Monthly Archives: April 2010

NY Yards Bust: Marc Levinson’s The Box, 5: Battle for NY’s Port

Posted on April 30, 2010 by Christina M. Rau

Though New York City’s piers were inconvenient with main rail connections across the harbor in Jersey and the yards located inland, Levinson points out that they dealt with 1/3 of America’s sea trade.  The advancements by McLean Trucking and the Port … Continue reading →

Posted in Brooklyn Industrial Waterfront, Docks and Shipping | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Chaotic Docks: Marc Levinson’s The Box, 2: Gridlock On The Docks

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Christina M. Rau

 The 1950s shipping industry should be called Mixed Cargo Chaos.  Longshoremen found themselves having to be brutish in pulling and pushing carbon-black metals and spools and coils while simultaneously having to be sweet in cradling tropical fruit and other sweets … Continue reading →

Posted in Brooklyn Industrial Waterfront, Docks and Shipping | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

I Love Lucy: Jennifer Egan’s “Reading Lucy”

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Christina M. Rau

Time is not a match for love.  Jennifer Egan’s reading of Lucy’s letters to Alfred, Lucy’s one true love, becomes not only a typical love story between two Brooklynites separated by a world war, but also an insightful tale of … Continue reading →

Posted in Brooklyn Industrial Waterfront, Navy Yards | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Welcome Wagon

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Christina M. Rau

To pass the time while the copy machine in the mailroom spits out blurred copies at turtle speed, I stare at the announcements on the bulletin board.  A lot of them are old.  Some of them still make me chuckle, … Continue reading →

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