Vertex of the Chrysler Building, pray for me; linemen, bartenders, muses, pray for me; crow covered highway, sing for me; over the bridge of a Washburn 6-string, lay me; crazed molecule! terse atom! play for me; with the moans of forklifts, speak for me; in satin, sable, calico, adorn me; squat propane containers of Bayonne, […]
Susan Briante
Susan Briante: NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor: A Literary Memoir
A Life magazine cover from July 28, 1967 depicts the body of an African-American child crumpled in the street. A pool of his blood stains the pavement beneath him. His face lies in shadow, his wound unseen. His small fingers curl toward the camera. A headline proclaims: “Newark: The Predictable Insurrection.” My mother drinks coffee […]
Susan Briante: Making Place: Betsy Andrews’ New Jersey and John Hennessy’s Bridge and Tunnel
Bearded prophet poets, working-class rock star heroes, and philosophizing mobsters—think of the most eloquent spokespersons for the American character and you’ll end up thinking about New Jersey. From Walt Whitman’s reflections on the Camden docks to Tony Soprano’s view from a car exiting the Holland Tunnel, New Jersey offers a glimpse into our working-class, immigrant, […]