Meet Bronx Anchorwoman: Asha McKenzie
Written by Herbert Norat / Photos by Herbert Norat
The control room is dark and chilly as two producers seated in swivel chairs wearing headsets cordially greet me. I nestle my way onto a chair in a nook behind the producers attempting to become inconspicuous. One of the producers looks up at the behemoth wall clad in multiple television sets of varying sizes and states “Try to stay to your right.” And there she is, anchorwoman Asha McKenzie seated next to her co-anchor Gianna Gelosi, both wearing blood red floral patterned dresses, apparently “clashing” on camera. “Cory Booker announced for president” gasps Asha, as she scans her phone for information. The paradoxical quality in the anchorwoman obtaining headlines from her cell phone while seated in a news studio humorously crosses my mind. The producer chimes in again “Go to your left, thank you.” before playfully bantering with Asha, “Why did they pick you?” referring to my presence at the news station. The jovial camaraderie permeates into the studio and workstations as staffers plan the day’s lunch order. The order of the day? Cheese, in particular, half and quarter pounds of cheese fresh from Arthur Avenue.
The control room
“Doubles” calls out the producer, as Asha laughs alongside weatherman Mike Rizzo who walks on set to prep for his rundown of the weekend deep freeze overtaking the Bronx. The crew prepares to go live coming off a commercial break as one producer counts down “10, 9, 8, 7…” and another producer repositions a camera in the studio using an analog stick. Asha places her cell phone down on the thick glass table in front of her and brushes her hair to one side of her face. “4, 3, 2, 1…” the countdown concludes as Asha brings viewers news of Puppy Bowl 15 on Animal Planet, a Super Bowl pregame show alternative. It’s Super Bowl weekend.
As the early morning segments wrap up, Asha calls me into the studio where I expect to find teams of cameramen and staff running around with gaffs and booms, clear indicators of my newsroom ignorance. But there’s none of that and no one’s there, except for Asha, seated in her anchor chair prepping for the next hour of news. “You can sit over there” Asha instructs me “just watch out for camera six.” Asha’s voice is commanding, full of ethos and she expertly controls her voice’s cadence and pitch as she reads through assorted news items, it’s the sort of voice that’s meant for anchoring. I settle into a directoresque chair and observe the anchorwoman in her natural habitat. All the high tech cameras, monitors and ceiling lights shift and focus on Asha, the center of attention, as she prepares for her next hour of news coverage. Asha scrolls through her cell phone again, reviews the segment scripts on the tablet in front of her, and interfaces with her co-workers “Who’s the producer? Oh, never mind” and “This script is so weird.” Asha has been filming all morning and it’s only 8 am. Asha yawns “Oh my goodness! I need a nap.” Another countdown commences as Asha’s gameface materializes and she looks up at the camera, and live from Soundview in the Bronx, News 12 is transmitted to you.
Asha McKenzie live on air
The news is constantly in flux, ever-changing, ceaseless, and journalists have the responsibility to cover the symbiotic relationships between subjects and consumers as the news balloons into bigger stories or diminishes into mere fillers for a daily news reel. It’s the sort of neverending pace that Asha’s mother, Fay, kept up as a psychiatric nurse and a single mom to six children. Asha, the youngest of the six children, always admired her mother’s work ethic and kindness. “None of us ever became a statistic. She really did her best.” says Asha “She always told me that I had to work even harder to get what I wanted in life.” Asha’s family is a close one, some of them live in the Bronx, and others are based in New Jersey and Philadelphia, but their tight-knit bonds are a testament to Fay’s commitment to her children’s values and growth, no matter the physical distance separating them.
Asha’s resilience and work ethic, molded during her upbringing, carried over into her professional life and helped guide her as she graduated from Montclair University and later became a desk assistant for ABC. Under the mentorship of Michelle Charlesworth and Phil Lipof, Asha learned the ropes by shadowing the reporters two days per week. Asha’s hard work eventually paid off when she accepted a reporting position at WENY News in Elmira, New York, a station where Asha was only one of two minority staff members in the newsroom. This employment situation is not unique as only 22.6% of newsroom staff jobs are held by minority persons, according to the American Society of News Editors. As a black journalist, Asha falls into an even slimmer statistical category as only 12.6% of local TV station jobs are held by women of color. Suffice to say, journalism has a long way to go in diversifying newsrooms.
