My first job after college was working as a part-time host at a local diner. It was here that I met a woman. A customer, to be more exact. She had chestnut hair, emerald eyes, and a left-leaning tilt to her stance. When I first noticed her, standing alone at the front entrance, I experienced... Continue Reading →
A Home Underground
The temperature aboveground was brutally frigid. Levi — who for the past two nights had been laid out on a bench inside a heated train car on the A, C, and E line — lowered his eyelids protectively over his retinas and climbed out into the low winter sun, stumbling onto the sidewalk and falling... Continue Reading →
Three Tables
About twice a week, I take a walk down Chambers street to a small square park spanning two streets lengthwise and two streets widthwise. At the left corner of this park, a two-seater bench faces the northern façade of a local bar. Its convenient location across from four large windows allows you to study the... Continue Reading →
Black Skies and Bloodshot Eyes
“I just don’t understand why.” “Is the why ever clear?” “No, not really.” Carlos was discussing his recent sacking with his friend, Miguel. Miguel- an elusive character- had never held a steady job, and how he managed to survive was a point of contention amongst their circle of friends. Although the majority consensus was that... Continue Reading →
The Power of Introspection
Throughout my life, I have struggled with the amount of time I take to process my feelings and the feelings in my surrounding environment. That isn’t to say that I dislike this aspect of my personality. In fact, I choose to use my time in this manner. Moreover, I admire the way in which this... Continue Reading →
The Day I Fell Down A Sidewalk Cellar Door
My name is Emmanuel Ramos Aponte. I was born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico to an elegant but poor mother, Aurelia Aponte Pérez, and a belligerent and crass alcoholic of a father, Jorge Ramos Ramos, a product of cousin inbreeding.[i] I am less than a month shy of sixty-two-years-old. I live in the Bronx in an... Continue Reading →
Like Tying a Shoelace
“Do you ever wonder how something as simple as tying your shoelace can completely change your life?” “Um, no. Not really,” my some-form-of-a-date replied as he rubbed the remainder of his cigarette onto a dirty plate. “Like, what if I were to tie my shoelace, and in that moment something happened that wouldn’t have happened... Continue Reading →
How WeWork Manipulated the Market
WeWork’s inability to secure investors for an IPO is a trending topic, with various individuals predicting that it will radically change market psychology. On CNBC, Robert Griefeld claimed that we are now living in a ‘post-WeWork world’[i]- as if human reality has been fundamentally altered by this incident. I agree that WeWork’s massive devaluation could... Continue Reading →
A Borderline Society
I have recently become an active social media user. And in the countless hours a day that I spend online building an audience for these essays, I have realized something quite stark about the nature of the world today: the lack of emotional depth in our daily lives has left us with a borderline society.... Continue Reading →