4. Harmonization There’s something about how we work out alignments that creeps me out. You make this sound with someone else where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It is the best form of listening. I was in the choir in high school and we sang “O Magnun Mysterium” and we got accepted into this choir competition at Riverside Church in Manhattan. I remember we were practicing in the hallway. I was a teenager from New Jersey, smoking in restaurants and having a Bruce Springsteen song like “I can’t wait to get out of this town.” And we all sat in this hallway singing to each other, listening to each other’s voices, and all social structures – fights, cliques – melted away. just a bunch [expletive] Jersey youths have created something so beautiful in this old church that we couldn’t believe it came from us. We sang the song in this competition and held each other’s hands, tears flowing down our faces like “we did it”. Then this show choir from Florida came right after us singing the same song. And they destroyed us.
5. Wawa Hoagies Wawa was mainly involved “Easttown Mare” and I said, “Well, well, well, look at you.” It was like seeing an old friend achieve great success. Wawa is basically a grocery store like a 7-Eleven, but they make these hoagies, which is a very Jersey thing. I’m pretty sure they’re made of yoga mats. Meat is probably not meat. Like a cheese-colored or turkey-colored material. Unfortunately I can’t eat them anymore because I’m vegan now. Ironically, they can all be vegan as they can be made from napkins. I have no idea. What goes into these things is incomprehensible.
6. Crossing the Manhattan Bridge I’ve lived in New York for a million years and I can’t believe it when I’m in a taxi with windows thundering over the Manhattan Bridge – and I can see the skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty. I’ve been living there after all this time. I always stop at anything I’m doing and look out the window at the majesty of where I live and the city continues to work and develop and it’s been through a lot and is holding up a lot. It’s like a little prayer.
7. Amy Morton at the end of Act 2 of Tracy Letts’ “August: Osage County” i think i just broke up [New York University] When I saw that game and I had never seen anything like it. I remember when he turned his back – he swung over his shoulder and his arm was pointy towards his mother – and how he bellowed, “Now I run the business!” I still get goosebumps. My skeleton turned into pigeons. I melted in my seat, as if my soul was floating above the rafters.
8. Traveling Solo I’ve always been terrified of traveling alone. I have a few friends who do this and I’m like, “But what do you do?” I said. Then I bought one myself. I went to the Adirondacks for a week after work and it was incredible. You are one-on-one with your own personality, and parts of your brain and heart open as just you and your thoughts walk through the woods. I think it’s very valuable. Since then, I’ve taken another solo trip to the Galapagos, where I was very nervous because it was so far away. But I wanted to do it myself again, I kind of wanted to shake hands with myself and say “Hello”.
9. Error Reels Like a sudden dose of laughter, Prozac for your brain. I like compilations of people falling, farts on live TV, that’s all. I think the internet is very dangerous, but one thing I really like to use is being able to go on YouTube and watch something that makes me laugh a lot, it’s like a nice reset.
10. A Change of Location I love going out, but I really like the change of venue. I love going out for dinner and then you have a change of place and you go to a bar and then maybe another change of place for a dessert. “What will happen?” It’s like an adventure I say. It feels like an enjoyable game of Russian roulette, which is one of the reasons I love living in New York. It’s just endless possibilities and there’s something very sexy and romantic about it. Effervescent. As if champagne was an activity.