Bourbon Cowboy

The adventures of an urbane bar-hopping transplant to New York.

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Location: New York, New York, United States

I'm a storyteller in the New York area who is a regular on NPR's "This American Life" and at shows around the city. Moved to New York in 2006 and am working on selling a memoir of my years as a greeting card writer, and (as a personal, noncommercial obsession) a nonfiction book called "How to Love God Without Being a Jerk." My agent is Adam Chromy at Artists and Artisans. If you came here after hearing about my book on "This American Life" and Googling my name, the "How to Love God" book itself isn't in print yet, and may not even see print in its current form (I'm focusing on humorous memoir), but here's a sample I've posted in case you're curious anyway: Sample How To Love God Introduction, Pt. 1 of 3. Or just look through the archives for September 18, 2007.) The book you should be expecting is the greeting card book, about which more information is pending. Keep checking back!

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Let The Buyer's Remorse Begin

I seem to have an apartment in New York now. It's a complicated thing: I'm making just enough money that, rather than being forced to take anything I could get, I was forced to make some interesting decisions. Essentially, I had to balance out some sort of calculus between living alone/having roommates, being in a cool place/being remote, and having a large place/having a tiny one. I could get any two of them, but not all three.

I canvassed my friends (especially the women) and the loudest cry was "no roommates!" (My friend Briallen said "no roommates after thirty," but I think she hasn't accounted for the New York economy; most of my friends are in their thirties and have roommates, and it doesn't raise any eyebrows. So I'd amend it to "no roommates after forty." Which still makes it a relevant decision.) This left me with the choice: 1-bedroom in the 100s and up, or studio somewhere closer to midtown? Since I've spent my last three years in New York above 150th and taking 45-minute subway rides, I thought, "Why not do something different this time?"

So I have a very tiny place of my very own, in one of the coolest neighborhoods in New York: Alphabet City (which you can sort of think of as "The part of the East Village that actually gets subway service"), around 12th and Avenue A. The apartment is laughably dinky, but I do most of my writing in bars anyway--and it's definitely bigger than the place I lived in up at 157th. The chief advantage, to my mind, is that I'm right near the L train at 14th, which is unique in that it goes all across both Manhattan and Brooklyn in a straight line--meaning that I can get pretty much anywhere starting with the L and then taking whatever else intersects with it. I'm near a park, and I'm a quick drunken stumble away from Doc Holliday's, my favorite bar in the area. Throw in 24-hour bodegas, a laundry right next door, and a whole host of shops on St. Martin's (that's what they call 8th, for some reason), and I stand to be a very happy guy--even if it looks like I'll be sleeping on a convertible sofa.

So that's settled. I move in August 1st. Now I can finish up my book, and then get back to regular blogging. Thank goodness--looking on Craigslist for newly-available apartments is as cracklike as checking email; there's always a new listing if you've been away for an hour. Today I have my life back.

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6 Comments:

Blogger Briallen said...

WESTVILLE EAST!!!!! HI-FI!!!!!

Check 'em out if you haven't already & then thank me. :)

Oh yes and you are reasonable walking distance from that incredibly cute public library branch with the tower.

EXCELLENT decision, Dave.

7/09/2008 9:23 AM  
Blogger ttractor said...

Free dog theater at the Tompkins Square dog park! Hot drunken babe central! And...those guys on the street selling books--that is NOT what they are actually selling, so don't be a sucker and browse their water-stained 20-year-old copies of Redbook.

So, when are you getting your stuff out of my basement? ;)

7/09/2008 12:58 PM  
Blogger Jason Rohrblogger said...

Congrats on no longer being homeless!

I am eagerly awaiting your new contact info...

7/09/2008 12:59 PM  
Blogger Angieb303 said...

Congrats! How sweet. You are celebrating my wedding anniversary by getting a new place. August 1st is a good day! Sounds like a perfect place for you.

7/10/2008 10:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yay! Congratulations on your new home. When's the apartment-warming party? :)

7/10/2008 12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pssst. It's St. Marks : )

7/10/2008 2:30 PM  

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