“You have to be mindful. Everything I say can be looked up.”
Opportunity knocked even louder when Asha was offered a position as a multimedia journalist with News 12 The Bronx. The AP award winning journalist has developed deep connections to her stories and sources in the borough as she fuses her passion for journalism and her commitment to the Bronx. Asha says “I will respond, I don’t ignore work. The borough needs it.”
Asha’s almost finished anchoring as the remote operated camera to my left slightly shifts to the right an inch or so. The minimalist design and phantom operated cameras in the studio have taken the place of newsroom staff that are now only specters here, memories of careers that were once essential, perhaps unimaginable, to run a newsroom without. The future of journalism has seemingly arrived as multimedia journalist positions have become more common at news stations. Multimedia journalists operate their own video cameras and serve as their own photographers, wielding their iPhones for Instagram flash briefs and scrolling through the web for new leads and information. Information, the concept at the crux of journalism, is what Asha is responsible for bringing to Bronxites everyday. And, in the era of fake news and the genesis of Google’s search engine serving as our primary source for information, it is of the utmost importance that our journalists maintain integrity and understand the great responsibility their work bears. “You have to be mindful. Everything I say can be looked up.” says Asha.
“It’s generational, my mom still watches the 5 o’clock news.” Asha smiles, referring to the different ways that people consume news. I tell Asha that I use my landlord’s Optimum subscription to watch News 12’s app on my Apple TV (I know, it sounds difficult, but it’s actually very easy!) Asha laughs and responds “Ahh, so you cheat!” I prepare to ask Asha more questions about automation, social media, and algorithms, and the effects they might have on journalism in the next five years when a congenial producer tiptoes into the studio. “I hate to interrupt but I have a REALLY important question.” whispers the producer “Does anyone want to split a bagel?”
The internet has sped up everything: business, information, journalism, everything. But there are certain interpersonal experiences and fraternity that impossible-looking algorithms and steel equipment can’t produce or convey, like ordering cheese with co-workers, joking in the control room, or simply offering someone a bagel. It’s reassuring to know that our borough’s news is being brought to us by people like Asha, people who care about getting the facts right.
Tribute to the Bronx
Written by Karl Omar Lawrence / Photo by Pedro Pincay
look past the garbage
over the trains and
under the expressway
where they overlook
look through the pollution
in between the crowded avenues and busy streets
there you’ll see
it’s the city
of the bronx new york
the place where I came of age
oh you not familiar?
haven't been past 125th
well if that's the case
come take a trip with me
lemme show you what it's all about
so you could see just how we live
so you could see the blacks and puerto ricans
dominicanos italianos and chicanos
immigrants from many different places in this great melting pot
the strips malls and car washes
liquor stores and pawn shops
children with limited opportunities
not enough options
frustrated in poverty
people pushing bottles and cans in shopping carts to the supermarket
for nickels dimes and quarters
trying to make dollars
junkies and alcoholics strung out
lying face down on the hot concrete
homeless and broken hearted off that
empty
broken
vial needles
syringes
in veins
numb the pain of a fiend who was once fat but now skinny
eyes seen too muchwhat a pitiful sight to see her digging in the trash
arguments and fights outside every night
families beefing with slumlords
for some heat in the winter when it's freezing
hardworking single mamas on ebt running hard not to miss the bus
absentee papas missing in action
where they at?
aunties uncles and cousins under one roof all on top of each other sons
sitting behind prison walls
daughters pregnant before their time
tenement fires so many innocent lives lost
behind the building
knock knock it's a raid
killer coppers chasing robbers killers drug dealers
it seems to be the
only time the news and helicopters come
seldom seen politicians
only come around when it's election time tryna play us like we dumb
racist institutions won't fix our roads or fund our schools
they say we useless
too ghetto
won’t ever amount to much of nothing
so what’s the sense in educating people made to slave in the kitchen
take orders
sweep floors and drive cabs for the rich people on madison avenue?
