Our Town Downtown June 27th 2013

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NYPRESS.COM

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COMMUNITY NEWS BELOW 14TH STREET

• JUNE 27, 2013

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Vendors Say Counterfeit Law Would Hurt Business Chinatown vendors weigh in on Council Member Chin’s proposal to outlaw purchasing counterfeit products

ALSO INSIDE

By Alissa Fleck

B

e careful next time you consider pinching pennies for a knockoff Gucci bag or pair of “designer” sunglasses in Chinatown. Council Member Margaret Chin has recently proposed a bill that would qualify the purchase of such counterfeit goods as a misdemeanor, punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. It’s currently illegal to hawk these products, but the proposed law would also make it an offense to purchase them. According to a vendor in Chinatown named Atik whose store sells knockoff products, this law would certainly affect business. “It’s Chinatown,” he said. “Some [products] are counterfeit, some

NEW EVAC ZONES DOWNTOWN P.2 LOCAL AUTISM CAMPS P.4

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Washington Square Park Gets Conservancy New public/private partnership will raise funds, maintain park

WICCAN FEST IN E. VILLAGE P.6 PRIDE WEEK EVENTS P.13 NYU GRADS TURN FLIRTING INTO ART P.14

By Adam Janos

M

anhattan’s Community Board 2 voted to approve the Washington Square Park Conservancy on Continued on page 7 Photo by Adam Fagan

NEIGHBORHOOD CHATTER City Issues New Evac Zones Last week, the city released updated flood and evacuation zone maps for Manhattan, changing from the previous system that categorized addresses as A, B or C evacuation zones to a numbered system from 1 through 6. The new, more nuanced map makes more distinctions and includes new areas that were previously not mapped as flood evacuation zones. Following Hurricane Sandy last year, the city was criticized for not ordering the evacuations of some areas that subsequently received massive and destructive flooding and damage. Much of downtown below 14th Street is

included in one of the 6 zones, with all areas directly bordering the rivers classified in Zone 1. The evacuation center for downtown is the former Seward Park High School building at 350 Grand Street.

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Car Jumps Curb in E. Village, Injures 8 By Karen Matthews A car rocketing down an avenue in the East Village on Wednesday, June 19 swerved out of control, plowed down a sidewalk and smashed through a storefront flower stand, injuring eight people, witnesses and officials said. A 60-year-old grocery store worker was critically hurt in the 6:30 a.m. crash, which left half a city block in shambles. Police arrested the driver, Shaun Martin, who they said was driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. Investigators were still trying to determine how fast the car was moving, but one witness who saw the wreck unfold said he saw two vehicles racing down Second Avenue at a frightening speed. “They were swerving around cars. When the white car swerved right, it lost control,� said Dr. Alvaro Alban. The vehicle, a rented Nissan Altima, smashed through everything on the sidewalk, including a 25-foot-tall tree, a telephone booth, parked bicycles, a parking kiosk and a street sign. “Everything that was in the way, he took it out,� said bystander Rafael Fuentes. The car crashed through the market’s flower stand, overturning an outdoor refrigerator case. Several people were hospitalized, including three workers at the grocery store. One person on a CitiBike was hit by a flying

fire hydrant, police said. Police said Martin, 32, of Queens, has faced charges before for drug possession and drunken driving. Detail on the outcome of those cases wasn’t immediately available. He was in custody and unavailable to comment Wednesday afternoon. A police spokesman said investigators were looking into reports that a second car had also been speeding down the street. The other car never stopped, Alban said.

9/11 Memorial Settles Lawsuit The Sept. 11 memorial has settled a lawsuit with a former manager who said he was fired for identifying health and security concerns at the Manhattan site. Court records show Thomas Cancelliere settled this month with the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum. Memorial representatives and Cancelliere’s lawyer declined to discuss terms. Cancelliere lost his job as the memorial’s facilities director last fall. He said he was dismissed because he alerted bosses to problems including illness-causing bacteria in the memorial’s signature fountains and narrow exit gates that could hinder an evacuation. He said supervisors responded that the issues weren’t his responsibility or were being addressed. But he said they weren’t. A memorial spokesman has said that the site was safe and that Cancelliere was dismissed for bad performance.

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CRIME WATCH BRANDISHING A CELL PHONE Just before noon on Thursday, June 13, an employee at a boutique on Greene Street reported that three men had entered the store and removed several handbags from store shelves. The employee approached the men and asked what they were doing. One of the men said, “Shut the f*ck up -- I have a gun!” He removed a black cell phone from his pocket and menaced the employee with the phone as if it were a weapon. The three men then fled on foot and got into a white Chevy Impala with Pennsylvania plates 3FF5974, speeding off westbound on Prince Street. Police searched the area but were unable to locate the bag burglars. Video of the incident is available. The bags stolen included a Jason Wu leather handbag valued at $2,700; two Lanvin leather handbags totaling $4,100; a Lanvin python handbag valued at $2,700; three Victoria Beckham leather handbags totaling $6,100; three Celine python bags totaling $13,300; a Proenza Schouler python bag costing $2,300; a Balenciaga leather bag worth $1,300; and two Givenchy leather bags totaling$4,300. The total handbag haul amounted to $36,800. Illustration by John S. Winkleman

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

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By Jerry Danzig

The High Price of Takeout At 7:50 p.m. on Monday, June 10, a 37-yearold man from the Bronx was delivering food on South End Avenue. When he returned about twenty minutes later to the spot in the street where he had parked his electric bike, he found the vehicle was missing. He had locked the bike with a chain through the wheel spokes but not to a fixed object. The bike was a black-and-red Arrow 26A valued at $1,305. It looks as if the delivery man lost the Arrow and got the shaft!

Reade Street Ripoff On Tuesday, June 11, a woman from Brooklyn was sitting in front of a building on Reade Street texting on her phone. Suddenly, a 16-year-old man grabbed her phone from her hand and fled on foot, heading southbound on Greenwich Street. The woman was unable to track her phone, which apparently had been turned off. The suspect had been accompanied by another 16-year-old man. The seized cell was an iPhone 5 valued at $600.

Patrónized

hit in the face with a bottle of Patrón by an unknown person in a bar on Varick Street. The victim did not call 911, but went on her own to Jamaica Hospital, where she was informed that she had multiple facial fractures as well as a split lip. This incident gives new meaning to the phrase, a “Tequila Slammer.”

Counter Crime A 36-year-old café employee reported that at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 14, a man walked into his establishment on Church Street and purchased a coffee. The man stood close to a counter where a silver laptop was located. After the customer had left, the employee noticed that the silver laptop was missing from the counter. There were no other customers in the store. The laptop was a silver Apple MacBook Pro valued at $1,200.

Lens Swipe On the morning of Wednesday, June 12, a 45-year-old man was taking photos in the midst of a large crowd in front of a hotel on Greenwich Street. When he went to switch lenses on his camera thirty-five minutes later, he found his lens was missing. Video of the incident may be available. The missing lens was a Canon Zoom lens valued at $2,660.

