WASTE NO TIME! I apologize for the fact that this is an rushed OSRS Field Trip announcement, but I promise I have a worthy reason! 

Due to the nature of the mysterious, weird, at times sinister stories we're reading, I wanted to surprise you with a visit to place you won't believe until you see it.

Join me on Tuesday, August 27th to pay a visit to Doctor Laser. Yes, that's his official title. This week, when I called him on the phone to discuss details, I said "Hello, is this Doctor Laser” and he replied "It depends, is this who I think it is?".  This mysterious man is the proprietor of Kips Bay storefront Holographic Studios, and the leading expert on holograms. The thing is -- and keep this between us, because it's not yet public knowledge -- Doctor Laser is leaving his storefront of 45 years and moving to Hawaii at the top of the month. He’s kindly allowed me to arrange a private tour, just in the knick of time, to learn about the history of the hologram, what it is and how it’s made. So, if you've ever heard of this offbeat place, or wondered about the mysterious science of 3D laser images, this is your last chance to visit Holographic Studios in its current form.

Logistics: 

We'll meet at 6pm and likely be with Doctor Laser to 2 hours, though the man is overflowing with unbelievable stories, so we'll see. I’ll find a place for drinks and snacks afterward, if anyone's interested in continuing on to talk about the book or process our collective hologram revelation.

Keep in mind: 

The space is small, so this field trip is strictly limited to 12 people, so please be mindful of this. If you’re registered and your plans change, please let me know ASAP so I can offer your spot to someone else.

REGISTER HERE!

I’ll be back with more on The New York Trilogy and a full recap of our time with Doctor Laser before the end of this cycle, but for now, don’t miss this chance to explore one of the most unusual and unique attractions in New York City.

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

I’m back! Thank you for your patience as it took me a whole month longer than I’d previously announced to get a new book pick to you. To be totally honest, I was so busy opening my shop that it kept slipping my mind. That, and I haven’t reading a book since April. I suppose this is just how life happens — waves of interruption come and go, but eventually we come back to our habits. So, with this new book selection, I hope to return to my reading habits, because accountability is a powerful tool. That’s right — I’m admitting that I haven’t actually read this book selection yet. When a work reaches a certain echelon of critical acclaim, one can assume it’s a pretty safe bet, and that’s exactly what The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster is.

As advertised, this is a trilogy! Choose your own adventure! It’s made up of three short novels, which you could read individually or all in one go. I’m especially excited about these post-modern detective stories because it’s a genre we haven’t yet read in this book club, and I’m sure they’ll give me lots of inspiration to plan us a really fun field trip for late September.

From the publisher:

The remarkable, acclaimed series of interconnected detective novels City of Glass, Ghosts, and The Locked Room, from New York Times bestselling author Paul Auster
 
“Exhilarating . . . a brilliant investigation of the storyteller’s art guided by a writer-detective who’s never satisfied with just the facts.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
 
City of Glass: As a result of a strange phone call in the middle of the night, Quinn, a writer of detective stories, becomes enmeshed in a case more puzzling than any he might have written.
 
Ghosts: Blue, a student of Brown, has been hired by White to spy on Black. From a window of a rented room on Orange Street, Blue keeps watch on his subject, who is across the street, staring out of his own window.
 
The Locked Room: Fanshawe has disappeared, leaving behind his wife and baby and a cache of extraordinary novels, plays, and poems. What happened to him and why is the narrator, Fanshawe’s boyhood friend, lured obsessively into his life?
 
Moving at the breathless pace of a thriller, this is a uniquely stylized trilogy of detective novels that The Washington Post Book World has classified as “post-existential private eye. . . . It’s as if Kafka has gotten hooked on the gumshoe game and penned his own ever-spiraling version.”

With that, I’ll leave you to your reading and will reappear in your inbox in a couple of weeks.

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

Where to find it:

Because this is an older book by a popular writer, it should be east to find in larger independent bookstores, at well-stocked used bookstores and at the library. For a little adventure, take a little field trip downtown to The Mysterious Bookshop.

Where to read about the book and/or its author:

Paul Auster died earlier this year, and his NYT obituary did a beautiful job of illuminating his life and work. Read it here.

Information:

ISBN: 9780140131550

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Page count: 384

Publication Date: 1987

I’m blown away by the commitment of the members who showed up to our field trip yesterday in the torrential rain! It was truly impressive. A few up of us met up at the Museum at FIT to take in some truly majestic pieces from their permanent collection featuring statement sleeves. If you’re ever passing by FIT and have some time to kill, I’d recommend popping in to see whatever exhibition is on. They’re always free, the gallery is small, and they tend to be really well-curated and fun to take in. After a harrowing walk to 32nd Street, we settled in for lunch at HanGawi, which is a serene Korean paradise in a very chaotic neighborhood. It’s a shoes-off restaurant, so we surrendered out soaked footwear and were delighted to discover that the floor under our table was heated. Lunch was four courses — all vegetarian — accompanied by a truly diverse tea selection. There were only 12 of us, so it was a nice opportunity to socialize and catch up, and while I can’t speak for the rest of the group — it was just what I needed on such a dismal day.

As mentioned in the last email, there is no new book to announce because I’m taking a little break for the next cycle. Our next book pick will be shared in late May, and the next field trip will be in late July. This book club is a great source of joy and connection for me, but there is suddenly a lot going on in my life and I need to take a few things off my plate. I’m a person who genuinely believes that I can do anything, but with age I’m learning that even if that is true, it’s still often better to pare things down when life gets hectic. So, I’m focusing on getting my new shop open (!!!) and working on writing a guidebook. All of this has to do with The Locavore Guide, and if you wish to follow along, you can keep up on Instagram or (even better!) become a supporting member to get my weekly newsletters.