huh animal habitat picture that
it's like a jungle sometimes
a constant struggle just to get by
summertimes surviving off cold cuts from the corner bodega
wondering if i was gon make it or go under because
i’m up to my neck in it
so don’t push me
close to the edge
trying to clear my headspace and make sense of it all
as I walk down the street and take a look around me
not a bookstore in sight
nowhere to buy groceries of fresh produce but we got the most green space in the whole new york
youth hopeless with no signs that say out
they say we too ghetto
won't ever amount to much of nothing
but what the hell those gringos know about our borough
home of the thoroughbred and the talented
where all this hip-hop got started
before it went pop and lost its spark
we tagged our names in graffiti
so they could see us
because we was invisible
back when power from the streetlights made the place dark
spinning on cardboard at the park jams
stop the violence but ya’ll must’ve forgot about that
when they wrote
us off
left us out and gave us no choice
we made something from nothing
let me tell you a little something about where i’m from
because you don't know nothing!
pelham parkway is where i came of age
so make that a historic landmark
not too far away from arthur avenue and the botanical gardens one of the largest in the world
where roses grow from concrete
bet you aint know that
genius is hidden in the cracks
of despair
if you open your eyes to see
past the garbage
look at the architecture that lines the grand concourse
i’m here to let you know its more to it than Yankee Stadium
in the BX US of A
the place to be if you need a fresh trim from the barbershop call me
where you got to stop at if you want to get your ethnic food authentic
to top it all off like chopped cheese in the Bronx
home to some of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet
guaranteed
we got bright minds
scientists
artists
and if you aint know now you know
the greatest poet of our time is a local!
yeah
I left to get it crackin in DC but you know i had to come back
to be an ambassador
put us back on the map map and give back
to the blocks that gave me my game
made me raise cain and abel to
carve my name in legend and represent
open up shop and buy properties
cuz
honestly we like the last ones left
one of the few places in the empire state
they have yet to gentrify
we can't just lie down and let em take it from us push us out
nah
it’s up to us
to make em put some respect on our name
no obstacle is impossible to overcome
if we come together
stop the bickering and the fighting
stand up to lay claim to the greatness of our city
make our home a better place
if we use our imagination
i have a dream
we can change
Karl Omar Lawrence , 2019 ©
Karl Omar Lawrence is a poet and social entrepreneur from the Bronx, New York. He began writing at the age of 11 years old and has been performing his work ever since he was a teenager. He is a passionate believer in the power that words have to transform people and inspire change in our society. Visit his website at richradical.com for more information on new project releases, music, videos and live performances.
Low Flying Clouds
Written by Tiffany Hernandez / Illustration by Kayla Smith
On a March morning, while the sun was still slowly creeping its way across a nearly-cloudless blue sky, Amina woke up with a jolt, moments before her alarm was set to go off. She went about her morning the way she usually did. Brushed her teeth, shook her half-asleep mother on the couch and started the stovetop coffee maker before anyone else was fully moving. She went through her pile of laundry, looking for a shirt she was almost positive wasn’t actually dirty but she had thrown in the basket for organizational purposes. In their shared bed, Amina’s little brother was still curled up in the tangle of blankets, protecting himself from the frigid cold that encompasses the small room that has two front-facing windows.
Amina always left the house like this, almost-frantic and unsure — taking one last look before she stepped out the door as if when she came back, it might be entirely different. And sometimes, it was. A house once organized and tidy by Amina the night before might transform into a whirlwind of clutter while her mother was in search for one specific item she absolutely needed in that moment. A fridge, filled with just enough food to hold them over for the week, emptied by her little brother who was hungry on a day there was no one to take him to school.
Today, it was the strip of stores around the corner of her apartment that had changed. As Amina was walking out of her apartment building, she noticed a cluster of neighbors holding the front door open, one foot stepping inside the building but bodies turned towards the street, the way a magnet pulls a paper clip irrevocably to its surface.
When something is strange on East 194th street, Amina, as well as most of her neighbors, didn’t flinch. It takes ten minutes of an escalating fight outside her window before she even notices the commotion, even then giving it another few seconds before she popped her head out onto the fire escape to see what was going on. When there was a strange man sleeping in the hallway of her building, she told herself she would wait a few days before mentioning it to her super. Weeks went by and she never did.
So, like any other day, Amina didn’t fully register the oddity of her neighbor’s still and drawn expressions. Until she herself stepped outside the front door, the sky opening up before her.