Just before 4 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12, a 21-year-old woman from Queens was

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NEWS

New Autism Camp More Than Summer Play Watch Me Grow, with locations downtown and on the Upper West Side, employs occupational therapists to work with autistic campers By Helaina Hovitz

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his summer, Watch Me Grow, a 4,000-squarefoot space located at 361 E. 19th St, is offering a special six-week program for kids ages 3 to 5 years old. The studio, which has another location at 162 West 72nd Street, is a play space and therapy center for children with autism and other special needs. The camp is led by speech, physical and occupational therapists who lead children through play that encourages them to focus on tasks and communicate with their peers. “There are other programs in the neighborhood that are similarly priced, but they don’t have an occupational therapist

.com STRAUS MEDIA  MANHATTAN PRESIDENT Jeanne Straus ACTING EDITOR Megan Bungeroth • editor.otdt@strausnews.com CITYARTS EDITOR Armond White • editor.cityarts@strausnews.com STAFF REPORTER Joanna Fantozzi FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS Alan S. Chartock, Bette Dewing, Jeanne Martinet, Malachy McCourt, Angela Barbuti, Casey Ward PUBLISHER Gerry Gavin • advertising@strausnews.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Seth L. Miller, Ceil Ainsworth, Kate Walsh ADVERTISING MANAGERS Marty Strongin, Matt Dinerstein CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Stephanie Patsiner DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Joe Bendik OUR TOWN DOWNTOWN is published weekly Copyright © 2013 by Straus Media - Manhattan, LLC 212-868-0190 • 333 Seventh Ave, New York, NY. Straus Media - Manhattan publishes Our Town • The West Side Spirit • Our Town Downtown Chelsea Clinton News • The Westsider To subscribe for 1 year, please send $75 to OUR TOWN DOWNTOWN, c/o Straus News 20 West Ave., Chester, NY 10918 PREVIOUS OWNERS HAVE INCLUDED: Tom Allon, Isis Ventures, Ed Kayatt, Russ Smith, Bob Trentlion, Jerry Finkelstein

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experience. running the program. They’re more like teacher’s assistants,” “A teacher might have told parents that the child’s not talking said Shirael Pollack, owner and director of Watch Me Grow. much or that he’s acting out,” Pollack said. “But he’s not acting “Typically, private occupational therapy is about $150 an hour, out, he’s just having a hard time.” so if you do the breakdown, it’s really a good deal.” Many parents rave about the quality of the therapists Shirael The staff to child ratio is small, 2 to 1, and parents are happy employs. that they can get all of their child’s services in one place. “They always motivate him, and are patient and kind,” said For one, the staff helps children who have a hard time Leyton. “They have skills other therapists don’t. He always ignoring background noise, focusing for more than a few looks forward to going, even if he was tired, he said he had a minutes, and making friends. Often, it’s hard for them to have fun day. They encourage him.” a conversation lasting several minutes. Pollack is a mother herself, to two little girls, ages one and Annette Carabello, whose four-year-old son Noah is on four. the autistic spectrum and receives The summer camp runs from July speech therapy, physical therapy, and 18 to Aug. 13, from 9 a.m-2 p.m, for occupational therapy at the center, said $3,150. that the therapists help him stay on task. “Before we came in he couldn’t stay at the table for more than three minutes, Manhattan Summer Camps but now he can sit with the therapist for Special Needs Children at the table for an entire 45 minute session,” she said. Big Apple Day Program at The opportunity to socialize in a Holy Name School, 202 West 97th mediated space is also important for Street at Amsterdam Avenue, Noah. ages 6-12, accommodates kids with “He likes introducing himself when social and emotional issues, including a new child walks in. He wants to ADHD and Asperger’s syndrome know all about them,” said Carabello. and other forms of high-functioning “Everyone is in the gym working on autism. Includes sports, swimming, their individual therapies at the same and social skills assistance from trained time, but the children get to interact professionals. Counselors teach kids with each other as it’s all happening.” how to deal with real-life situations Shy and restless children often need Nate, 5, one of the Watch Me Grow campers like traveling on public transportation, help making friends, and they also and campers receive two hours a day receive physical and verbal support if of individualized academic instruction they have a hard time sitting still or concentrating. provided by special education teachers. Camper-to-staff ratio: Little ones can hop on a trapeze to build upper body strength 3:1. and release excess energy that could keep them from focusing on other tasks later on, and climb stairs to help strengthen Camp Kulam at the JCC in Manhattan,334 Amsterdam weaker hamstrings and improve flexibility. A rock climbing Avenue at 76th Street, wall, seesaw, and swing all add to the fun, as do trips to local ages 5-12, parks. caters to young kids who are on the autistic spectrum or have Having all of the gym equipment in one place is also communication disorders or other special needs. Campers economical, according to downtown resident Wendy Leopold, swim and do yoga, instructors are from the special education who says that anytime you hear the word “therapeutic” tacked or social work fields, and teenage assistants keep the camperon to equipment like an exercise ball, you know it’s going to be to-staff ratio low. very expensive. “The gym is the best — there are bouncy balls and barrels Camp Tova at the 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue at to walk through and lots of mats to play on. It seems like basic 92nd Street, stuff, but they know how to utilize them to make my children ages 5-12, stronger,” said Leopold, who has a son and a daughter in the children with developmental and learning disabilities. Campers program. “It’s clean, and they make you and your children feel travel to the Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds in Rockland comfortable. They’re very knowledgeable.” County on air-conditioned buses to take part in activities such As part of the application process, parents consult with as swimming and sports. On Fridays, they go on field trips. The individual therapists to make sure the program is tailored to camper-to-counselor ratio is 4:1. their child’s specific needs — and the family’s schedule. “They’re very accommodating,” said Erin Leyton, mother The Quad Summer Program, 54 Reade Street at Broadway, of Miles, 4, who has a speech impediment. “They had a ages 7-12. The Quad caters to “twice exceptional” children, therapeutic plan for him every single day that incorporated his who are gifted and talented in some areas but have cognitive interests. The staff always tries to help him bridge obstacles.” or social learning differences. This day camp hides academic One of the program’s goals is to help kids sit still in circle learning in its tech, science and arts project-based curriculum. time without requiring redirection, which is a great way Once a week, kids go on a field trip to places like Governors to prepare them for school and improve their in-school Island.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

Healthy y Manhattan

The Truth About Chewing Gum 9 facts that may burst your bubble

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ith the world’s oldest piece of chewing gum clocking in at 9,000 years old, and the total value of the US gum industry racking up more than $19 billion in sales, chewing gum is one of the oldest and most popular activities …but is it a healthy habit? Here is some insight into the good, the bad and the ugly of gum chewing. The Good: · Chewing as little as one piece of gum per day can stimulate saliva, which helps wash away those harmful acids from your teeth, and in turn helps fight cavities, neutralizes plaque acids, and washes away food particles. · Chewing gum might be helpful after meals when additional enzymes are needed for digestion. Chewing gum for a few minutes after eating does seem to help some people avoid indigestion, heartburn, or reflux. · Most chewing gum is sweetened with a chemical called xylitol, an additive that is allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make the medical claim that it does not promote dental cavities. The harmful micro-organisms within your mouth are starved in the presence of xylitol, allowing the mouth to “remineralize” damaged teeth with less interruption.