For now, I still have Yolk-related things to share. Did anyone else have fun trying to figure out what the thinly disguised hot spots were in the book? I kept a list written in the inside cover and this is what I came up with:

Lucien - French restaurant, East Village. At the very start of the book, this is the restaurant they’re at. It’s been around forever but has, in the past few years, found an audience with the youthful downtown party set. Mediocre food at best, deliriously scene-y.

Clandestino - Bar, Lower East Side. This is the trendy dive bar on Canal Street. I feel a personal nostalgia for this place, but these days it just makes me feel old (and wanting to take up smoking again).

Sandy Liang - At some point there’s mention of an expensive designer fleece, which is most definitely Sandy Liang, whose brand was build on them. She has a gorgeous shop on Orchard Street.

Odeon - Restaurant, Tribeca. A classic downtown restaurant, and definitely where the awkward creepy old guy dinner happens. Emily Petrarca published a great interview with their fabulous longtime hostess last week. Read it here.

Fishs Eddy - Tableware shop, Union Square. Where Jayne works, and one of my favorite shops. I found her depiction to be pretty accurate, though I’d argue that Fishs Eddy is actually very affordable. Go for vintage and diner-y plates and kitchen stuff.

W. 4th Street Chinese Bakery - I couldn’t figure this one out. The closest I know of is a Fay Da location on W. 3rd and 6th Ave. I pop in often for a coconut pineapple bun.

S&P, formerly Eisenberg’s - Sandwich shop, Flatiron. This is the old school lunch counter described towards the end, and one of my favorite club sandwiches in town!

When discussing the book, many of us agreed that the sisters were aged too young for the maturity of the life events they grappled with (Jayne) and the financial/career success portrayed (June), but concluded that there are cultural undertones most of us can’t fully understand or relate to. There was a part that I thought was revealed their youth in a really sweet way — the scene where Jayne goes to June’s apartment and they make mapo tofu. It’s a dish that’s tethered to a childhood memory, and one that they only kind of know how to make. In their dawn of their respective adulthoods, they’re both just beginning to learn how to reconcile their childhoods, and the adult act of cooking a comfort dish together is an acknowledgment of their connection that temporarily quiets the resentment they feel towards each other. It allowed me to recall similar moments with my own sister, and also made me want to make mapo tofu myself. A side note: mapo tofu is a Sichuan dish, but there are lots recipes online for a Korean-style version, like this one.

With that I’ll leave you to find comfort in the foods that transport you, and also the stack of books that keeps you company. I’ll see you again later this spring!

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

This cycle’s book choice was a big departure from our last, but I hope you’ve found the tactful humor and deep-rooted care so poignantly exhibited in Yolk as enjoyable as I did. I don’t know about you, but I rarely read YA but find that when I do, I am always surprised by how connected I feel to worlds I thought I’d abandoned. To be a young person in pursuit of something big and creative, confused and seeking the type of confidence that’s so hard-earned at that age. It’s strangely comforting to dip into that psyche again.

The book hints at plenty of NYC hotspots and landmarks, but we're going to take it back to the sister's roots by visiting a great Korean restaurant on 32nd St! I chuckled at the part of the book where Jayne jokes that Korean parents are the OG wellness gurus, and was reminded of one of my favorite restaurants. Join me for lunch at HanGawi, a gorgeous vegetarian spot in Koreatown that'll make you feel like you've been transported to the other side of the world. I've discovered so many new ingredients by eating at HanGawi and just love the serene, traditional environment. Note: this is a shoes-off restaurant, so be sure to wear your nicest socks :)

I've pre-arranged a prix fixe menu (you'll have choices!). The cost is $55, which covers everything, and our reservation is for 1pm sharp.

Optional add-on: Meet me at The Museum at FIT around noon to channel Jayne and take in the new exhibition Statement Sleeves! It's free, and a 15 minute walk from the restaurant.

REGISTER HERE

I'll send more details ahead of the event, but please reach out if you have any questions, and please let me know if you have any dietary restrictions. This will be a smaller group (12 people) so please register soon if you wish to attend!

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

P.S. Full disclosure - we will be taking a break for the April-May cycle, and will resume for June-July, so this will be our last field trip for a while! I’ve got some big things happening professionally, and am hosting the Unofficial New York City Walking Marathon again in April and just need to clear a few things off my plate. I hope you’ll understand!

What a night we had last Wednesday! The DVD arrived *just* in the knick of time, and the movie actually turned out to be better than most of us expected! The story strays from the original essay at the end, and Stanley Tucci’s southern accent left a bit to be desired, but otherwise, it was a real treat to have a visual glimpse into Joseph Mitchell’s world. When we arrived at McSorley’s the barmen kindly helped us with a couple of tables, which happened to be right under all of the framed press about Mitchell! We drank and ate cheese and reveled in the New York-ness of it all. Thank you to everyone who came out! I so enjoyed your company.

We’re fastforwarding to modern day for our next book. Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi is a relatively recent YA novel about two Korean sisters in their early 20s, who both live very separate lives in the city. With a sharp wit, she explores a complicated sibling relationship that’s plagued by shared trauma and a mutual desire for acceptance. It’s heavy, but also humorous, and features lots of recognizable spots around the city — none of which are named directly, making a fun guessing game. A trigger warning: this book deals with the topic of disordered eating.