Mothers stood, arms crossed and feet curled in their slippers and children huddled next to them, hands gripping the arms of their bookbags. The entire bodega staff stood out in the cold without coats on — including the sweet Dominicana, Marisol, who always greeted Amina’s entrance into the bodega with a smile and made her coffee without having to ask her how she wanted. There were barricades, wet concrete and more white people on the corner of East 194th than she had ever seen before at one given time.
“The smell of summer was really the smell of charcoal grills and her father’s carne asada on Fourth of July, her uncles setting fireworks off on the street — little particles of heat hopping through the air. The smell of summer was her boyfriend throwing parties at a house that was not his in Kingsbridge Heights, the smell of burning branches in a garbage can turned fire pit, the smoke trapped in the helix of her curls for days..”
Most of them were firefighters. The rest were news reporters.
As far as she could see, the sky was blue up above but at eye level, the sky was smoke — the color of canvas notebook paper. The kind of notebook paper Amina carried in her bag where she doodled eyes and lips next to the answers to her homework assignment.
The corner laundromat, pizza shop, the beauty salon and grocery store were engulfed. The extent of the damage was indistinguishable. Where the fire started, where it ended - if it ended at all - was lost in the sounds of walkie-talkies, the shuffling of cameras and reporters and in the congestion of residents, both cornered and enthralled in the chaos.
Amina fleed, in the other direction — I still have things to do, I can’t stand here all day, she reassured herself.
The last time there was a fire on her block, only a couple months ago, Amina laid in bed, her brother snoring next to her while the smell of what she could only identify as the smell of summer seeped into her room. The smell of summer was really the smell of charcoal grills and her father’s carne asada on Fourth of July, her uncles setting fireworks off on the street — little particles of heat hopping through the air. The smell of summer was her boyfriend throwing parties at a house that was not his in Kingsbridge Heights, the smell of burning branches in a garbage can turned fire pit, the smoke trapped in the helix of her curls for days and the taste of Corona and purple Doritos scraping against on her tongue.
In actuality, the smell of summer was the fifth floor of the building on the corner of Briggs Ave and East 194th catching fire in the middle of the night last December, Amina would come to find out through social media an hour later. Her breath got caught in her throat. In a moment of both relief and mourning, Amina pulled her brother closer to her body. There was something about fires in the Bronx that sat uneasy in her stomach, a sense of history repeating itself. She felt guilty for being relieved it wasn’t her building, but relieved she was. Amina went to bed that night dreaming of empty buildings with only unharmed children’s toys left behind on the floor, the walls colored black from old fires.
In the months that followed, Amina had almost forgotten about that fire, despite its close proximity. Until this moment, her initial grief had been lost the way most tragedies that just barely touch you do, not out of disregard but by the protective nature of dissociation. Until this moment, Amina was able to evade the feeling that at any moment, a cloud of smoke can take the place of her home.
A honking car summons her out of her foggy memories. She, instinctually, takes a step back from the curb.
All of the streets leading to East 194 were closed off, except Valentine Ave which was the highest point of East 194th Street, each block thereafter gradually lowering down to where East 194 met Webster Avenue. Amina stood at the top of the hill. In front of her, a stream of cars trudged behind one another, one driver after another turning their head to look towards the smoke — wondering for a moment what caused the disruption of their morning commute, a flash of concern before going on their daily routine.
Amina could see her neighbors, still huddled around a barricade of fire trucks and firefighters, watching as places they walk past and visit every day were carved out hollow by both fire and water. It occurred to Amina then that it was only nine in the morning. The laundromat opens at six. She wondered then whose clothes were burned, lost in the midsts of their washing cycle. Her mind flashes to the pile of laundry in the corner of her room. Her brother only had a few clean pair of underwears left.
It wasn’t until that moment that Amina felt the emptiness of her hands, void of her morning coffee. She stuffs her hands into her jacket pockets, turning on her heels forcefully.
Enough, she told herself, I’m not helping anyone by standing here.
But as she ascends up the hill towards the subway station, Amina can’t help but take one last glance over her shoulder at the streets behind her.
A construction worker sticks his head out the window of a new building on the block, a helicopter hovered above in the part of the sky that was blue, untouched by smoke and chaos. The notebook-colored smoke engulfed the corner of E 194th Street and Marion Ave. From here, the smoke just looked like low-flying clouds, quiet and ready to swallow everything whole
Girls Talk Recap
Written by Dondre Green / Photos by Brandon Chacon
Our first panel discussion “GIRLS TALK” where we dissected a few topics that were on the mind of women was a success. We thank all of the panelists, attendees and the NYPL for making this event possible.