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

The Bad: · Probably the number one reason to avoid most chewing gums is that they are loaded with chemicals and synthetic ingredients. Corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors and chemical sweeteners are enough to cause any label-reading person to steer clear of these seemingly harmless treats. · Most people don’t realize that the amount of digestive enzymes your body can produce in a given lifetime is relatively finite. If you chew gum frequently between meals, it is very feasible that you are using up your digestive enzyme reserves so that the next time you eat, you won’t have enough digestive enzymes on hand to fully digest the meal. · According to the International Chewing Gum Association, the average person chews over 3,000 sticks of gum yearly. Recent reports have found that excessive gum chewing can easily aggravate jaw muscles and thereby ultimately cause TJM syndrome (temporomandibular joint disorder) - a clicking or popping noise in the jaw. The Ugly: · Probably the most important reason to abstain from chewing gum is that it releases mercury from dental amalgam fillings. Given that mercury is a neurotoxin in any amount in the body, it seems that chewing gum is an activity that should be undertaken with extreme caution if you have even a single silver filling. · For pregnant women with silver fillings, chewing gum can prove toxic to the fetus should any mercury whatsoever be released into the bloodstream · All sugar free gums contain the ingredient Sorbitol. Eating even three pieces of gum a day can lead to excessive amounts of Sorbitol in the system which can lead to severe abdominal pain, fructose malabsorption and in extreme cases colon cancer. You might want to think twice the next time you pop a piece of chewing gum into your mouth. For additional information, please go to www. ManhattanDentalArts.com

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NEWS

Something New in Summer Salads Local restaurants are moving beyond the kale when it comes to the green stuff By Wanda Mann

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o you need a break from kale?Have you grown weary of arugula and utterly bored with romaine? Salads and other veggie-centric dishes are the perfect summer meals, but don’t get trapped in a leafy rut. The best salads keep your taste buds intrigued by showcasing the season’s freshest produce in unique combinations. Savory and sweet, crunchy and succulent, an artfully composed salad balances distinct flavors and textures. New York City has no shortage of tasty salads, but if you’re craving something deliciously different, try one of these winning dishes.

Felice 83 Panzanella Salad ($7) 1593 First Avenue at 83rd Street www.felice83.com 212-249-4080 Simple yet incredibly satisfying, this traditional Tuscan salad features juicy tomatoes with crisp cucumbers, silky olive oil, fragrant basil, and small pieces of bread. While other salads may toss in a few croutons, in Panzanella the bread is an essential element. The bread bits are integrated throughout the salad and absorb the delicious flavors and juices of the other components without becoming soggy. Panzanella is a salad that really lets quality ingredients shine without too much manipulation.

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Maison Kayser Salade Crottin de Chavignol et Figues Fraîches ($13) 1294 Third Avenue at 74th Street www.maison-kayser-usa.com 212-744-3100 For a salad with a bit of French flair, Maison Kayser presents an organic mixed green salad that is far from boring. Mesclun goes from mundane to marvelous when dressed in a chic lemon vinaigrette and paired with fresh black mission figs and tomatoes. Known throughout the world for their outstanding breads, Maison Kayser serves the salad with three crostini (little toasts) that are topped with melted Crottin de Chavignol – a renowned goat cheese with a strong nutty flavor from France’s Loire Valley.

Il Gattopardo Braised Escarole with Pine Nuts, Raisins, Anchovies and Gaeta Olives ($16) 33 West 54th Street www.ilgattopardonyc. com 212-246-0412 A leafy green from the chicory family, escarole is a classic Italian ingredient and the centerpiece of Il Gattopardo’s sophisticated dish. Possessing a bitter flavor that mellows a bit when cooked, escarole is balanced by Chef Vito Gnazzo’s addition of sweet raisins, savory anchovies, Gaeta olives from the namesake town south of Rome, Pecorino cheese, and crunchy pine nuts. While this warm dish may push the boundaries of what counts as a salad, Il Gattopardo’s Braised Escarole is a light and flavorful vegetable dish that makes a very fine summer meal.

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Performers at last year’s Witchsfest USA

Coming Out of the Broom Closet Hestia hopes that the event will help people feel more comfortable as pagans in New York, and also shed light for outsiders on what Wicca is all about. By Adam Janos “The biggest misconception about Wiccans is that we worship the devil,” Hestia said. “But “Last year, we had Witches in bikinis,” said the thing is, we don’t believe in him. You can’t Hectuba Hestia, 3rd Degree Wiccan High worship something you don’t believe in. What Priestess and Crystal Healer. “They’re literally we believe in varies from person to person… a group of women dressed in bikinis that do a my own personal tradition, I go with the lot of songs. One that sticks in my mind was Greek pantheon: Zeus, Hera, and Hecate.” about Godzilla.“ Witchsfest USA will include tarot readings; “They write songs about all sorts of different music and dance performances; and readings things that are out of the norm.” and teachings from several prominent The Wiccan Family Temple is hosting their Wiccans in their community. Speakers include second annual Witchsfest [sic] USA next Reverend Don Lewis, who will lead a class on Saturday. The festival is a celebration of New soul retrieval, and Llium S. York’s pagan community, Hernson, holding a discussion with worshipers coming out on rune magic. WITCHSFEST USA from behind closed doors to The Wiccan Family openly praise the occult. Saturday, June 29th Temple is seeking sponsors 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to Hestia (born to help their group find a Astor Place between Arlene Fried, since spiritually Broadway and Lafayette permanent home, and – in reawakened), there could be FREE to attend; individual the entrepreneurial spirit as many as 1,000 Wiccans activities vary in price of New York – they hope to living in the five boroughs, turn the event into a Wiccan though the stigma of pagan fundraising network that can worship keeps many of them inspire donors to help build from practicing out in society. a more permanent house of worship for the “There are some people who are in the group. broom closet,” Hestia said. “And there are However, at its root, this is a social various reasons why: some to hide from their gathering. And since so many Wiccans parents, some to hide the information from worship in secret covens, the faith lacks the their spouse. It could be because of differences community of more traditional religions that of opinion, it could be professional… because congregate in larger groups. despite the fact that there are laws today of “Anybody interested in paganism or Wicca freedom of religion and things like that, there are the people we’ d like to attract,” Hestia said. are still people who will use it against you.” “But also anybody who is just curious.”

Wiccan festival lands downtown this weekend

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NEWS Counterfeit Laws Continued from page 1

are real; business is already slow, it will hurt business if the law passes.� Darrell Cherry, a vendor who noted none of his products are counterfeit, agreed such a law would slow business in the area. “People come down here for the counterfeit products,� said Cherry. “Eighty percent of the products are bootlegged, that’s what people come down here for. They don’t come here to mingle with the Chinese.� “It would be a bad law,� he added. Cherry then, however, had a change of heart. “If I can’t buy a bag of weed without getting arrested, should they be able to come here and buy a [counterfeit] bag?� Nigel Sylvester was one customer perusing the Chinatown shops, though his interest was the jewelry counters. “I think the law is borderline ridiculous,� said Sylvester. “Most likely people buy [counterfeit products] because they can’t buy the authentic version.� “There are more important things to be focusing on,� he said. Sylvester added: “Companies like Louis Vuitton are not

