A True New Yorker

Relaxed. Straight forward. Poised. Hilarious.  Richard Price is an individual who really knows how to keep the crowd engaged. At his reading at Baruch on Tuesday, he didn’t fail to entertain.  Every comment and response by Richard Price was sparked with humor.  “How did you get the cops to help you out?” asked a member of the audience.  “I had compromising pictures of their girlfriends,” replied Richard Price igniting laughter throughout the room.  Although at a certain point Richard Price seemed to be getting annoyed by some of the questions he was receiving, he continued to answer, and continued to make us laugh.  Usually, an individual of his stature might carry some sort of hubris, but not Richard Price; he was down to earth and was better able to connect with the audience because of this.

The excerpt he read from his novel, Lush Life was extremely entertaining.  His straight forward, and descriptive style, really helped us envision the Lower East Side.  To me, his work seemed musical in a way; the short descriptions and simple sentences felt like sharp, staccato notes.  Character dialogue was colloquial and genuine, and really illustrated the typical New York dialogue.  The excerpt that Mr. Price read from his new book about Harlem was unlike something I’ve never heard before.  He used repetition (of the word God) to establish a preachy atmosphere.  I am looking forward to reading Lush Life in full, and also this new book that he is working on.  Both, Richard Price’s personality and work were captivating. (photo taken by Karnveer Bal)

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