Sweet Sixteen
12 St. Mark’s Place, NY. Open 1pm to 1am daily.
My daughter turned sixteen today… hard to believe. I gave her sixteen books for her birthday, most used, along with the following letter explaining the choice of books:
The Best of George Plimpton – George Plimpton. It's time for you to start reading New Journalism.
Generation of Swine: Gonzo Papers Vol. 2 – Hunter S. Thompson. This is one of my favorite books. I try to read something from this book every day. Thompson also writes in the New Journalism style (and Gonzo too).
The KGB Book of Poems – David Lehman. *See below
Also a Poet: Frank O'Hara, My Father, and Me – Ada Calhoun. *See below
Kathy Acker: The Last Interview and Other Conversations – Amy Scholder. *See below
Accidentally Wes Anderson – Wally Koval. I know you're getting into Anderson's films. He's one of my favorites (see page 14 in Alone in Aspen).
Brown: The History of an Idea – Ted Widmer. I think you'd fit in at Brown, and you know my love for the university. This is a fabulous book, especially the history of the Baptists.
The Game: Harvard, Yale, and America in 1968 – George Howe Colt. In the same vein as Brown, this is an interesting introduction to two of our nation's best academic institutions. I bought this book for the T&R library in Boston (my racquets club that I joined in 2021). As you'll see, there is a library checkout card in it. I was a part-time librarian for the club.
Building America's First University: An Historical and Architectural Guide to The University of Pennsylvania – George E. Thomas. You've long talked about Penn because of Uncle Bill. I thought you'd enjoy reading this book.
Princeton Impressions – Robert R. Gambee. Someday I'll take you to several college campuses, but in the meantime, this is a great way to see one of our nation's most handsome campuses.
Breakfast at Tiffany's – Truman Capote. I picked this up from a tiny library in downtown Alpharetta. I get a lot of books from these charming little libraries.
The Correspondence of F. Scott Fitzgerald – Matthew J. Bruccoli. I bought this from a used bookstore in Powder Springs, GA.
Van Life: Your Home on the Road – Foster Huntington. This book should be a reminder to live an unorthodox life, that there isn't one way to do anything. Be courageous, take risks, be you.
L.L. Bean Book of New New England Cookery – Judith & Evan Jones. Grandpa brought this home from his hardware store because he thought you'd enjoy it.
66th & 5th, New York: Essays, Memoirs, & Poetry. Vol. 1 – Bradley A. Evans. First copy: 1 of 1.
Alone in Aspen: Essays, Memoirs, & Poetry. Vol. 2 – Bradley A. Evans. First copy: 1 of 1.
*I also included Exploring Brooklyn's Indie, Used Bookstores by Rainer Turim, though it’s not a book. I picked this up for you at Village Works in the East Village during the summer of 2024, along with The KGB Book of Poems, Also a Poet, and Kathy Acker. The gal at the bookstore thought they’d be appropriate for a fifteen-year-old. I’m not sure I agree, but I will never tell you what you can and cannot read.