Washington Square Continued from page 1

Thursday June 20th, creating a private/public nonprofit entity that will raise funds to maintain the landmark. Executive director Sarah Nielson will play a dual role as head of the group and Parks department employee. The decision to approve the Conservancy was a emotional one, with community members on both sides spitting rhetoric about legacy vs. civic engagement, transparency vs. trust. Originally approved in an 11-1 vote by a Community Board 2 Parks Committee on June 5th, the proposed Conservancy avoided vote of postponement by 25-18, and was then approved shortly thereafter. Parks committee Chair Rich Caccappolo seemed baffled at the heat of the debate concerning the group of private citizens whose stated mission is to raise funds for the park. “My first impression was not that they’re malicious. To me, the idea sounded great. Since then, we’ve met several times with these people. For those of you who are trying to malign then‌ I just think that’s really distasteful,â€? Caccappolo said. Several community members expressed concern over the non-profit’s lack of bylaws, and wondered if – down the line – the Conservancy could begin dictating control over programming and the very character of the park. Keen Berger, assistant secretary to the Community Board, called the conservancy a potential bait-and-switch. “I’m From Minnesota, the land of ten thousand lakes, so I know about bait and switch,â€? Berger said. “We like the bait. It’s beautiful. But you can’t see the hook until it’s too late, and you’re fried fish.â€? For the Conservancy, their 501(c)(3) non-profit status makes some of the allegations about their lack of transparency factually thin. As a non-profit, their fundraising figures will be available for scrutiny, and the law prevents any individual

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getting hit by this, they make so much money. I would also think it’s flattering that people want to buy into that aesthetic.� Flattery aside, Chin says the black market of counterfeit goods on Canal Street hurts honest vendors and merchants. “Our current laws only target the supply of these items, and not the demand,� said Chin in a statement. “We cannot keep trying to tackle this problem in the same way — because it’s not working.� Chin’s office said that the counterfeit goods industry has boomed in recent years, which hurts businesses as well as the city, to the tune of $1 billion in tax revenue annually, according to former Comptroller Bill Thompson. Chin’s office also has said that the counterfeiting industry “supports unsafe working conditions, child labor, and low wages in countries where counterfeit goods are made� and that “funds from the counterfeit trade have been tied to terrorism and international crime rings.� While Chin believes targeting the demand side of the equation is crucial to curtailing the black market, others in the council oppose the proposed law. Some say it unfairly targets those who may simply not know the difference between an authentic and counterfeit product. Others argue it could seriously hurt tourism in an area heavily dependent on it.

organization (e.g. New York University) from giving such a large of a percentage of donations as to fully “buy� the group. For her part, Nielson’s only testimony involved her reading a section of the group’s typed-out resolution back to community members. When approached at the meeting for comment by Our Town Downtown, several conservancy members refused to answer questions, and Nielson redirected inquiries to the Parks Department’s press office. According to Cathryn Swan, the editor of the Washington Square Park Blog, the Conservancy is being set up similarly to the Riverside Park Conservancy, whose website states that its mission is to “maintain, operate, improve and provide programming to the park.� That’s a mission which far

Darrell Cherry, a vendor who sells his wares on the streets downtown

outreaches the current proposal for the Washington Square Park Conservancy, who currently claim to want nothing more than to raise money under one organization title, and help coordinate volunteers to fix the various problems the park chronically deals with (e.g. dead rats, trampled flower beds). Community Board 2 member Coral Dawson seemed to present the emotionally-charged argument that ultimately won the day, and the group’s vote. “I’m shocked,â€? Dawson said. “There’s no legitimate complaint here. Our job is to help the community‌ and it seems to me that their biggest mistake was in coming before us to ask for our input.â€?

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THE 7-DAY PLAN FRIDAY

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BEST PICK

Family Fishing Celebration ◄

Central Park, Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, 110th St. and Fifth Avenue, centralparknyc.org, 12 p.m, June 29th. Celebrate aquatic creatures and their watery world at this event featuring storytelling, craft-making, microscopic explorations and, of course, catch-and-release fishing. There is something to entertain every member of the family - especially your energetic and curious children. Help your young ones discover a new hobby while possibly finding a new passion yourself.

Visit nypress.com for the latest updates on local events. Submissions can be sent to otdowntown@strausnews.com

FREE: The Cat Show

A Dancer’s Dream

White Columns, 320 West 13th St., whitecolumns.org, 12 p.m. This group exhibition is devoted to our feline friends. The show, curated by Rhonda Lieberman, explores the work of 90 artists - who obviously love cats. The highlight is surely the Cats-in-Residence Program, in which ten felines (Meowrina Abramovic, Jeff Maine Coons, Frida Kahlico and Alex Katz among them) lounge around the gallery. On loan from the East Village’s Social Tees Animal Rescue, they’re available for adoption.

Avery Fisher Hall, 162 West 65th St., lincolncenter.org, 8 p.m., $33-$130. The New York Philharmonic, led by music director Alan Gilbert, joins Doug Fitch’s theater company Giants Are Small for A Dancer’s Dream, a performative interpretation of Stravinsky works The Fairy’s Kiss and Petrushka. Karole Armitage choreographs the production, which stars New York City Ballet’s Sara Mearns, and includes Amar Ramasar, Abbey Roesner, Matt Acheson and William da Silva, as well as Eric Owens and Anthony Roth Costanzo on film.

◄FREE: 4knots Music Festival

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

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Elastic City

South Street Seaport, Pier 17, southstreetseaport.com, 1 p.m. The Village Voice’s waterside bash boasts a lineup full of high-energy local and established bands. Featuring the good vibes of Kurt Vile and the Violators, guitar shredder Marnie Stern, catchy indie-rock group the Babies, Vancouver-natives White Lung and fun garage-rock act Reigning Sound, there is an act that is sure to please every rockers tastes and all ages.

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Lincoln Park Tavern, 867 Ninth Avenue, elastic-city.org, 7 p.m., free-$17. The group conducts its fourth season of Sensewalks, in which artists lead participants around the city in thematic tours. Artists are commissioned by Elastic City to create their own walks to help you explore yourself and a given space. This edition’s guides include Luciana Achugar, Michelle Boulé, Nina Katchadourian and John Dixon, as well as partnerships with the New Museum, Visual AIDS and River to River Festival.

Savion Glover

Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition

Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, joyce.org, 2 p.m., $10-$59. Savion Glover is a tap dancer, actor, and choreographer, who was taught by notable dancers from previous generations, and deemed a prodicgy after teaching classes at 14. His style is young and funk. The tap sensation — joined by his ensemble — returns to the Joyce in STePz. Dancers are Ayodele Casel, Marshall Davis Jr., Robyn Watson and Sarah Savelli.

LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, 100 Amsterdam Avenue, laguardiahs.org, 5 p.m., $35-$100. Three divisions of dancers 13-25 compete for a variety of company contracts, scholarships and cash prizes before a distinguished panel of international judges. Participants will perform one selection of classic ballet, and a contemporary piece — a female solo by Jacqulyn Buglisi, a male solo by Viktor Kabaniaev or a duet by Paulo Arrais.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Central Park Movie Sites Walking Tour

FREE: Frenzy

Central Park, 59th St. to 110th St., attractions.timeout.com, 12 p.m., $21.60. Visit more than 30 movie locations in Central Park on this walking tour, perfect for film buffs and first-time visitors alike. Visit the Wollman Rink, the Bow Bridge, the Carousel, the Naumberg Bandshell, Strawberry Fields and more to see where famous movies such as ‘Serendipity,’ ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s,’ ‘Big Daddy,’ ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Sex and the City’ were filmed.