Day in the Life of NYPL Bronx Librarian: Dawn Holloway
Written by Richard DeFino / Photos by Dondre Green
Bronx Narratives presents our Day in the Life Series. A collection of interviews and essay featuring individuals who are a part of our community and everyday landscape.
In part with the Bronx Narratives Day in the Life Series, I was honored when fellow staff writer Herbert Norat, introduced me to Dawn Holloway. Dawn is both an empowering figure and role model from the Bronx, dedicating over thirty years of public service by working for the New York Public Library. In this interview, I talk with Dawn about her lifelong dedication to public service, her plan to revolutionize reading in the Bronx and we get to know her personal side and funny side too.
RICHARD: Dawn, I want to thank you for your willingness to be a part of the Bronx Narratives Day in the Life Series. In this interview I want to discuss who Dawn is, the Bronx Book Box project, and what inspires you. First can you tell me a little about yourself?
DAWN: I grew up in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx and I’m the middle child of three. My parents were Irish/Italian, working class. My dad was a proud Union worker with the phone company and my mom did factory work and was a supervisor there too. I went to Holy Family School in Castle Hill and Herbert H. Lehman high school on East Tremont. While in high school I was in the Co-Operative Education program, where I worked one week and went to school one week throughout my Junior and Senior year. Upon graduation, Irving Trust Bank offered me a full-time job which I turned down. I then attended Borough of Manhattan Community College for a couple of years seeking a degree in Business Management. While in college, I applied to the NYPL for a page position. Since I already had typing skills, they hired me for a part-time clerical vacancy in the Adult Services department at the Mid-Manhattan Branch.
Over the course of thirty-one years I became full-time in the clerical pool and left Mid-Manhattan in the pursuit of branch life at the Parkchester Library—from there I worked in many branches in the Bronx. In 2006, I came to Morris Park Library to assume the duties of Clerical Supervisor. From there I moved to Throgs Neck Library and then was promoted to Library Manager at the Melrose Branch in 2010. After a couple of years I came back home to the Morris Park Library to fill the role as the Library Manager. I often think public service is who I am, and the library is where I belong. I even have the library logo tattooed on my wrist! During my thirty-one year career at the library, I’ve raised two kids as a single mother, provided a Catholic School education and private college for my son who is twenty-four and living on his own in Queens and works in the field of Social work. My daughter is twenty years old and has Neurofibromatosis, which entails multiple health and educational needs. She is currently attending Cooke School in Manhattan and will be transitioning out of school in June; we are actively working on a plan for her.
RICHARD: What does a day in the life at the library look like for you?
DAWN: Well, my day always starts off with a 20 oz coffee with 1 sugar and half ‘n half; this will guarantee that anything and everything throughout my day can and will get done! So, I manage the day to day operations of the branch including information, circulation, outreach and programming services. One really interesting part of my job is that I get to play an interactive role in the overall functionality of my branch. I’m responsible for the appearance and layout of the branch, including developing and implementing strategies to enhance the onsite user experience. I am able to do this by using statistics and metrics in order to tailor services to meet local community needs and drive circulation and attendance. I also get to build partnerships with local businesses, community organizations, elected officials and community leaders to try and further strengthen the branch relationship with the diverse community that we serve. My job truly allows me to integrate the community with the library.
“Did you know if you’re a card holder you can read over 300,000 ebooks for free? All you have to do is login to culturepass.nyc and visit over 40 cultural institutions throughout the city to obtain your free passes. You can even learn a new language...”
Dawn drinking her coffee
RICHARD: I think most millennials today probably have not been to a library, at least not of their own free will. What could you tell our younger generation about the library that they might not know? How could we educate them on the benefits of having a community library?
DAWN: This is tricky because I believe with the atmosphere that we provide and the programs we offer, we actually have a strong millennial presence here at my location. The one big takeaway is everything is FREE! Did you know if you're a card holder you can read over 300,000 ebooks for free? All you have to do is login to culturepass.nyc and visit over 40 cultural institutions throughout the city to obtain your free passes. You can even learn a new language by visiting nypl.org/mango. Learn a million and one things on Lynda.com by visiting nypl.org/lynda. The options are endless, take citizenship classes, ESL classes, literacy classes and so much more. How about watch 10 movies free on Kanopy with the simple use of your library card? Check out up to 50 books & 10 dvds at select Hub libraries and so much more!
