Riding The New York Subway

A history of New York subway passengers as they navigated the system's constraints while striving for individuality, or at least a smooth ride.

Some seven million people board the New York City subway every day, each one with a story to tell. The Subway Chronicles collects twenty-seven of the tales, dramas and comedies that unfold during the daily commute. From the “mole people” living in the subway tunnels, to the transit employees working behind the scenes, to the locals and tourists riding shoulder-to-shoulder in harmony, discord, or indifference, The Subway Chronicles offers a kaleidoscope of perspectives on this most public of spaces.

She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth, an homage to the beauty that abides within and around the flaws in everyone’s perfect plans. Vanisha Gould embracing of imperfection was not something that initially came naturally, but was a realization and perspective that came with experience. “All of these little things we do, that I do, to make sure everything goes smoothly - you can bet your bottom dollar that something will go wrong,” Vanisha expresses. “That perfect outfit I finally chose? I’ll sweat through it within ten minutes on the stage. That perfect makeup? It’s gone by the time I get off the subway to the gig.” Amidst the ever-present torrent of potential hangups that encompass daily life for a performer, Vanisha embodied the choice that every individual has to make: either be crippled by the entropy of one’s circumstances, or use the cracks in the wall as a new canvas for something remarkable. “This album was created when I realized I can’t be perfect,” she says. “And you know what? Dammit, I like that. What a relief to embrace that idea.”

In July 2008, illustrator and designer Christoph Niemann began Abstract City, a visual blog for the New York Times. His posts were inspired by the desire to re-create simple and everyday observations and stories from his own life that everyone could relate to. In Niemann's hands, mundane experiences such as riding the subway or trying to get a good night's sleep were transformed into delightful flights of visual fancy. The struggle to keep up with housework became a battle against adorable but crafty goblins, and nostalgia about New York manifested in simple but strikingly spot-on LEGO creations. This brilliantly illustrated collection of reflections on modern life includes all 16 of the original blog posts as well as a new chapter created exclusively for the book.