Bryant Park, 40th St. and Sixth Avenue, bryantpark.org, 8:30 p.m. This film is considered by many critics and scholars to be Alfred Hitchcock’s last great film before his death. The plot centers on a serial killer in contemporary London, and the film in its entirety is openly vicious. This thriller will keep you on the edge throughout, but luckily you’ll be accompanied by fellow New Yorkers and the beauty of Bryant Park - so it won’t be too terrifying.

Fashion Jewelry: The Collection

FREE:FITist

Museum of Arts & Design, 2 Columbus Circle, madmuseum.org, 10 a.m., free-$16. Barbara Berger, who has been collecting haute jewelry since the 1950s, loans more than 450 pieces of her 3,000-piece collection. The necklaces, bracelets and earrings include creations by Balenciaga, Kenneth Jay Lane and Miriam Haskell. You will be awe-struck by these pieces and inspired to add some glitz to your accessories collection.

Hudson River Park, West St. and North Moore St., fitist.com, 6:30 p.m. Variety is the spice of life, especially when it comes to your workout regimen. That’s the idea behind FITist, a membership-based service that aims to obliterate your routine by offering an assortment of boutique fitness classes at various NYC gyms and studios. Try it out for free this summer, when you can sample a different offering every week at Hudson River Park. Not having to pay for a gym membership will give you an abundance ice cream - we mean… salad - money.

FREE: Party Picks, Jimmy De Sana

Ice Factory Festival

Salon 94 Bowery, 243 Bowery, salon94.com, 12 p.m. Jimmy De Sana (1949–1990) was associated with New York’s downtown music scene of the late 1970s and early ’80s, and, perhaps as a result, remains a somewhat underrated quantity in the art world. Party Picks brings together a selection of his photography from 1975-1987, including portraits of prominent figures of the downtown art and music scene, as well as an overview of his staged investigations of the limits of both photography and the human body.

New Ohio Theatre, 154 Christopher St., newohiotheatre.org, 7 p.m., $18. Ice Factory invites the most exciting downtown companies to present their latest products in an environment of generosity, dialogue, and inspiration. It is a place where artists take risks, try out new ideas, and bring their projects to a new level. This year’s edition skews toward works devised collectively by companies including the Assembly, the Mad Ones, CollaborationTown and Built for Collapse.

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FREE: John Jay Pool ◄York Avenue and 77th, nycgovparks.org, 11 a.m. Beat the heat and celebrate the fourth at one of Manhattan’s most convenient pools. This Yorkville swimming hole is right at the edge of the East River, and visitors can spy Roosevelt Island from a pedestrian bridge linking John Jay Park with the East River Esplanade across the FDR. The 145-foot-long pool itself is lined with leafy trees, setting a bucolic scene for a dip or poolside lounge.

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FREE: Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Location TBA, macys.com/fireworks, 9 p.m. For this mother of all pyrotechnic displays, Macy’s will explode more than 40,000 fireworks choreographed to a 25-minute patriotic score. If you haven’t caught this spectacle, stop missing out and make sure you do this year! Stake out a nice spot along the Hudson to watch, and bring your own picnic basket with beverages to toast our country’s birthday. You will never feel more patriotic than during this moment.

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

cityArts

Edited by Armond White

New York’s Review of Culture . CityArtsNYC.com

Vamping Pro Life Neil Jordan’s conscientious horror film demands attention By Armond White

O

ne story isn’t enough for Neil Jordan. Byzantium is full of twists and turns, memories and revelations that zigzag through the tortured history of men, women, birth, death, sexuality as well as the history of Irish and English literature and Catholic guilt. Two female vampires, teenage Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) and adult Clara (Gemma Arterton), stalk an English seaside town pursued by shadowy men yet lustily targeting men themselves. As Eleanor narrates their ageless story (of how they came to be vampires), she also writes it out: “Once upon a time, I was born.” She keeps rewriting her story the way neurotics keep repeating their emotional injury--the same reason killer Clare seeks revenge. This regenerating biographical-fiction impulse also propels Jordan (best known for The Crying Game), one of the few adept filmmakers who is also an accomplished literary artist. Byzantium is Jordan’s most elaborate conceit but he’s more than a formalist. Flashbacks to 1804 interweave with matching modern motifs. Eleanor and Clara move as through as corridors of memory. Jordan enfolds tales and myths masterfully, always deepening empathy for Eleanor and Clara’s plight. He combines his usual philological interests with the complications of motherhood, the female condition of ripeness and sacrifice and guilt. Transforming Moira Buffini’s stageplay A Vampire Story, Jordan also revisits themes from his 1985 The Company of Wolves, an adaptation of feminist novelist Angela Carter’s

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

The Bloody Chamber, a modernist retelling of Red Riding Hood (evoked when Eleanor puts up her hoodie). His storytelling sense has cinematic fluidity but also a connection to the power of legend that builds sequences of amazing mythological richness when Eleanor and Clara are seen in period, especially a mountain cave and waterfall that hold the secrets of their eternal bloody torment. But Byzantium is not trendy, patronizing feminism. Jordan’s fabulist approach contains religious and literary complexity. Eleanor and Clara’s battle is against an order of male vampires who exclude woman, forbidding them to create. It comments on the exclusionary paternalism of Catholic priesthood Jordan was raised on and simultaneously rips the perverted innuendo of Interview with a Vampire, Jordan’s 1984 job of work. In fact Byzantium’s correction of Interview with a Vampire recalls how his mentor John Boorman corrected the horrible The Exorcist with the humane, visionary antisequel The Heretic. This conscientious restoration of storytelling ethics gives meaning to how we understand ourselves and the world through stories. (“It’s like Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley had gotten together in this strange little child,” a writing professor describes Eleanor.) Jordan’s style is sometimes overly showy but few contemporary filmmakers can achieve such narrative momentum, visual rhythm or sensuality. Yet throughout this tale of sucreants and women damaged by Byzantine social strictures, extraordinary sympathy surges for a crisis that few contemporary artists ever wholly comprehend: Abortion. This should be controversial but it also must be seen. Jordan’s sanguinary treatise is like nothing in the history of pop culture since Johnny Lydon (as Johnny Rotten) ranted “Fucking bloody mess!” in The Sex Pistols’ stunning, revulsed track “Bodies.” Just as Rotten dared to oppose the shibboleths of social

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Gemma Arterton in Byzantium progressivism, Jordan interprets Buffini and Carter’s feminine sensitivities as primal, compassionate humanism. At a moment of generic climax Clara screams “My baby!” asserting conscientiousness and guilt where vampire mythos and motif, cheap excitement and threat of death, arouse female psychic instinct and biological impulse. These Madonna and Child moments mixed with Madonna/Whore complexity mark Byzantium as the most powerful, truly feminist proposition in modern cinema. Maybe only Catholic-bred ambivalence like Lydon and Jordan’s can produce such powerful effects. For Jordan one story isn’t enough to convey his literary-visionary awareness how

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politics, historically, often deny what’s natural. That sub-theme has always given Jordan’s films--even the most bookishly crafted-a compulsive, blood-deep obsession and flow as in Byzantium’s mysterious waterfall symbolism, the film’s final vision. With the exception of Boorman’s The Heretic, no other horror film has climaxed this majestically. It outclasses Kubrick’s stupid elevator nightmare in The Shining because Jordan’s art illustrates primal human nature. That’s how Byzantium transforms genre into something exciting.

Follow Armond White on Twitter at 3xchair

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re-use Pop Meets Expressionism

ways to your newspaper old

Use it as wrapping paper, or fold & glue pages into reusable gift bags.