RICHARD: I spoke with Herbert not too long ago and he mentioned something called the Bronx Book Box project. What is that exactly?
DAWN: Herbert and I came together to create NYPL Book Boxes which is being funded through an Innovation Project grant. The book box will serve an access point for members of the community to have books, as well as drop books off as a donation. Books will be available to anyone who wants one. We found three community organizations (Elected Officials and a Community Center) who will act as hosts of a NYPL Book Box. Books and program materials will be sent to these offices and their teams will make sure the boxes are clean and stocked with books in various languages to meet the needs of the communities they are located in. In addition, there may be more boxes purchased to meet the needs of the communities if their local library will be closed for a significant amount of time to meet facilities needs and renovations.
NYPL Book Box
RICHARD: What inspired you to start this project?
DAWN: During my travels I kept seeing these “Little Free Libraries” all over the place. I wanted to bring this project to life to meet the needs of underserved communities and bring awareness to the wealth of information and services that the NYPL provides. While working at Clason’s Point library, I chatted with Herbert many times about the little free libraries and came up with the initial plan to pitch our idea with the help of something called the Innovation Project. Launched in 2014 by the NYPL, the Innovation Project is a program that supports and funds the ideas of its staff members who propose concepts that would promote a positive change in culture in the community.
RICHARD: Did you face any pushback or negativity?
DAWN: Not at all; I mean staff all over the library voted us winners! The only issue we are encountering now is there is little to no publicity for these projects. We want to make sure that we can create a hashtag or Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account with the permission of the Library; this way we can do some self-promotion and create a buzz. Granted we haven’t delivered any Book Boxes yet because we’re currently focused on getting inventory and creating book plate labels translated into multiple languages.
RICHARD: What is your overall goal with the book box?
DAWN: My goal is creating a judgment free zone as simple as bringing the books to communities who are vastly underserved and have limited opportunity for self-development. Getting books and information into the hands of ALL people who aren’t likely to visit their neighborhood library, whether it’s due to illiteracy, displacement, or not knowing that there is a library in their community.
A few books in Dawn’s office.
RICHARD: What do you love the most about the Bronx?
DAWN: You’re going to laugh. My favorite place on earth is “The Bronx Riviera - Orchard Beach”. I’ve been going there every summer for over 40 years. If anyone ever needs to find me, even on cloudy Sundays they can catch me at section 7 on the left side of the blue wheelchair mat as close to the water’s edge as possible! My second favorite place, Yankee Stadium; I’m a diehard Yankee Fan! Annually I get to about 12-18 games and if you ask my kids where I want to be buried, they’d say, “Well Mom wants to be cremated, half goes to Orchard Beach the other half Yankee Stadium.”
“My goal is creating a judgment free zone as simple as bringing the books to communities who are vastly underserved and have limited opportunity for self-development.”
RICHARD: What was your favorite street pastime as a kid? Did you play manhunt, stickball, or just hang with friends?
DAWN: All of the above! We also played skelzy, we thought we were masters of weighing our caps down with just the right number of melted crayons. I was a bit of a tomboy, always hanging out with the boys. My mom had a collection of Time Life books that we would use to plan and build these hang out huts in the back yard or open lots around the neighborhood. They were made so well that sometimes we’d sleep in them overnight. Boy, times really have changed…stupid video games! I’m sort of glad I grew up working poor; we’d crumple up newspapers to make a ball when the Wiffle ball got roofed.
RICHARD: What are you most proud of, and it can be from your prospective as a Bronxite, an inspiring woman, or just as Dawn Holloway?
DAWN: I’m a proud Daughter, Sister, Mother, Friend, Colleague and Leader. I think all the hats I wear create who Dawn Holloway is. I still have hope that one day we will all live in harmony regardless of race, creed, color or finance. I’m proud to say that every day, I give it my all to be nice, to smile, and acknowledge and be kind.
RICHARD: Is there something that you can tell us about yourself that you want people to know?