From the publisher:

Jayne and June Baek are nothing alike. June’s three years older, a classic first-born, know-it-all narc with a problematic finance job and an equally soulless apartment (according to Jayne). Jayne is an emotionally stunted, self-obsessed basket case who lives in squalor, has egregious taste in men, and needs to get to class and stop wasting Mom and Dad’s money (if you ask June). Once thick as thieves, these sisters who moved from Seoul to San Antonio to New York together now don’t want anything to do with each other.

That is, until June gets cancer. And Jayne becomes the only one who can help her.

Flung together by circumstance, housing woes, and family secrets, will the sisters learn more about each other than they’re willing to confront? And what if while helping June, Jayne has to confront the fact that maybe she’s sick, too?

I guarantee you’ll devour this one quickly — it’s snappy and chaotic and will hopefully be just what we all need in the dead of winter. Don’t be put off by the YA label! I don’t think I’d have recognized it as such, were it not for the way it’s designed and marketed.

I’ll pop back into your inbox in a couple of weeks. Until then, happy reading! May you have a nice stash of tea, a cozy corner, and maybe a cat to keep you company.

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

Where to find it:

You’ll be able to find this one in the library, or through most bookstores. Currently, it’s on display in the Staff Picks section of the Strand and always in stock at the newly re-opened (hooray!) Yu & Me Books in Chinatown! If you need help finding a copy, send me an email! c@carolineweaver.nyc

Where to read about the book and/or its author:

Kirkus Reviews

Mary H.K. Choi has a podcast about mental health called Hey, Cool Life!

Information:

ISBN: 9781534446014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: March 2021

Pages: 416

Has this felt like a short cycle to you? It has to me, but maybe that’s because we had 700 pages to work with, and perhaps not quite enough time. But alas, our time with Joseph Mitchell and his cast of characters is coming to an end. To conclude this visit with ghosts of New York past, I have a few links to share for further reading and sleuthing:

Places mentioned in Up in the Old Hotel that still exist:

McSorley’s Ale House - Very little has changed since Mitchell’s profile. Still cash only, still just two options. The crowd isn’t as blue collar as it once was, but that’s more to do with the overall gentrification of lower Manhattan, of course.

Village Vanguard - Visit the Village Vanguard now and you might have a hard time imaging Joe Gould bumming around it. Go on a Monday to hear the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Minetta Tavern - Once a proper tavern, the Minetta is now very fancy and full of folks either desperate for their famous burger (this is me) or hoping to spot a famous New York. Show up at 5, sit at the bar, order the burger and watch the patrons file in.

Fulton Fish Market - Though not at its original location in the Seaport, it’s still a thriving hub of seafood commerce! It is open to the public, if you’re willing to trek to an industrial area of the Bronx in the middle of the night. Maybe instead, visit the lovely Seaport Museum.

I don’t know about you, but reading older works about so many places that no longer exist gives me comfort in knowing that the natural turnover of businesses in NYC has been a constant throughout history, and is not, in fact, a crisis of our time. Nothing’s meant to last forever! Especially in my line of work, I can always use this reminder.

Further reading:

Joe Gould’s Teeth by Jill Lepore - One woman’s journey to get to the bottom of the BIG question: Did The Oral History even exist? Her findings seem to be unexpected and full of surprises!

Man in Profile by Thomas Kunkel - A big, meaty biography of Mr. Mitchell, based on the thousands of pages and documents left behind after he died.

“The Patron and the Panhandler” in Vanity Fair - A great article about who Joe Gould’s mystery benefactor actually was!

Are you coming to the theater with me on Wednesday, January 31st? If you haven’t registered yet, you can do it here! The theater — the smallest at the Village East — seats 100, so please feel free to share with any friends who might be interested in Joe Gould’s Secret! There’s room for everyone! I probably shouldn’t admit this to you, but I have had one HELL of a time finding a DVD for this film. If you can believe it, that’s what happens when you rent a movie theater: you bring them a Blu-ray to play, or a DVD when a Blu-ray doesn’t exist. I bought one on eBay, which has taken a worrying amount of time to arrive (order placed 20 days ago), so I bought another one as insurance and splurged on extra fast shipping. At this rate, I have purchased 33% of the copies currently available on the internet. Fortunately, I am a person who believes that everything will work out. In other news, over dinner last week (coincidentally, in Greenwich Village), I learned that my pen pal Ted plays a small role in this very movie! Shoutout to Ted! It’ll be fun to try to spot him as a random writer guy.

See you on IRL on 1/31 and in your inbox with a new book announcement on 2/5!

Yours in Fiction,

Caroline

I’ve so enjoyed dipping in and out of the lives of Joseph Mitchell’s subjects this past month, and I hope you have, too. Admittedly, there are a few I’ve skimmed over and some I’ve enjoyed much more than others, but one thing it seems most Mitchell readers can agree on is that his most captivating work was on the mysterious Joe Gould, vagabond academic of 1940s Greenwich Village. Nearly a century later, Mitchell's essay Joe Gould's Secret remains his most studied and talked about, and if you read anything in Up in the Old Hotel, let it be this and Professor Seagull, the essay about Gould that precedes it.

Did you know that there was a movie made in 2000 by the same name? It's faded into relative obscurity as it's not available to stream or rent anywhere, and even a DVD is hard to come by. You might be surprised to learn, though, that the movie version of this inimitable essay is directed by and stars (as Mitchell) none other than the fabulous Stanley Tucci! Give the trailer a watch here. When it first came out, the reviews were mixed — but I gather from what I’ve read that it’s most enjoyed when the context is fully understood.