2

Add shredded newspaper to your compost pile when you need a carbon addition or to keep flies at bay.

5

Use newspaper strips, water, and a bit of glue for newspaper mâché.

8

10

Crumple newspaper to use as packaging material the next time you need to ship something fragile.

13

Tightly roll up sheets of newspaper and tie with string to use as fire logs.

After your garden plants sprout, place newspaper sheets around them, then water & cover with grass clippings and leaves. This newspaper will keep weeds from growing.

Make origami creatures

Use shredded newspaper as animal bedding in lieu of sawdust or hay.

11

Make your own cat litter by shredding newspaper, soaking it in dish detergent & baking soda, and letting it dry.

14

Wrap pieces of fruit in newspaper to speed up the ripening process.

3

Cut out letters & words to write anonymous letters to friends and family to let them know they are loved.

6

Roll a twice-folded newspaper sheet around a jar, remove the jar, & you have a biodegradable seed-starting pot that can be planted directly into the soil.

9

Make newspaper airplanes and have a contest in the backyard.

12 15

OUR TOWN DOWNTOWN

Warhol and Munch: Outsiders together at last By Kate Prengel

A

ndy Warhol was a great champion of the Outsider: is it any surprise that he eventually made his own version of that most alienated piece of art, The Scream? It’s all a little bit surreal, of course, but right now Scandinavia House is exhibiting a series of Warhol prints based on four of Edvard Munch’s best-known lithographs. (Munch’s originals are also included, for easy comparison.) Looking at the Warhol prints is like hearing, say, the Doors sing Kurt Weil. Even where the cover slavishly imitates the original, it’s a world apart. But Warhol’s prints are interesting, not just for the ways they differ from Munch, but for the way they often bolster him. I’ve never particularly liked Munch’s The Brooch. It’s a portrait of Eva Mudocci, a famous violinist of the period, but it may as well have been any old fantasy. Munch’s piece is all dreamy eyes and white skin and clouds of thick

Stuff newspapers in boots or handbags to help the items keep their shape. Dry out wet shoes by loosening laces & sticking balled newspaper pages inside.

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CITYARTS MUSEUMS

dark hair, a romantic haze. I was relieved when Warhol came along, all 20th century directness, and put some color into Eva’s face. All the lines in the piece stay the same, but what a difference a few colors – bright yellow skin, a pink chin, there are a few different versions here -- can make! Eva has gone from bloodless dream to living, energetic woman -- it’s hard not to think that Warhol’s version is closer to the actual Eva. I tried to remember Eva as I confronted Warhol’s version of Munch’s Madonna. The piece landed Munch in a lot of trouble, since it depicts a naked woman in the throes of passion; there’s a grinning sperm in the bottom left-hand corner. Today, its shock value gone, the piece looks like a warm depiction of female desire. Warhol’s response is aggressive, to say the least. He’s turned the dark smudges around Madonna’s eyes into sharp lines, so that the poor woman, who used to look blurry with passion, now looks bug-eyed. The shadows around her breasts look a bit like knife wounds in Warhol’s version, and no matter what color scheme he tries, his Madonna looks like the victim of some awful crime. Warhol’s take on Munch’s self-portrait was the least interesting piece in the show, to my mind. It’s a faithful copy, turned out in a few colors and given the obvious distance of no longer being a self-portrait. But Warhol’s Scream may be the best piece here. Munch’s Scream is so hesitant: is the screamer overwhelmed by the natural world, or by the rigid society of men in top hats all around him? And then, it’s a bit hard to see past all the naked self-pity. Warhol solves the problem neatly. He blurs all the straight lines – the top hats, the bridge – into a wavy, absurdly bright sunset. Civilization and nature blend together and our screamer is in the foreground, no longer a frightened victim, but a proud outsider. It feels like a parting gift, from one alienated artist to another. MUNCH | WARHOL and the Multiple Image is on exhibit at Scandinavia House through July 27.

Munch’s The Scream www.nypress.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

CITYARTS GALLERY

Art of the Mind [UN]SEEN finds art in Hell’s Kitchen By Melissa Stern

A

s the steamroller of development moves, seemingly unstoppable, through Manhattan, we see the loss of many things that lured us to the city in the first place. Amongst the first to fall have been music, performance and art spaces that once nurtured the young, the experimental and the underrepresented in the arts. Imagine then, my delight at finding the Fountain Gallery, an unlikely gallery in a very unlikely location. Located on the corner of 48th and Ninth, nestled in the middle of a busy retail and restaurant neighborhood, the Fountain Gallery is an outpost of interesting and edgy art. Founded in 2000, Fountain Gallery is a nonprofit venue that showcases and represents the work of artists living with mental illness. Working with both in-house and guest curators, Fountain Gallery seeks to present work that is truly outside the usual. For the current exhibition “[Un]Seen,” guest curator Elyse Goldberg has gathered a diverse mix of artists, both historic and contemporary. The theme of the exhibition, in Goldberg’s words, “In commonality, these artists share a curiosity with the unseen – creating works that raise questions about thought, vision, social and personal politics, and metaphysical states of mind or spectacle as they relate to the human condition.” A bit of a broad definition, after all, isn’t this what most artists strive to do? Nonetheless, the show presents an interestingly curated point of view. A strength of the exhibition is that there is no mention of who is or is not creating through the challenge of mental illness. All the works are presented without commentary of any kind. Upon researching, however, one finds that only five of the

25 makers in the show are resident artists from Fountain Gallery, the balance being artists living and working in the mainstream. I think that the curatorial premise of the show might have been better served by a more even balancing of the numbers, still the strengths of the selection shine through. Ann Fischman’s piece, Black Stockings is a beautifully composed collage and painted panel. One seemingly disjointed bit of female imagery flowing seamlessly into another is a pointed meditation on the nature of “female.” Pedro Pascoinho’s painting on paper presents a rear view of a man, wearing slightly mysterious retro goggles drawing a straight line across a field of black. Suggesting engineering, mathematics, and exactitude one is then left with the mystery of what he actually sees through his heavy head covering gear. This is a provocative and intelligent show, worth seeing for its unique and compelling curatorial concept. But even more important, go visit the Fountain Gallery and support this independent and innovative venue. “[Un]Seen” through July 10 at Fountain Gallery, 702 Ninth Avenue @ 48th St. http://www. fountaingallerynyc.com/index.cfm 212.262.2756 Pedro Pascoinho’s Continuity

Ann Fischman’s Black Stockings

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

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Russo’s Sunspot Meditation Field