DAWN: Shameless plug goes here--I’m a bit of a comedian. I am recognized in the City of New York as an ordained minister; I am authorized to perform marriage ceremonies, baptisms and funerals. I also make bachelorette cakes (naughty ones). I love 80’s and 90’s music, hip hop and R&B are my favorites, and I really love to dance and be social. Yankee Fan until I die.
Dawn’s work station.
“My job truly allows me to integrate the community with the library.”
Dawn’s Yankee collectible.
RICHARD: I wanted to thank you again Dawn for allowing me to conduct this interview and to get to know the real you. I am speechless and taken aback by your dedication and selflessness to such a wonderful cause. Your commitment to seeing the Bronx Book Box from initial idea all the way to launch, is something to be marveled by. You have honestly inspired me to continue to put others before myself and to be the best neighbor that I can be; also, your comments about having half of cremated remains going to Yankee Stadium made me laugh out loud. I truly hope that everything continues to move forward with this project and that you’re able to accomplish your goals. Knowing what I know about you now, I’m sure that you’ll have no trouble at all in being successful. Thank you Dawn for all that you do by making the Bronx a better place one book box at a time. You really are an inspiration.
DAWN: Richard, I want to thank you and Bronx Narratives for showing an interest in Dawn Holloway and the NYPL Book Box Project. I'll see you at Orchard Beach starting in May 2019!
Art Deco in the Bronx: An Exploration of Bronx Architecture Along The Grand Concourse
Written and Photos by Jeannie Smith
What if I told you that the same architectural designs one may find in the iconic Chrysler or Empire State buildings can be found in the designs of most residential buildings in the Bronx? The skyscrapers of the Boogie Down might not be as high up as that of Manhattan, but the two boroughs share more than slabs of concrete and connecting subway lines.
Tasked with exploring the history of Art Deco in the Bronx, honestly, I didn’t have the slightest idea where to begin. I know nothing about architecture. I mean, I think buildings are pretty, and I like taking photos of them, but to explore the angles and curves of why the architect chose one design over another and their motivations, I’m completely at a lost! I figured I’d start the way I’ve always did with a paper: go to the library (you thought I was going to say wikipedia or Google...shout out to the old school crew who know what the Dewey Decimal system is).
So what is Art Deco? Art deco is a “style of decoration used for both the interior and the exterior design of buildings”, including the product design of both useful and decorative objects such as appliances, clothing, posters, and advertisements. The term “Art Deco” was introduced at the 1925 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs (Exposition of Decorative Arts) from which the style derives its name. The 1920s and 30s saw much advancement in modern innovative design in America, and architecture was not one to be left behind. Art deco, in some ways, celebrates an array of influences from which it pulls. Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman in their book, Architecture: From Prehistory to Post-Modernism, define art deco as “an amalgam of Cubist-inspired European Modernism, with streamlined, rhythmic machine forms, exotic Pre-Columbian and Navajo zigzag imagery, and a love of gaudy colors and shiny materials such as plastic, aluminum, and stainless steel along with sumptuous wood and stones.” (Insert long inhale.)
2255 Grand Concourse
220 East Mosholu Parkway
190 East Mosholu Parkway
There are many buildings on the Manhattan island which exemplify this description to the tee: as mentioned above, the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, Radio City Music Hall, and Rockefeller Center. But in the Bronx? Well, it’s actually a lot more visible to us then we realize.
Enter in Mark. I met him a few Saturdays ago while on a visit to the Bronx County Historical Museum. I figured if there were any place that would have anything archival about Art Deco in the Bronx, it had to be here! Our meeting was all the more serendipitous: I had failed to realize that one needed to make an appointment at the museum to review their archives, but Mark, a Bronx native, happened to be at the museum that day, and took the time to speak with me about art deco and toured with me along the Grand Concourse to where a majority of this style can be seen.
“The Grand Concourse, formerly known as the
’Grand Boulevard and Concourse’, per Mark, was designed by French immigrant, Louis Aloys Risse. His vision of the Grand Concourse mirrored that of the Champs-Élysées but would include bicycle paths, pedestrian sidewalks and “three distinct roadways split by lush landscaping”
“Art Deco was the hot scene in Europe,” he began. “Many immigrants from that time migrated from Germany, and brought with them the architectural design with them. Sleek lines, detailed brickwork [with] different color bricks, or maybe they’ll have a little bit of an outcropping on the edge sticking out so as to break up the surface [plane of the building]. The interiors had sunk in living rooms, some with one or two steps leading into them; parkay floors, metal railings. Levers in the bathroom so you can hang your laundry so that they’ll drip over the sink. Modern state of the art, 1920s, and that was a big draw. Near the Grand Concourse was the place to be.”