As we did for Harriet the Spy back in Nov. '22, I've rented a movie theater for us to watch the movie together! I hope you'll join me on Wednesday, January 31st for a screening at the Village East and drinks at nearby McSorley's Ale House afterward! I know we just did a field trip in the East Village, but this is just the way it worked out. I promise a different neighborhood next time!

Date: Wednesday, January 31st

Time: 6pm. Movie will start promptly at 6:10 and run for 1 hour 50 minutes.

Afterward: Anyone who’s interested, we’ll walk over to McSorley’s, which is about 5 minutes away and the subject of another Mitchell essay. Heads up: McSorley’s is a cash-only establishment!

REGISTER HERE

See you there!

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

For the first time in this iteration of the Orchard Street Reading Society, I’ve chosen a body of nonfiction for us to read! Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell has been on my list for at least 10 years, and I’m pleased to finally tackle it, especially during a season where my reading habits feel slower and more mindful. Joseph Mitchell was a reporter and staff writer for The New Yorker for the better part of the 20th century and was known for his fiction-like essays on the curious lives of New Yorkers on the fringe of culture. This whopping anthology is a cult classic in the world of journalism and contains works written between the 1930s-1960s that depict a New York that most of us have probably only heard of. While reading, I hope you’ll feel inspired to look at the everyday folks you meet in a more illuminated light. If there’s anything to gain, it’s the reassurance that everyone has a story.

From the publisher:

“Saloon-keepers and street preachers, gypsies and steel-walking Mohawks, a bearded lady and a 93-year-old “seafoodetarian” who believes his specialized diet will keep him alive for another two decades. These are among the people that Joseph Mitchell immortalized in his reportage for The New Yorker and in four books—McSorley’s Wonderful Saloon, Old Mr. Flood, The Bottom of the Harbor, and Joe Gould’s Secret—that are still renowned for their precise, respectful observation, their graveyard humor, and their offhand perfection of style.

These masterpieces (along with several previously uncollected stories) are available in one volume, which presents an indelible collective portrait of an unsuspected New York and its odder citizens—as depicted by one of the great writers of this or any other time.”

Fair warning: this is a 700 page book! Newer editions are printed on thin paper, so it’s not very burdensome, but don’t feel like you have to read the whole thing! It’s technically three books in one, split into individual essays, so feel free to pick and choose. No hate reading allowed here at OSRS!

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

Where to find it:

You’ll be able to find this one in the library, or through a book reseller. Your local bookseller should be able to order a copy for you if they don’t have it. I know for certain that there are several copies in the New York books section on the mezzanine at Strang. If you need help finding one, send me an email! c@carolineweaver.nyc

Where to read about the book and/or its author:

New York Review of Books

Virginia Quarterly Review

Information:

ISBN: 9780679746317

Publisher: Vintage

Publication Date: June 1993

Pages: 736

Thank you to all who came out on Wednesday night for a lesson in herbalism at Flower Power! Everyone was so engaged and enthusiastic and seemed to have walked away with a new foundation of knowledge. We tasted oak straw, nettle and some very potent homemade tinctures while hearing all about how plant medicine works. Remember that old video Amikole was telling us about about Osama bin Laden’s mysterious herb stash? Here’s a link to it.

I thought I’d share a little list of great herb shops in the city, for anyone who’s curious to check them out — plucked from the “Herbal Remedies” subcategory in The Locavore Guide database :) (Shameless plug — please use it! Please become a supporting member!)

Sacred Vibes Apothecary in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn - Founded in 2009, Sacred Vibes sells all manners of medicinal and spiritual herbs, also specializing in ones rooted in Afro-Caribbean ritual.

Anima Mundi in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and Soho, Manhattan - A very “aesthetic” version of a medicinal herb shop, Anima Mundi sells most of the plants you’d expect to find and lots of house-made medicinal and topical preparations.

Remedies Herb Shop in Carroll Garden, Brooklyn - Since 2014, herbalist Cheryl at Remedies has been selling a full range herbs in addition to holistic products by over 30 local makers.

Zola’s Original Herbal Remedies in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Jamaica Queens - A long-standing local herb shop with locations in Queens and Brooklyn, Zola’s sells bulk herbs but specializes in their proprietary preparations and blends.

Flower Power in East Village, Manhattan (and upstate) - The site of our field trip, Flower Power has been in the East Village for over 30 years and dispenses every herb you can imagine in bulk and tincture form, in addition to selling other specialist tinctures and skincare potions.

If you’d like to learn more, Amikole recommended two books:

Healing Wise by Susun Weed

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

I’ll be back in your inbox next week with information about our next book! In the meantime, I’d also like to invite you to join my East Village Holiday Shop Crawl tomorrow! I’ll be camped out at Everyman Espresso from 11-1 to greet you and sent you on your way!

Wishing you a cozy weekend <3

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

On the other side of spooky season, I hope you’ve found pleasure in reading The Witches of New York, with a side of Gilded Age history. As we approach the end of our cycle, I’ve got information to share about our upcoming field trip, which is a workshop at one of my personal favorite shops:

While protagonists might dabble in the metaphysical, the crux of their livelihoods is their tea shop, where they blend delicious concoctions for enjoyment and brew potions for a variety of physical and emotional ailments. For this cycle's field trip, we're going to visit a modern day version of this type of business! Flower Power on East 9th St in the East Village sells a wide variety of dried herbs, barks and other plant materials for use in teas and herbal medicines, as well as readymade tinctures and new age products. We'll learn the basics from expert Amikole and leave with the knowledge we need to explore plant medicine in our own lives

Note: Due to the size of the shop, capacity for this event is limited. Please sign up promptly if you're interested in attending as we will not be able to squeeze anyone in once it's sold out!

