Writers always put bits and pieces of themselves into their characters. Willie, the protagonist of “Bram Stoker’s Summer Sublet” is not me. But we do have a few things in common. One is a philosophical approach to living in New York City. As Willie wanders around neighborhoods off her beaten track, it’s very easy for her to imagine she’s far away from the streets she knows — and not just a few blocks away from familiar turf.
I love to walk and will sometimes take a less familiar route, or go a few blocks out of my way, simply to experience “new” streets. Since I started this blog, I’ve been taking advantage of opportunities to go out-of-my usual haunts, simply to look up and check buildings for gargoyles. Having found some great ones within two blogs of my home near Union Square and some surprises on very familiar streets in SoHo, I was looking forward to checking out the famous gargoyles of St. John the Divine when I had an appointment near 112th and Amsterdam Avenue.
Of course I’ve been there before — it’s the largest Cathedral in the world and my mother grew up a few blocks away — so that’s a given, but hunting for gargoyles changes the experience. It was fabulous, and because it was dusk by the time I got there, I promised myself a return trip later this fall.
Writers mine their own lives, their own experiences and their own environments, but unless you’re a reporter (or you live an extraordinarily fantastic life) the source material needs to be transformed into something fantastic, romantic, mysterious or otherwise worthy of fiction. Stories don’t drop out of trees. Or do they? Maybe they jump down from the top of pillars and reveal themselves, speaking the language of gargoyles?
The stone MONSTERS lurking and leering down at me were truly amazing. They also reminded me just how important it is to keep an eye out for Monsters wherever I go.
I love gargoyles, and I love it when you see them unexpectedly.
My favourite gargoyles are the ones of the Discworld 🙂
http://wiki.lspace.org/wiki/Gargoyles
I will admit here and now, that my favorite gargoyles are the ones on Cathedrals. Some of the crazy ones on 19th century industrial loft buildings in NYC are pretty cool, but… Walk on the roof of the cathedral in Milan and hanging out with stone monsters — now that’s a travel adventure!
I may not be a traditionalist in other areas, but I like the old fashioned in this monster category.
Walking on the roof with the cathedral gargoyles? That sounds fantastic!
It was!
I haven’t been back to Milan in ages, but it was a highlight of that trip. There’s a restaurant in one of the department stores and the view is of the roof of the Cathedral. You see people walking around and, let’s just say it’s irresistible!
I visited the Biltmore House in Asheville a few months ago and was blown away by all the creepy creatures perched all over the chateau. I must have over a hundred pictures of them alone…
I am totally with you! I’m not a great photographer but marvelous, creepy creatures that DON’T move are one of my favorite subjects! The problem with most of the gargoyles of NYC, is that I’d need a real camera with special lenses to do them justice.
Oh, well… I think I’m going to ask a photographer friend to help me out with that.
I am totally with you! I’m not a great photographer but marvelous, creepy creatures that DON’T move are one of my favorite subjects! The problem with most of the gargoyles of NYC, is that I’d need a real camera with special lenses to do them justice.
Oh, well… I think I’m going to ask a photographer friend to help me out with that.
I just can’t go past the gargoyles on Notre Dame in Paris. It’s so obvious that the masons who chiseled these amazing monsters believed in what they were doing. I love that sense of history reaching out and touching the present.
I haven’t been to Paris is years. I MUST go back. I have a postcard on my desk (bought at the surrealism museum in Berlin which is monster ART heaven on earth) of Charles Meryon’s The Vampire. It’s really a gargoyle looking down on Paris. Wonderful!