While reading Edgar Allan Poe, rather defensively, as I came home to Brooklyn last night on the L train, a young man (ok, let’s say a hipster with an MA in English Lit) asked politely what I was reading. I was faced with a predicament. Do I ignore this (despite what must have been a hipster parody Halloween costume rehearsal) presentable young fellow who was clearly not a subway lunatic, law and order psychopath, or seller of illegal drugs? My non-New York roots said clearly, well that’s just rude. So I answered, rather defensively, Poe. He then said a pretty decent question in my book (yay “book” pun):
“Do you like poetry?”
Me: “Never heard of the stuff (read: lie).”
“What enchanting lies! Here’s a book of poems, take it, it’s good.”
Me: “Um…”
He got off at the next stop while I profusely claimed I couldn’t accept this gift. Now, while my crazy radar went off like crazy, as it does in NY, I thought: well now that’s pretty cool, man. It was an Italian translation of Umberto Saba, and is still in my totebag. In the future I think I’ll be more prone to impulsive fits of literary kindness in the big city. Turn to your neighbor, put on your best smile, a philanthropic book exchange in a looming misanthropic winter!
-Nikki-Lee
Tags: Books, Halloween, hipster, philanthropy, subway