REGISTER HERE

Come with an open mind! See you on the 29th, witches :)

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

"Suddenly I had to close my eyes because actual tears were smarting at the very nearly uncontainable thrill of being here. The Ladies' Mile was great, the sidewalks and entrances of the block after block of big glittering ladies' stores. . ." Time and Again, Jack Finney.

Ladies’ Mile (no the) was at the core of Gilded Age New York and perhaps the most famous shopping district of the 1800s. Located between Fourteenth and Twenty-Third Streets along Sixth Avenue and Broadway, it was the product of a great age of American capitalism and established the city as a fashion metropolis of the world. 

The Encyclopædia Britannica describes the Gilded Age as “a period of gross materialism and blatant political corruption in U.S. history during the 1870s.” This period directly followed the Civil War and was characterized by explosive industrial activity and corporate growth. The Gilded Age was a time of monopolies and entrepreneurial giants with names that are still recognizable today: Rockefeller, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Stuyvesant, and Stanford. 

Leading up to and during the Gilded Age, New York City’s upper class was beginning to move further uptown, coalescing along the central avenues of Manhattan. They were fleeing the densely populated immigrant neighborhoods that were forming along the downtown shoreline. The northward migration of New York's wealthy gave them more space to live their fantasy of European aristocracy. As this shift took place, Fifth Avenue, from Bowling Green to Central Park became the hub of white Protestant New York. The commercial district of Fifth Avenue grew and took on the character of a shopping district frequented by the rich and famous.

Because so many businesses were flourishing and new money was popping up everywhere, there was motivation for wealthy New Yorkers to establish themselves as belonging to in-groups. There were attempts by old money socialites to codify proper behavior and etiquette and to select who among the nouveau riche was to be accepted into the fold. There was even a list that circulated and was eventually published in the New-York Tribune of “the Four Hundred” fashionable people in New York City. The number four hundred happened to align with the capacity of Mrs. Caroline Shermerhorn Astor’s ballroom (list co-author) at her brownstone at 350 Fifth Avenue and East 34th Street (now the site of the Empire State Building).

Ladies’ Mile served as a vibrant social center for shopping and entertainment and was described as having a “champagne sparkle.” The variety of retail options it offered was dizzying, ranging from expansive department stores, dressmakers, milliners, jewelers, fur shops, and specialty stores offering domestic and imported goods. This was shopping as it had never been seen before; new industrial technologies were completely revolutionizing the shopping experience. Namely, window shopping and window displays were brand new concepts being utilized by shop owners. Recently developed cast iron buildings made it possible to install large glass windows onto buildings. For the first time, being on the street passing by shops was its own enjoyable pastime. These cast-iron palaces attracted customers not only from New York City but from around the world to browse, buy, eat, and enjoy other services. 

Other major changes to the shopping experience that emerged at Ladies’ Mile were free entrance without obligation to buy merchandise, set prices (no more haggling with salesclerks), and refund/exchange policies. Before the late 1800s, all clothing was custom or homemade but advancements in patternmaking and the development of ready-to-wear clothing both revolutionized the shopping experience and established New York as a world class fashion capital (a reputation that persists). Transportation was also changing, making it easier to get to and from the busy shopping district. Street cars, elevated trains, and the beginning of the subway system were all implemented in the late 1800s. 

Shopping was transformed into a leisure activity, and women found a new space where they could spend time unchaperoned and outside of the home. Additionally, the role of women in the wealth and status building of the family unit was evolving at this time. Women who were part of high status families were more able to build social and cultural capital by virtue of their more public lives. They were essentially responsible for establishing and maintaining their family brands and the new shopping culture at Ladies’ Mile allowed them to buy goods and services necessary for upkeep of their brand and to participate in social goings-on.

In the 1880s, maximalism was in, more was more for fashion, architecture, and interior design. Peterson’s Magazine lauded ornamentation—lace, tulle, ruffles, pleats, pintucks, beaded embroidery, tassel fringes, and braided cords of applied trimming. Tall narrow hats, trimmed with bows, flowers, feathers, and often stuffed bird specimens were paired with large bustles. But fashions changed quickly, just a decade later, bustles were no longer popular. The development of ready-to-wear clothing and the emergence of shopping as a leisure activity made it easier for trends to change more quickly, necessitating…more shopping!

Following the turn of the century, major department stores had begun to move further uptown to Herald Square and Times Square. Row houses disappeared, manufacturing came and went and today the area has been revitalized and is again a shopping destination. The Ladies’ Mile Historic District was officially designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1989 and today much of the fabulous architecture remains.

Shameless plug: Read more stories like this on NYC shopping past and present by becoming a supporting member of The Locavore Guide :)

Thank you to everyone who came out last Wednesday for our walk! We were lucky to have gathered on the one day of perfect weather last week, and enjoyed each other’s company as we trekked through the sunset. If you’ll allow me to get a little personal for a moment — my life has been hectic and challenging this year, and even when everything extra feels like work, these book club gathering always give me a jolt of life. It’s astounding to me that so many folks who are or once were strangers to me are so willing to go outside their comfort zones for the promise of doing something fun with like-minded others. It takes courage, and I see that. This little community reminds me of the potential that comes with really living in a city. Thank you for being here.