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CITYARTS FILM

All-Terrain Movie Star Paul Walker drives again in Vehicle 19 By Armond White

W

hen Jean-Luc Godard showcased his great, long lateral-pan supermarket sequence in 1970’s Tout Va Bien, the metaphor provided an undeniable satire of

the consumerist habit that typifies modern middle-class life even though no previous filmmaker had perceived the depth of such banality. Who could imagine that Godard’s memorable movable metaphor would reappear more than 40 years later as a nifty action movie sequence? In Vehicle 19 a supermarket becomes a climactic setting for a combination shootout and car chase, featuring another Godard totem, the automobile (that ultimate symbol of bourgeois materialism in Weekend). Godard would like this outlandish B-movie conceit

that condenses the absurdity of common life for Vehicle 19 ’s harried Everyman hero. As American tourist Michael Woods, the great Paul Walker plays a man who picks up the wrong rental car at a Johannesburg airport and gets enmeshed in political corruption. Woods befriends a local prosecutor (Naima McLean) who has been kidnapped by a politician running a sex-trafficking ring. Reminiscent of the plot turns in Transporter 3, this isn’t nearly so good. Director Mukunda Michael Dewil isn’t a masterly stylist like Olivier Megaton but he starts the film by abstracting Woods’ blue eyes in a blur of speed that’s worthy of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Walker’s steely-eyed determination conveys a real sense of chivalry that gives Vehicle 19 some torque. Ex-con Woods wants to reform and reunite with his estranged wife but just like the luckless hero of Edgar Ulmer’s Detour, fake sticks out its foot. Woods stumbles upon South Africa’s downtrodden and his empathy momentarily lifts Vehicle 19 out of the ordinary. As in Fast & Furious 6, Walker (who co-produced this film) finds multiculti consciousness and camaraderie through the action movie genre. The Johanessburg terrain

is a moral testing ground and Woods’ desire for redemption parallels the Third World commonwealth. Just before the supermarket spectacle, Woods escapes the police by driving into a car wash--a succinct baptismal symbol for his reborn resolve. When he confronts a worker and requests a new paint job, the worker’s surly dissatisfaction (played by a magnetic South African actor Welile Nzuza) transmits a more intense connection than Walker’s bonhomie with Vin Diesel. Years ago, a film like Vehicle 19 would play on a double-bill with Fast & Furious 6 in neighborhood theaters to the delight of Walker’s silent majority fan base. He’s a genuine American icon, more a good will ambassador than the dubious sort Godard cast Jane Fonda to represent in Tout Va Bien. It’s believable that Woods’ wife tells the media “When it really mattered, he pulled through and I will always love him for that.” There isn’t a recent movie that would not be improved with Paul Walker in it.

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Paul Walker in Vehicle 19 PAGE 12

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THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

NEWS

Pride Week 2013 The best events to celebrate LGBT pride this week

combines vendors, entertainers and activities to keep all ages entertained. Grab a bite to eat, score some pride gear, or listen to a few tunes.

If you want family-friendly fun

If you want to dance or indulge

FREE: The Rally Friday, June 28th, Hudson River Park’s Pier 26, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. You have to come to the official kick-off of NYC Pride! Motivational speakers will get you excited and surged up for the week ahead. The event is hosted by comedians Pandora Boxx and Keith Price. Pam Ann will be performing, who is the alter-ego of Australian comedienne Caroline Reid, and is also able to call Madonna a fan. We Are Family Picnic Saturday, June 29th, Church of St. Luke in the Fields, 487 Hudson St., stlukeinthefields. org, 12 p.m., donations requested. St Luke’s is a church that strives to welcome all who come through their doors. They host this event during Pride Week with Central Families, which is a program for LGBT families. This is the perfect low-key event, with music, a cookout, and activities for kids. FREE: Pride Fest Sunday, June 30th, Hudson St. btwn Abingdon Sq & W. 14th St., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Now in its 20th year, this annual street fair

(Tickets at nycpride.org/events) Rapture on the River Saturday, June 29th, Hudson River Park’s Pier 26, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., $25-$1500, 21+ Ladies, don’t miss the only official women’s event of NYC Pride, celebrating its 10th anniversary. Of course, the music will be unreal, with Miami favorite DJ Dimples and DJ Whitney Day making it impossible for you to stay seated for long. Pride (Poolside) Sunday, June 30th, Hotel Americano, 518 West 27th St., 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., $49-$500, 21+ If you’re exhausted from marching and dancing all weekend, why not take a break and relax poolside? The newest Pride event is thanks to Hed Kandi, the most stylish name in house music. This afternoon, lounge on the sundeck of the Hotel Americano and sip cocktails - you’ve earned it. Dance on the Pier Sunday, June 30th, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Hudson River Park’s Pier 26, $75, 21+ With performances by Deborah Cox and Cher (Yes, CHER) you will never be able

to forgive yourself if you don’t attend. A variety of DJs and live performers will also be in attendance, keeping you energetic. The event closes with the world’s longest-running LGBT fireworks display along the Hudsonhow can you resist seeing that? All proceeds benefit NYC’s Official Pride events and LGBT organizations.

If you want to do something different Jazz Age Pride Party Thursday, June 27th, JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue, jccmanhattan.org, 7:30 p.m., $20-$30. Let’s face it - you still cannot get enough of The Great Gatsby craze. Here is a chance to pull together the 1920’s outfit you have been dreaming of donning. The JCC will transform its deck into a speakeasy with complimentary snacks and jazzy tunes to help you travel back in time for the night. FREE: Pride Week Reading Thursday, June 27th, Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby St., housingworks. org/events, 7 p.m. A debut novelist and two poets share the podium. Gil Cole’s debut novel is an adventure of lust, learning, and love. Annie Lanzillotto’s book tells of a 1960’s tomboy dealing with her brutal but humorous family. Charlie Vasquez wrote a collection of poetry containing extreme detail and brash honesty. Pride 2013 Comedy Extravaganza Saturday, June 29th, The Duplex, 61 Christopher St., pridecomedynyc.weebly.com,

6:30 p.m., $15 cover, 2 drink minimum. Celebrate Pride Week with a night of laughter, brought to you by 7 NYC comics. Queer and Sober Pride Weekend June 28-30, queerandsober.org/registration. This weekend doesn’t have to be all about debauchery and inebriation. Queer and Sober will be offering a variety of parties and other activities to keep you occupied, including a circus party, a circle line cruise, and even a Mr. Sobriety Pageant!

STREET SHRINK

Remembering the Real Truth How our minds can trick us By Kristine Keller “I really like him,” is how a conversation began with a friend this past weekend over Bloody Mary’s at La Esquina. She sat in front of me twisting her celery stick and allowing the red froth to soak the giant ice cubes while recounting details of her latest crush. “But wait, didn’t you tell me that he flirted with three other girls in front of your face last weekend?” I replied, tilting my head and arching my eyebrows to express my emphatic confusion. “Well now that I’m re-thinking the situation, he wasn’t really flirting. He was just chatting casually, I mean not unlike what we’re doing now.” It’s a wise tactic to re-frame situations so that your cocktail is half-full, but you also must be wary of what happens when your mind begins to actually misrepresent information. At this point, we know a lot about the memory. We know the hippocampus, located in the limbic system,

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

is the area of the brain that controls our memories. We know that there are guerillamemory tactics, like acronyms to enhance your mind’s ability to recall information. If King Phillip Came Over For Great Spaghetti wasn’t your saving grace when memorizing the animal kingdom’s classification system, you’re either lying to yourself or maybe you created your own acronym (in which case, please share). But we also know that memory is malleable. And while your memory can act as your closest confidant at times, helping you remember what you need for school and work -- or remembering important dates -- it can also Benedict Arnold you. It can convince you that you saw something that wasn’t actually present. It can reconstruct entire scenarios. It can look you in your mind’s eye and lie to your face. It’s not that our memories are trying to attract us to the wrong guy or make us sound silly when recounting romantic details. Rather, it’s that our memories and strong emotions are inextricably intertwined. One possible reason for the discrepancy in truth versus distortion

