All of us have special knowledge of the places and spaces of the city that we frequent on a daily basis—knowledge that I like to think of as “insider knowledge.” These are often little things, like finally figuring out that getting on the third car at your subway stop will put you off exactly in front of the staircase that exits closest to the place you want to be at your destination. Or maybe it’s knowing that the best time to get pizza at your favorite place is 2:05 on a Wednesday afternoon (that’s when a new cheese pizza is always coming out of the oven and some of your friends will be there). Or maybe it’s just the secret places that you know and love to be that allows you to feel like you are someplace else entirely.
Sometimes we don’t recognize that we have this special insider knowledge (and attachment) until we see a place or space with which we are familiar incorporated into an artistic form of some sort. You realize it at the moment that you watch a scene or read an image and say to yourself “Hey, I know that place!” And more than just recognizing the place, you can also imagine what it actually is like to be there. You know the vibe, the sounds, the smells, everything. And then you add that layer of knowledge into the art piece you are watching, reading, or otherwise enjoying and it adds another dimension to the story that makes it more personal.
Your assignment today is to cultivate that kind of knowledge about Grand Central Station. You will cultivate this knowledge in two ways.
First, use the audio tour to learn about and explore Grand Central Station, a space that many travel through on a daily basis but rarely really stop to enjoy or analyze. As you learn about the history and design of the station, find places that you think are special and worth noting. As you search these out, also think about what kinds of scenes you could imagine happening there—scenes from a movie, a play, a poem, a song, a short story or novel, a performance piece or art installation. Anything really. How would including this place in a story add another layer of information and experience to the piece? Make note of your ideas. Take pictures if possible.
Then, when you have a chance, take one or two of the places you liked best, and create a story of some sort that incorporates this/these place(s) in a way that will adds another dimension to your story and makes a personal connection for those who know it.
You should post your story (in whatever form it takes) to the course blog site (along with notes and photographs).
After the deadline has closed, please read the blogs of your classmates, with particular attention to 2 classmates whose work you have not read before. Then write a short comment in which you reflect on the way that the work of these two classmates draws upon insider knowledge of the city to enhance their tales.
Deadline for blog: Sunday, November 5th at 5:00 pm
Deadlines for comments: Monday, November 6th at 11 pm