Our book for October/November is one chosen with the season in mind. The Witches of New York by Ami McKay chronicles three witches working out of a tea shop in the Flatiron district at the height of the Gilded Age. It’s a spicy story that hits all the notes of a dramatic historical fiction — dark secrets, forbidden love, corporate greed, good vs. evil. From the publisher:

New York in the spring of 1880 is a place alive with wonder and curiosity. Determined to learn the truth about the world, its residents enthusiastically engage in both scientific experimentation and spiritualist pursuits. Séances are the entertainment of choice in exclusive social circles, and many enterprising women—some possessed of true intuitive powers, and some gifted with the art of performance—find work as mediums.

Enter Adelaide Thom and Eleanor St. Clair. At their humble teashop, Tea and Sympathy, they provide a place for whispered confessions, secret cures, and spiritual assignations for a select society of ladies, who speak the right words and ask the right questions. But the profile of Tea and Sympathy is about to change with the fortuitous arrival of Beatrice Dunn.

When seventeen-year-old Beatrice leaves the safety of her village to answer an ad that reads "Respectable Lady Seeks Dependable Shop Girl. Those averse to magic need not apply," she has little inclination of what the job will demand of her. Beatrice doesn't know it yet, but she is no ordinary small-town girl; she has great spiritual gifts—ones that will serve as her greatest asset and also place her in grave danger. Under the tutelage of Adelaide and Eleanor, Beatrice comes to harness many of her powers, but not even they can prepare her for the evils lurking in the darkest corners of the city or the courage it will take to face them.

I know we read a work of historical fiction from this same time period two books ago, but I couldn’t help myself! This book is perfect for Halloween season for those who celebrate but are averse to horror genres. This Witches of New York was recommended to me, and I read it blindly. Since, I’ve encountered several blog posts that tackle its lack of critical exploration of some of the big themes and events of the era - the queerness of one of the main characters, the complexity of the women’s suffrage movement, the way the asylum system treated women. This is one of those books that’s written for entertainment, not for intellectual enlightenment. Take it with a grain of salt, and enjoy the ride! It’s a whole lot of fun and I hope you’ll gobble it up as quickly as I did.

I’ll be in touch by the end of the month with details on our next field trip! It’ll be at the end of November (not Thanksgiving week).

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

Where to find it:

You’ll be able to find this one in the library, or through a book reseller. I’ve had a hard time finding copies at new bookstores, and one shop owner told me that she thinks it’s just been reprinted. Your local bookseller should be able to order a copy for you if they don’t have it. If you need help finding one, send me an email! c@carolineweaver.nyc

Where to read about it:

Review in The Toronto Star

Information:

ISBN: 9780062359926

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Publication Date: July 2017

Pages: 560

I hope you've enjoyed meandering around the west side with Julius in Open City. In the spirit of the book, we're going to to go on a long evening walk for our field trip later this month. Though Julius typically starts his walks way uptown on the West Side, for the sake of easier transport, we'll meet at Lincoln Center and head downtown where we'll finish with ice cream at Morganstern's.

Along the way, we can socialize with each other (or not!) and I’m also preparing bingo cards with things from the book to keep an eye out for. The winner gets a copy of our next book!

The walk itself is about 4.5 miles. If you want to meet along the way, let me know and I'm share my location! Same goes with ending early -- peel off whenever you'd like.

We’ll plan on meeting at 6pm and finishing around 8pm.You'll receive an email closer to the date with exact details on where to meet and how to prepare. In the event of rain, we'll reschedule to another day the following week.

Please register via this link.

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

I’m sorry to have been so absent during the last reading cycle! I was busy preparing to launch The Locavore Guide, which I’d encourage you to check out of you haven’t already!

Last Saturday, 16 of us embarked on a journey to Coney Island for the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, which was shocking, campy and thoroughly entertaining! To our surprise, it also happened to be the 40th anniversary celebration of the Coney Island Museum, so there were special things happening all over the premises. After a hot dog and a spin on the Wonder Wheel, some of us went to see a Brooklyn Cyclones games which, to our delight, was celebrating “Christmas in July” — Christmas music, santa, and all. There was a sandstorm, and epic rainbow and a chance to run the bases after the game. An eventful field trip, I’d say!

For our next book, I’ve chosen Open City by Teju Cole, which is about a young Nigerian doctor who spends most of the book walking around Manhattan while thinking about the events of his past and present. It’s a rambling tale of a mindfully lived city life.

From the publisher:

“Along the streets of Manhattan, a young Nigerian doctor named Julius doing his residency wanders aimlessly. The walks are a release from the tightly regulated mental environment of work, and they give him the opportunity to process his relationships, his recent breakup, his present, his past. Though he’s navigating the busy parts of town, the impression of countless faces does nothing to assuage his feelings of isolation.

Julius crisscrosses social territory as well, encountering people from different cultures and classes who provide insight on his journey—which takes him to Brussels, to the Nigeria of his youth, and into the most unrecognizable facets of his own soul.

Seething with intelligence and written in a clear, rhythmic voice, Open City is a haunting, mature, profound work about our country and our world.”

While reading Open City, I was moved by Cole’s understanding of the nuances of human experience, specifically in New York, and found myself relating to much of what Julius ponders. We’re hardly given a glimpse of his personality, but rather a deep understanding of his opinions and experience with the world around him. It’s not a book that’s easy to binge, so I’d recommend taking it chapter by chapter.

Our next field trip will be a walk on the evening of September 27th. I’ll send an email later this month with sign-up details!

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

Where to find it:

You should have no trouble getting this one from the library, your local bookstore, or a used bookstore. Need help getting your hands on a copy? Send me an email! c@carolineweaver.nyc

Where to read about it:

Read this review in The New Yorker.

