife and I lived there for 6 years and our daughter was born there.

I can come up with 3 titles of stories or novels which resonate in, at least, US literature. (I have no idea whether they mean anything outside of the US).

-- Only the Dead Know Brooklyn (short story by Thomas, not Tom, Wolfe).

-- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (novel by Betty Smith).

-- Last Exit to Brooklyn (novel by Hubert Selby).

Those are off the top of my head. Here is my challenge to all: name any other iconic stories/ novels/ dramatic or literary or musical works with Brooklyn in the title... Without looking them up!!

You don't have to have read or understood them.

Thanks. The name, incidentally, is a butchered spelling from Dutch.

MG1962 · 6th September 2008, 04:22 PM

A tree still grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)

The Brooklyn Follies (Paul Auster)

SDC · 6th September 2008, 04:28 PM

"Tree Still Grows..."?? Wait a minute. You are going to have to document that. Just checked WorldCat (biggest datebase of library holdings) and that only refers to an article in NY Times Book Review from 1999.

Remember, I asked for "iconic," not just any usage of the term. Otherwise the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens would be all over the place.

zigaretten · 6th September 2008, 06:28 PM

Brooklyn.........Steely Dan

"A tower room at Eden Rock
His golf at noon for free
Brooklyn owes the charmer
Under me"

I don't know if this is iconic or not, but it's the first thing I thought of, whereas I've never heard of "Only the Dead Know Brooklyn." But I'm a Steely Dan fan and have been listening to them a good bit lateley.

HistoryGal · 6th September 2008, 10:27 PM

Also from Betty Smith and set in Brooklyn:

Tomorrow Will Be Better

EeneyMinnieMoe · 6th September 2008, 10:53 PM

Where are you from, SDC? I'd guess that you're from a European country, possibly a Slavic one?

Sophie's Choice is set in Brooklyn.

So's some of Walt Whitman's poetry.

The Great Gatsby takes place on Long Island...close!

zigaretten · 6th September 2008, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by EeneyMinnieMoe

Sophie's Choice is set in Brooklyn.

So's some of Walt Whitman's poetry.

But he wants Brooklyn in the title, otherwise I'd nominate Manchild in the Promised Land (does anyone still read that?)

SDC · 7th September 2008, 05:00 AM

European country? I was born in Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD. In what was then called the "Women's Wing" of the hospital, I gather. Home language entirely English (since my parents weren't Baltimore natives -- the local dialect is hard to describe as "English"). Though granted, my father's parents had immigrated from near the Dniester river.

I'm just thinking Brooklyn literary thoughts. I know Paul Auster is the hot B'klyn author nowadays but I haven't built up the nerve to try and read him.

MG1962 · 7th September 2008, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by SDC

"Tree Still Grows..."?? Wait a minute. You are going to have to document that. Just checked WorldCat (biggest datebase of library holdings) and that only refers to an article in NY Times Book Review from 1999.

Remember, I asked for "iconic," not just any usage of the term. Otherwise the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens would be all over the place.

Sorry my bad - I thought that article was a review of a sequel

EeneyMinnieMoe · 7th September 2008, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by SDC

European country? I was born in Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD. In what was then called the "Women's Wing" of the hospital, I gather. Home language entirely English (since my parents weren't Baltimore natives -- the local dialect is hard to describe as "English"). Though granted, my father's parents had immigrated from near the Dniester river.

You're an American and you speak Polish?! That's amazing!

If I knew you in real life, I'd invite you to meet my parents. They'd be shocked!

Ysidro · 8th September 2008, 10:26 AM

Not very literary, but there's always No Sleep 'till Brooklyn by The Beastie Boys.

e-sabbath · 8th September 2008, 11:19 AM

One Bugs Bunny most certainly is the world's most famous Brooklyn native.

SDC · 8th September 2008, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by EeneyMinnieMoe

You're an American and you speak Polish?! That's amazing!

If I knew you in real life, I'd invite you to meet my parents. They'd be shocked!

There are some of us, mostly academics. Around here, I bet Nick Terry (not Terowski, I believe) knows Polish. My case started in high school, when I found I could boost my GPA by taking more language classes; I had a talent and interest. My school was unusual in that it offered Russian. I continued with Russian, and in grad school found that adding Polish gave me an edge, a different angle on the general East-Central European field, that most competitors lacked; my adviser was also bilingual Ukrainian-Polish (from the Lublin area originally) and encouraged me.

And since languages have been useful and interesting to me over the years, I have stuck with a few favorites, Polish one of them.

And as I have said before, one of the things which gripes my guts most about Holocaust deniers is their refusal to deal with the evidence in Polish; there is a fabulous wealth of it. They refuse even to acknowledge its existence.

Whoops. OT.

maxfrost · 9th September 2008, 04:53 PM

Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr.?