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is how we appraise situations in the moment influence how we perceived what happened in the past. This is because our memories follow a principle called mood-congruency, whereby our current mood determines memory retrieval of a past mood. When you’re sitting with your friends recounting situations that were at one time painful, whilst simultaneously playing the latest hit, #Beautiful, by Mariah and Miguel, it’s hard to retrieve a negative memory. Instead, your mind will grasp for positive associations that you’re currently exhibiting. How can you feel any sort of hashtag-hate when Mariah is oldschool belting like it’s 1995? Psychologist and memory connoisseur, Dr. Daniel Schacter, says that part of reconstructing events is due to the current hodgepodge of information in front of us when retrieving and recalling events. We’re biased by our current attitudes, knowledge, and moods. In a now-famous memory study, Dr. Linda J. Levine had participants rate their emotional reactions to one-time Presidential candidate Ross Perot after he abruptly withdrew from the 1992 election. When he surprisingly re-entered the race, participants were asked to recall the initial emotions they first reported after his withdrawal. The study

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found that people could not accurately recall their initial negative feelings about Perot’s withdrawal. Participants’ memories were distorted by their current, more positive, attitudes about his re-entering the race. Though reconstructing memories can sometimes be beneficial in easing anxiety or getting over grudges, we must proceed with caution. It might be a problem if you’re consistently distorting scenarios to believe your guy or gal was friendly chitchatting with other bar patrons at Wilfie & Nell, when he or she was really compiling an inventory of digits. It also can confuse the way you feel about independent presidential candidates, and who wants that? One tactic we can use is doing our best to compartmentalize our emotions and memories when retrieving important information. We also can consult others who were present at the scene that might provide an objective social audit. When in doubt, consult the memory acronymalmanac for: F.D.L.F.M.L. (Friends don’t let friends’ memories’ lie). Remember that. Kristine received her master’s in psychology from New York University. E-mail her at StreetshrinkNYC@gmail.com for topic requests.

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CELEBRITY PROFILE

City Flirt Former NYU classmates turned co-authors flirt their way onto bookshelves By Angela Barbuti

A

lthough we may not always give it much thought, there is a certain art to capturing a man’s attention. After spending seven years exploring what makes men fall in love with them, friends Ariel Kiley, 32, and Simone Kornfeld, 31, released Smitten: The Way of the Brilliant Flirt, this month. The girls met on their first week as theater majors at NYU, and have been each other’s wing women ever since. The pair took time between their jobs - Kiley teaches yoga and Kornfeld is a psychotherapist -and many flirting opportunities, to meet for lunch and an in-depth discussion on what every single girl needs to know.

How did this book project come about? Simone: Ariel and I were lounging on the beach in Fire Island drinking some rosé and sunning ourselves. Ariel turned to me and said, “You know what makes men really fall in love with you?” I was like, “What?” And she said… Ariel: ‘When you divulge some secret, weird thought that you would think would be unfit for conversation.’ And then we just started riffing on things that make men smitten with you.

want to play with other people. And you can get away with a lot here. There are beautiful men on subway platforms, cafes… Simone: We can play a little harder in New York City. People here are intellectual types; there’s a little more sarcasm. Pursue your interests and see where that leads you. You may not meet your soul mate, but you’re definitely going to meet people to flirt with.

Once you meet a man, where are your favorite date spots? Ariel: I love to go on adventures specific to the chemistry of that person. Tomorrow night, I’m going to a contemporary ballet with this guy. Another guy invited me to a boxing match in Long Island City recently. Or take an amazing walk. I have a botanical gardens date coming up. Simone: Sometimes there’s nothing better than sitting down and eating with somebody. I would never go to a movie, that’s an old cliché. Somebody took me salsa dancing once on our first date.

In your book, you claim that many women have not mastered the art of flirting. Why is that? Ariel: All the dating messages that are in the mainstream have to do with getting the ring on your finger, getting the dude, and showing him who you are later. We flip that and say it’s the relationship with yourself first - you flirt from there and if you find something you want to pursue, amazing. Simone: A lot of women get confused about what they’re supposed to be doing while they’re flirting. It’s not about pleasing someone else and trying to be what you think the man wants you to be. It’s about expressing your authenticity within the conversation.

You also think that one should never be rude in the presence of unwanted flirtation.

What was the writing process like? Simone: Discussions on the phone for two to three hours going over every single line. Ariel lived in LA for a chunk of the time, so we weren’t physically together. Ariel: When we had to make a big change in the book, we would take a vacation together. We went to my house in Vermont, where I grew up. We went to Idaho to write the conclusion. Cook, drink, go out, and let it naturally emerge.

Where are the best places to flirt in the city? Ariel: People live in New York because they

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Ariel: Being rude doesn’t make you feel better. Shaming someone maybe gives you an ego high, but that’s a cheap thrill that ultimately hurts your soul. Simone: If someone’s taking the courage to come up to you and admire you, that should be honored always.

One point you make is, if you’re working on your exterior too much, you’re not working on your interior. So what do you think of plastic surgery? Simone: Women become addicted to the idea that their physical appearance is going

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to bring them some sense of security. It can become a sickness. But it is amazing that we can do things like plastic surgery because many people have benefited from this technology. Ariel: There are women I know who have gotten plastic surgery on a part that was beautiful. It’s a bummer when a woman makes that choice before she learns to accept that quirkiness.

I like the part about the Dance Floor predators who come up behind you. I think a lot of us can relate to that. Ariel: Once Leonardo DiCaprio was behind me in LA. I tried to work with it because I’ve had a crush on him since puberty. There were rhythm issues going on, so I ultimately danced away.

A lot of your book focuses on in-person flirting. What’s your take on online dating? Simone: It’s a great tool. I’ve done Match. These principles can totally apply to online dating, certainly when you first meet the person, but also when you’re communicating in writing. Chemistry is hard to know online, so you have to meet them. Ariel: How you put together your profile should reflect who you are. You should have unique details about yourself and images that show you more than just generically the most pretty. I did OkCupid. Everyone in Brooklyn does that one. That’s the go-to site for funky creatives.

Simone: I love pottery. I had a guy tell me once, “What are you, an old woman?” That was a turnoff and not sexy.

You acknowledge that we sometimes get into the rut of working and not cultivating any brainy activities. Ariel: Pursue your interests because there are other cute boys at your interest too. Participate in activities where you are inspired because it makes you enjoy your life first. And also, it leads to more things. Simone met our book agent in her pottery class.

How did Facebook change the way people flirt? Ariel: I know a guy likes me sometimes when he Facebook friends me - if it’s someone you casually know, and suddenly you get the random friend request from them. It’s been an indication before that it’s on. And then you can scour their profile for more information. Simone: I never do that. I don’t Google people. Ariel: But you find out if they have kids. Simone: I like them to tell me that they have kids. I would hope that they would be honest about that!

In the book, you discuss how a man should not downplay the things you love.

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What do you tell people who ask why you are both still single? Ariel: We’ve been in serious relationships that have lasted several years, and they haven’t ultimately been people who we wanted to spend our lives with. There’s a myth that all these married people have it made. I know a lot that are on the road to divorce and are miserable. But we wrote a book about flirting. Simone: We didn’t write a book about getting married. It’s also nice to be single. Ariel: It’s nice to be single right now for both of us. To learn more about Ariel and Simone’s book, visit www.smittenbook.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

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