Information:

ISBN: 9780812980097

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Publication Date: February 2011

Pages: 258

In the hundred years that has passed since the time period we're reading about in The Museum of Extraordinary Things, Coney Island has become a significantly more PC, less sinister place. That said, there's still one operating sideshow that's an homage to the shocking wonders of the boardwalk entertainment past. The Coney Island Circus Sideshow runs programming through the summer with a continuous show for 6 hours on weekends, and also houses a museum about the area's history.

We'll meet on Surf Ave at 1pm to catch the first hours of the show and visit the adjoining museum. I encourage you to make a day of it! Hit Luna Park, eat some fried clams on the boardwalk, go for a dip in the water. I'll be hanging out all day and going to the 6pm Cyclones game (sitting in section 12, row Q, right side), which is a short walk away. You're welcome to get a ticket and join!

Prepare of bodily feats, visual tricks, and full-on amazement! We’re in for a fun day.

Please register here! Your ticket cost covers show and museum admission.

See you on the 29th!

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

If you’re interested in exploring some of the history of America’s playground, here are some links:

The whole story of the history of Coney Island

About the most famous “freaks” of the Coney Island sideshows of the past

History of Dreamland Lilliputia, the original sideshow spectacle of Coney Island, which you’ll recognize from the book

And for your viewing pleasure, some photos I’ve found around the internet:

See you next week with field trip registration information!

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

Thank you to everyone who came out to shop at Botánica San Miguel last week! We chose candles, listened to Gisette’s stories, visited her beautiful alter and learned more about the spiritual practices we read about in Soledad.

And now, at last, it’s summer and I’ve got a great selection for you! A couple of meetings ago, Phyllis and I were talking about places that would make great field trips and Coney Island came up. She excitedly suggested that we read The Museum of Extraordinary Things, which thrilled me, because I’d read and loved it when it first came out and totally forgotten about it in the decade since. It’s the story of Coralie, the daughter of a sideshow operator who’s growing up in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. Out of sight of her controlling father, she strikes out to learn more about the outside world she’s been protected from, seeks the truth about her family’s past and falls in love along the way. Upon re-reading recently, I was most struck by how historically accurate this book is, and how many facets of early 1900s immigrant life it explores. The Museum of Extraordinary Things is a fully immersive experience into a world that is equal parts wonder and horror, and a little bit of a history lesson.

From the publisher:

“Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the sinister impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a Coney Island freak show that thrills the masses. An exceptional swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid in her father’s “museum,” alongside performers like the Wolfman and the Butterfly Girl. One night Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man taking pictures of moonlit trees in the woods off the Hudson River.

The dashing photographer is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his community and his job as a tailor’s apprentice. When Eddie photographs the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the mystery behind a young woman’s disappearance. And he ignites the heart of Coralie.

Alice Hoffman weaves her trademark magic, romance, and masterful storytelling to unite Coralie and Eddie in a tender and moving story of young love in tumultuous times. The Museum of Extraordinary Things is, “a lavish tale about strange yet sympathetic people” (The New York Times Book Review).”

Let’s go on an adventure to Brooklyn’s most storied playground! Mark your calendars — we’re taking a field trip to the world famous Coney Island Circus Sideshow and Museum on Saturday, July 29th! More details to come.

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

Where to find it:

You should have no trouble getting this one from the library, your local bookstore, or a used bookstore. Need help getting your hands on a copy? Send me an email! c@carolineweaver.nyc

Where to read about it:

Check out the New York Times review here

Information:

ISBN: 9781451693577

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: September 30th 2014

Pages: 385

How did you feel while reading the dramatic and poignant final scene?

What are your opinions on the Flaca/Soledad/Richie love triangle?

What did you learn about the community in Washington Heights?

How do you relate to the women of Soledad’s family?

P.S. There’s one last ticket available for Wednesday’s event! You can snag it here.

The women of Soledad's family are well-versed in spiritual healing and perform a number of rituals with candles and herbs, rooted in the art of Dominican santeria. Have you ever been to a store that sells these things? They're called botánicas, and we're going to visit one!

Botánica San Miguel in Washington Heights is Dominican-owned, and run by the lovely Gisette, who is full of knowledge in both Catholic saint-based practice, as well as more esoteric spiritual arts. Her shop is full of bath potions, 7-day candles, oils and incense, and she's well-equipped to make recommendations for any affliction or desire. You can even buy pull-out style candles to carve and prepare yourself! Just ask Gisette -- she'll tell you exactly how to do it.

Let's meet at the shop, which is located at 2079 Amsterdam Ave. (bet. 163rd and 162nd St) anytime at 6:30pm! No worries if you'll be arriving late -- we'll be there until 7:30 or 8 before moving on to a local bar, if you’re are up for it. The week of, I'll also prepare a list of other local businesses to check out in Washington Heights in case you're interested in arriving early.

Please be sure to register in advance. The past couple of events have sold out pretty quickly so if you are interested in coming, I’d advise you to get on it.

The cost of this ticket covers a candle from Botanica San Miguel, which you can pick out on our field trip :)

Yours in fiction,

Caroline

If you’ve started Soledad, you’ve certainly noticed that the women of our protagonists family prefer spiritual solutions to their problems and physical ailments, and often practice aspects of Dominican santeria, Congos Del Espiritu Santo. The most prevalent of applications being the use of Florida Water, for spiritual cleaning, actual cleaning and household rituals. You might use Florida Water in your own practices, or maybe you’ve seen it behind the counter at your neighborhood bodega, or perhaps the smell is familiar to you, but do you know where it comes from? I didn’t either, and was surprised to hear that its origins are actually here in New York City.

