Tom, I can’t tell you what reading this means to me. That you’re continuing these walks and making these connections — it’s representative of exactly what I hoped for when writing A Walking Life. I wanted people to be inspired to walk, or to advocate for walkability, or to find ways to face grief and loss, or to start engaging with their local communities … or all of the above! To find what walking brings to each of us as unique individuals, and what it can do for our neighborhoods and world. Of course, I’d love people to buy and read the book but I always said that if someone got a few pages in and then put it aside because they felt an urge to go for a walk, that was a success for me.
I was on a group video call with some new-to-me people yesterday and one woman had only just moved into a house in the Pine Barrens and I said, “Oh, I have a friend who writes about the Pine Barrens almost every week!” I sent her your newsletter and she’s thrilled to have found your writing about the place.
During the most dismal, isolated days of Covid lockdown (which began soon after that Poguetry show where I met you and Sarah) I toyed with the idea of making the 6 mile walk from my apartment to Coney Island.
🧞♀️🎠🎡🎢🧜🏼♀️
Reading this, you've inspired me to toy with the idea again. Maybe next weekend? 🤔
I’m trying to remember who the writer was who walked to JFK airport or maybe it was Laguardia …
And there’s someone else who was doing a blog or Instagram or something where he was walking every single street of Manhattan. Not sure how far he got or if he’s still doing it! NYC is such a great city for funky, adventurous, and often eye-opening walking ideas.
My friend Lawrence Block has walked all of Manhattan, I think. Or much of it! He's an ultramarathon race walker, and his book about it, Step by Step: A Pedestrian Memoir, is an enjoyable read. I think this is how he finds odd streets like Ploughman's Bush to put in his stories...
Tom, I can’t tell you what reading this means to me. That you’re continuing these walks and making these connections — it’s representative of exactly what I hoped for when writing A Walking Life. I wanted people to be inspired to walk, or to advocate for walkability, or to find ways to face grief and loss, or to start engaging with their local communities … or all of the above! To find what walking brings to each of us as unique individuals, and what it can do for our neighborhoods and world. Of course, I’d love people to buy and read the book but I always said that if someone got a few pages in and then put it aside because they felt an urge to go for a walk, that was a success for me.
I was on a group video call with some new-to-me people yesterday and one woman had only just moved into a house in the Pine Barrens and I said, “Oh, I have a friend who writes about the Pine Barrens almost every week!” I sent her your newsletter and she’s thrilled to have found your writing about the place.
Thank you, Antonia! Your book touched a nerve, and I told my fellow walkers all about it.
Sounds fabulous!
During the most dismal, isolated days of Covid lockdown (which began soon after that Poguetry show where I met you and Sarah) I toyed with the idea of making the 6 mile walk from my apartment to Coney Island.
🧞♀️🎠🎡🎢🧜🏼♀️
Reading this, you've inspired me to toy with the idea again. Maybe next weekend? 🤔
Do it and tell me all about it! Grab a slice at Totonno's.
If the weather's as nice it was today...or even a little cooler...I definitely will!
I’m trying to remember who the writer was who walked to JFK airport or maybe it was Laguardia …
And there’s someone else who was doing a blog or Instagram or something where he was walking every single street of Manhattan. Not sure how far he got or if he’s still doing it! NYC is such a great city for funky, adventurous, and often eye-opening walking ideas.
My friend Lawrence Block has walked all of Manhattan, I think. Or much of it! He's an ultramarathon race walker, and his book about it, Step by Step: A Pedestrian Memoir, is an enjoyable read. I think this is how he finds odd streets like Ploughman's Bush to put in his stories...
That name rings a bell! Maybe it was him I was thinking of. So cool that you know each other!