6th September 2008, 04:19 PM	#1
SDC Master Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New York area Posts: 2,250	Brooklyn and Literary references I feel challenged to come up with literary references to Brooklyn, a.k.a. Kings County, New York City. It has about 3 mln residents and covers about 70 sq miles. The wife and I lived there for 6 years and our daughter was born there. I can come up with 3 titles of stories or novels which resonate in, at least, US literature. (I have no idea whether they mean anything outside of the US). -- Only the Dead Know Brooklyn (short story by Thomas, not Tom, Wolfe). -- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (novel by Betty Smith). -- Last Exit to Brooklyn (novel by Hubert Selby). Those are off the top of my head. Here is my challenge to all: name any other iconic stories/ novels/ dramatic or literary or musical works with Brooklyn in the title... Without looking them up!! You don't have to have read or understood them. Thanks. The name, incidentally, is a butchered spelling from Dutch.

8th September 2008, 10:26 AM	#11
Ysidro I'm watching you Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5,334	Not very literary, but there's always No Sleep 'till Brooklyn by The Beastie Boys.
Ysidro I'm watching you Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5,334	__________________ This is a sig file. Does anyone even read this stuff?

9th September 2008, 04:53 PM	#14
maxfrost Thinker Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 199	Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr.?
maxfrost Thinker Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 199	__________________ When you lie down with dogs, you wake up with dog breath.

6th September 2008, 04:22 PM	#2
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	A tree still grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith) The Brooklyn Follies (Paul Auster)

6th September 2008, 04:28 PM	#3
SDC Master Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New York area Posts: 2,250	"Tree Still Grows..."?? Wait a minute. You are going to have to document that. Just checked WorldCat (biggest datebase of library holdings) and that only refers to an article in NY Times Book Review from 1999. Remember, I asked for "iconic," not just any usage of the term. Otherwise the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens would be all over the place.

6th September 2008, 06:28 PM	#4
zigaretten Thinker Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 158	Brooklyn.........Steely Dan "A tower room at Eden Rock His golf at noon for free Brooklyn owes the charmer Under me" I don't know if this is iconic or not, but it's the first thing I thought of, whereas I've never heard of "Only the Dead Know Brooklyn." But I'm a Steely Dan fan and have been listening to them a good bit lateley.

6th September 2008, 10:27 PM	#5
HistoryGal Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Land of La Posts: 1,572	Also from Betty Smith and set in Brooklyn: Tomorrow Will Be Better

6th September 2008, 10:53 PM	#6
EeneyMinnieMoe Philosopher Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 6,660	Where are you from, SDC? I'd guess that you're from a European country, possibly a Slavic one? Sophie's Choice is set in Brooklyn. So's some of Walt Whitman's poetry. The Great Gatsby takes place on Long Island...close!

6th September 2008, 10:58 PM	#7
zigaretten Thinker Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 158	Originally Posted by EeneyMinnieMoe Sophie's Choice is set in Brooklyn. So's some of Walt Whitman's poetry. But he wants Brooklyn in the title, otherwise I'd nominate Manchild in the Promised Land (does anyone still read that?)

7th September 2008, 05:00 AM	#8
SDC Master Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New York area Posts: 2,250	European country? I was born in Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD. In what was then called the "Women's Wing" of the hospital, I gather. Home language entirely English (since my parents weren't Baltimore natives -- the local dialect is hard to describe as "English"). Though granted, my father's parents had immigrated from near the Dniester river. I'm just thinking Brooklyn literary thoughts. I know Paul Auster is the hot B'klyn author nowadays but I haven't built up the nerve to try and read him.

7th September 2008, 07:44 AM	#9
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	Originally Posted by SDC "Tree Still Grows..."?? Wait a minute. You are going to have to document that. Just checked WorldCat (biggest datebase of library holdings) and that only refers to an article in NY Times Book Review from 1999. Remember, I asked for "iconic," not just any usage of the term. Otherwise the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens would be all over the place. Sorry my bad - I thought that article was a review of a sequel

7th September 2008, 12:17 PM	#10
EeneyMinnieMoe Philosopher Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 6,660	Originally Posted by SDC European country? I was born in Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD. In what was then called the "Women's Wing" of the hospital, I gather. Home language entirely English (since my parents weren't Baltimore natives -- the local dialect is hard to describe as "English"). Though granted, my father's parents had immigrated from near the Dniester river. You're an American and you speak Polish?! That's amazing! If I knew you in real life, I'd invite you to meet my parents. They'd be shocked!

8th September 2008, 11:19 AM	#12
e-sabbath Critical Thinker Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 321	One Bugs Bunny most certainly is the world's most famous Brooklyn native.

8th September 2008, 02:05 PM	#13
SDC Master Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New York area Posts: 2,250	Originally Posted by EeneyMinnieMoe You're an American and you speak Polish?! That's amazing! If I knew you in real life, I'd invite you to meet my parents. They'd be shocked! There are some of us, mostly academics. Around here, I bet Nick Terry (not Terowski, I believe) knows Polish. My case started in high school, when I found I could boost my GPA by taking more language classes; I had a talent and interest. My school was unusual in that it offered Russian. I continued with Russian, and in grad school found that adding Polish gave me an edge, a different angle on the general East-Central European field, that most competitors lacked; my adviser was also bilingual Ukrainian-Polish (from the Lublin area originally) and encouraged me. And since languages have been useful and interesting to me over the years, I have stuck with a few favorites, Polish one of them. And as I have said before, one of the things which gripes my guts most about Holocaust deniers is their refusal to deal with the evidence in Polish; there is a fabulous wealth of it. They refuse even to acknowledge its existence. Whoops. OT.