Murray & Lanman Florida Water was first introduced in 1808 as an alcohol-based essential oil concoction inspired by the Fountain of Youth, which according to lore existed in the Spanish colony of Florida — Juan Ponce de Leon’s first attempt at colonization in the United States.

From a 2021 article in Unpublished Zine by Kimberly Kapela:

“With its sweet floral scent and lemon overtones, Florida Water—named after the Fountain of Youth—is commonly used for ritual offerings and purification. Some replace Holy water with Florida Water. The sacred cologne contains numerous spiritual benefits and has become a staple in Voodoo, Hoodoo, Wiccan, and Santeria practices.

Mixed with spices, herbs, lavender, and citrus oils, the Water can be used as a simple cologne or perfume for protection, to draw in good fortune, and in any kind of spell to block out negativity and harmful entities.

While thousands of fragrances have gone in and out of style, Florida Water has maintained its true recipe since 1808. When Florida Water was introduced in the 1800s, enslaved African-Americans in the Southern United States used the cologne while serving their masters. They would use Florida Water to scent the bed linens, sprinkle in bathwater, mop the floors and shave men’s faces. Enslaved African Americans were forbidden to practice African religions and were forced into Christianity practices.

According to Witch Swap, those forced into slavery would use Psalms in the Bible to hide Hoodoo rituals in the scriptures. While publicly worshipping Catholic saints, slaves worshipped African deities. Florida Water became a staple ritual tool of slave-based magic.

In secret rituals, Florida Water found its way into magical/spiritual practices performed by the enslaved. Rituals like spiritual floor washes became more popular.

According to Gabriela Herstik’s 2018 book, Craft: How To Be A Modern Witch, she calls the Water “the baking soda of the magical world.” For Latinos, those maintaining cultural traditions and spiritual practices, it’s believed Florida Water can do powerful and mundane deeds to connect to the spiritual realm and ancestral spirits.

“It can be added to a bath, used as a perfume, put on energy points like the third eye, sprayed in the air, and utilized to clean a counter, to name a few. The citrusy scent of the cologne means that it’s both energizing and purifying. It’s also said to represent the fountain of youth, which is supposedly in Florida,” Herstik said.

Florida Water was used in enslaved people’s practices and spiritual practices throughout the Caribbean, and continues to be used by their descendants to this day through purification, ritual offerings, attracting love, etc… Its use became more commercialized in the last few years as social media popularized it through Wiccan practices and other pagan magical practices. In the last 200 years, its power comes from the traditions of spiritualists, even now its used in the same way.”

Online from The History of Bandits you can find more about its uses over time, and the design of the the elaborate trade cards that were made for the product:

“When Ponce de Léon landed on the mainland, which did not fit his description of the island, he named it La Florida (“The Flowery”) because it was Easter season and vegetation was in full bloom. It is possible Murray named his product after the Territory of Florida simply because of its translation. However, a fountain became the dominant motif in du Maurier’s labels. Trade cards—old-school advertisements exchanged in social circles to clients and potential customers, often repeated this theme. While the Fountain of Youth’s grip on the American psyche has remained effectual even through today, scientific skepticism eventually led to a devaluation of Florida Water’s curative capacities.

In regards to eau de cologne’s medicinal abilities, American chemist John Snively in 1877 asserted that “at this day, save its occasional application as a lotion for headache, not the slightest pretensions are made for it in that line.” Paired with skepticism was the increasing scientific knowledge behind perfume making. Advances in organic chemistry and the ascension of synthetics to replace hard-to-find natural oils led to an increased market for perfume. The New York Times, on August 14, 1870, stated that general perfume use “may be dated back to almost fifteen years ago,” around 1855. Previous to that, “comparatively little was used, and the bulk of that was imported.”

By the turn of the century, Florida Water companies were downplaying medicinal capacities and focusing predominantly on the product as a perfume. In the second volume of The Woman’s Book—a manual for home-living published in 1894—the author extols the virtues of a bath with added Florida Water, after which “the perfume it leaves about her person will not be sufficiently powerful to cause discomfort to any one.” The author compares this delicate description with the “extraordinary cheapness” of other perfumes in the market with which a woman could drench herself “until she becomes offensive to all who come near her.” A proper fragrance demanded judicious and indirect use. Florida Water, adding to its array of uses, was a choice product for this endeavor.

Florida Water’s versatile nature helped it adapt to a changing market. The du Maurier label and castor oil bottle also contributed to the product’s continued success, as Lanman and Kemp (renamed in 1861) relied on their tradition and signature look to maintain sales in the midst of imitative competition. In 1957 the company moved west across the Hudson River, first to Palisades Park and later to Westwood, New Jersey, due to the need for a larger production facility. Only with the advent of increased market specialization has Florida Water lost some of its sway. Today, deodorants, mouthwashes, aftershave lotions, and a variety of other products have replaced a product that once addressed all of these needs. Whether these specialized products could survive a transitioning market as did Florida Water is debatable. It is unquestionable, though, that Florida Water’s origins, which played no small part in the product’s appeal, represent a distinctly American link in a chain of myth passed down through the ages.”

If you’ve never taken a whiff of a fresh bottle of Florida Water, I implore you to pick one up next time you see it and incorporate it into your own rituals. Better yet, take yourself on a field trip to Flower Power for a bottle of their house-made version :)

Yours in fiction,

Caroline