Migrants and Manhattanville
I have done almost … nothing this week - other than sleeping a lot (to prevent jet lag), reading news papers and magazines, some article research, hanging out in cafés, and, well, lots of phone calls and e-mail writing. As all of you know, I am spending far too much time writing chatty e-mails. Now there is a name for my disease: Infomania.
BBC NEWS: ‘Infomania’ worse than marijuana
But I have also read a great book, namely that of my friend Nina Solomin: “Gränsen”. Her former book, “OK, Amen” (for which I took the cover photography!) was on Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, New York. The new one is basically a travelogue, and deals with migrants who try to go from Africa into Europe. It is based on interviews that Nina made last year with people in Spain.
Check out these reviews (in Swedish), and you’ll get an idea for Nina’s personal writing style:
Helsingborgs Dagblad; Stor journalistik i brännande ämne
SvD: Drömmen om Europa
In fact, I was so inspired by her journalistic endeavour that I have promised myself to finally start writing the book I have been thinking (and not the least talking) about for more than five years: about the gentrification process in Harlem; “Harlems hjärta” (”Heart of Harlem”).
And today, “the relaunch of my project”, if that is what it is, had a great start. I took part in a 1,5 hour walking tour in Manhattanville (Western Harlem) where my alma mater, i e Columbia University, is planning to expand. Some activists took us around, in order to show that the area where the developpers want to tear down buildings and replace them with bio-tech labs and student housing is full of small business owners and tenants who don’t want to move at all.
While I don’t necessarily think gentrification is always bad, as housing activists typically do, from a journalistic standpoint it was a great and very informative Friday afternoon, which gave me lots of ideas for the book (and for related stories). Next week, the activists will actually build a tent village on Columbia’s campus, to make their point! But I will also try to follow less spectacular events - and start to actually _write_ about this topic. The changes in Harlem is of course something that I have been pondering about, followed, and lived in for more than five years now. Wish me luck!
Write that book. the more books on Harlem gentrification the better. My book which i started 6 years ago is from the perpective of a life long Harlem resident and the destruction of black culture in Harlem. You perspective coming from outside but experiencing it for five years would be interesting. Your access to the real feelings of those who are doing the gentrification might be better than being asked from a Black Harlem resident. You will probably get more truth. Good luck.
Comment by another black harlem gentrification book writer — Tuesday, November, 29, 2005 @ 10:56:am
Dear whoever you are – your e-mail address didn’t work! So please contact me again if you see this.
I am sure _you_ will get closer to the “truth”, whatever that is. I would love to hear more about the destruction of black culture from your perspective. Perhaps we could meet when I’m back in New York (I am currently travelling in Haiti and will then go to Canada)?
/Gunilla
Comment by gunillakinn — Tuesday, November, 29, 2005 @ 23:17:pm