new york city

Yesterday I got bored

March 28, 2019 H.R. Gordon

Yesterday I got bored during a meeting, so I wrote a children’s book manuscript.

Shouldn’t I have been paying attention to the meeting? Well, yes, and in a way I was. But my business partner had it handled, and she has a tendency to talk a lot anyway, so I just let her go. And I wrote a children’s book manuscript.

It wasn’t anything fancy, and it was done in a few hours–if that. It was inspired by a thought the night before that reminded me of my childhood.

Perhaps you’ll read it someday. But right now, I’m busy publishing other people’s children’s books. And what a wonderful task that is.

-hrg

Check out some of the books I’m working with right now:

Five Hungry Mice won a Moonbeam Award in November! We just signed a contract with this illustrator for her next book (it involves monsters!

Tillie is a memoir, written in a diary-like fashion by Tillie’s son, Mark Goldman, a Buffalo historian. It may seem like your average memoir, but Tillie tells the story of New York City during a unique and vibrant era–from the perspective of a Jewish girl, no less. This launches on Mother’s Day, but is available for pre-sale, and I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks!

Thoughts

NYC is over. Life continues on.

March 11, 2014January 11, 2016 H.R. Gordon

Well, I’ve been back for a day now. I miss the city. I love wandering the streets and watching everyone live their lives as if the world would end tomorrow and this is the last night they have on Earth to party their asses off and have the time of their lives. It’s beautiful.

Saturday afternoon, my classmates and I presented on a panel at theJoint Journalism and Communication History Conference at NYU. A guy asked me if I was a professor. When I said, “Oh, no, just a student!” He said, “Oh a grad student!” And I said..”Oh, uh, no…I’m a freshman.” He was surprised, but welcomed me and was impressed I was at such a conference so early in my career. Made me feel special. So yay.

On the walk back to the hotel, my friends and I saw a dead guy laying on the corner near Broadway (I think it was near there. My memory is failing me). Either way, this guy was clearly dead. Eyes open, pale, stiff, surrounded by NYPD, Elmo, Buzz Lightyear, and other costumed characters. He also had a wad of cash in his hand. If I had to guess, I’d say he OD’d. It was sad, but an interesting experience nevertheless.

Saturday night, my friend Elyse and I went for dinner at Tonic, a sports bar right near Times Square, and took a walk through Times Square and did some shopping. It was her first time in NYC and seeing her reaction to everything was great to watch. She loved it. She said she wants to move there one day. I bought a bunch of crop tops at Forever 21. I’m not thin. But I think I can rock it with a high waisted skirt. Come at me, bro.

Oh, and we took some pics with a Mexican guy dressed as the Statue of Liberty.

He told us we had to pay in $5 each. On second thought, we should have just run away. I’m embarrassed to say we actually gave the guy $8. What the hell are we, tourists? Ugh. The aggravation.

Anyway, after shopping, I convinced Elyse to take a subway to Brooklyn for no reason whatsoever. She was not pleased when she found out I lied about subways going in a circle. I was happy to be on a the subway for no fucking reason.

After we got off of the subway, we followed this girl and her friend around for awhile. Remember to keep a safe distance when stalking, folks. Don’t want to seem really creepy.

Yes. That is a unicorn backpack.

We ended up getting coffee somewhere in Brooklyn. I think the place was called Beans. And actually we didn’t even get coffee. We got raspberry lemonade. Still good.

We had no idea where we were. Somewhere in Brooklyn definitely. We went by a very large, pretty church. But I mean, that’s all we got. Somehow we made it back to Times Square and then back to our hotel, which was perfectly placed only about 2 blocks from Times Square.

Pretty damn good night.

Sunday was a bore. Long car ride home. Dinner with friends at the dining hall.

Oddly enough, though a few people whom I haven’t talked to in forever (some it’s been years) wandered back into my life yesterday via Facebook and texting. The world has a strange way of working. Maybe I’ll write a post about that.

A day in the life.

-HRG

Thoughts

The Start of NYC!

March 8, 2014January 11, 2016 H.R. Gordon

Wow. So I just got into my hotel room after an eight-hour drive from St. Bonaventure to NYC. I had the most amazing talk with my professor (who was driving the car). We just sat in the front, and while everyone else was sleeping, she shared stories about her life and career. We just talked. And it was awesome. I wasn’t expecting to do much but sit and listen to my music, but I got to listen to stories from her career as a journalist and all about the things she wished she’d done differently in life. I respected her before, but now, I have such a deep appreciation for her presence in my life.

She and her husband (also a professor at my university) are the supervisors for this trip to NYC. Their classes (obviously I’m in hers) are presenting on a panel at a conference on journalism and communications related topics. Our panel is on advocacy journalism/journalists and it’s/their effect on journalism and the world. I’m speaking about Melissa Fabello, the young female blogger who was able to get Seventeen magazine to agree to stop using manipulated spreads.

Well anyway, I’m just chillin’ in my hotel room with two of my best friends. We have a queen bed and a cot…here’s a picture of my friend Catie trying to figure out how to set up the cot for our friend Elyse while she was sitting on the toilet singing about her shit. Yeah, my friends are just badass like that.