The Grand Concourse, formerly known as the “Grand Boulevard and Concourse”, per Mark, was designed by French immigrant, Louis Aloys Risse. His vision of the Grand Concourse mirrored that of the Champs-Élysées but would include bicycle paths, pedestrian sidewalks and “three distinct roadways split by lush landscaping”. Currently along this boulevard stands some of New York’s most beautiful art deco co-op buildings. (To learn more about what makes the Grand Concourse so “grand”, check out this article in Brick Underground featuring the Bronx’s own Ed García Conde, founder of Welcome2theBronx.)
There are many distinctive features and benefits to Art Deco buildings. One feature/benefit Mark highlights are how thoughtful these buildings were designed. “The buildings were put up to allow for maximum light and to accommodate efficient living: the bathroom is right next to the bedroom, the kitchen is off to the side, usually a galley kitchen, and then the dining area. And then you would step down into your living area. These apartments were made with a lot of thought on how people live and function.”
In thinking about my own apartment, which I love dearly, and receives a wealth of light all around and throughout, I recall my initial process when looking for an apartment; and how adamant all my friends were about having a “prewar building” (when really I just needed A BUILDING!). I paused Mark in our discussion to inquire about the difference between the terms “prewar” and “art deco”: “One is a realtor’s term, the other is an architectural term”, Mark defined. So be careful out there, my fellow apartment seekers!
We talked more about the influence of art deco in Syracuse, Nashville, and many other American cities, and as appreciative I was of Mark’s time, I needed to make my way to the “Grand Boulevard and Concourse” to take in what I had learned. “I’ll come along with you!” Mark exclaimed. Our walk began at E 204 and E Mosholu Pkwy where stood two residential buildings facing one another. “Look at the curved edges,” Mark pointed out. This was another unique quality of art deco buildings. “Art deco buildings either had curved or straight edges, which could be a nightmare for interior designers! Let’s see if we can go inside!”
200 East Mosholu Parkway
“The entire ride I looked at the Grand Concourse with almost new eyes: outcropping brickwork with alternating colors, curved edges, straight edges, mosaic designs, large windows that took in lots of light. ”
200 East Mosholu Parkway
We walked into the entrance of 200 E 204 street. The floor was covered with multicolored tile, the faces of the steps that of cracked marble. Mark points to the walls. “Check out this design. This design, and the coloring, is typical in front areas of some art deco buildings.” We stood in the front entrance, admiring the lobby from behind another set of doors we couldn’t get through. Mark immediately points out the heat grate, the design resembling that of sun rays. As Mark began to talk about the design of the elevator door, a mailman and a resident of the building came in behind us. “Oh! Great, we can get a better look!” The building was warm, and a door somewhere on the first floor was open blasting loud party music which felt rather contrast to the mission at hand. Looking at the elevator door, I’m reminded of Batman. Actually, all things art deco remind me of Batman and the Gotham aesthetic. We round a corner and Mark points out a defunct trash shoot, its door painted bright orange. Another heat grate with the sun rays design comes into view, this time the rays looked to be sprayed painted off-white to match the adjacent wall.
Getting our fill of art deco from our first location (and I growing nervous that someone might think us as loiterings), we leave the building and try our luck with the one across the street at 190th. Immediately, the building is at sharp contrast to the one we just left. And I mean SHARP! Shiny silver metal doors greet you as you walk up along the rounded grey carpet underneath the exterior outcrop. These first set of doors led to another set of shiny silver doors. We were barred from entering, but didn’t stop ourselves from pressing our faces against the glass to see the lobby. Eggshell white walls with vertical stripes of red and soft yellow; the infamous art deco floor design ran all the way out of view from where we stood, designed with various geometric shapes in black, yellow, white and grey. A mirror hung above what resembled a curved fireplace, simply reflected the egg shell white opposite it. Another heating grate, which appeared more modern than the two others at the adjacent building was painted that same soft yellow, the outline of the sun and its rays more apparent.
190 East Mosholu Parkway
190 East Mosholu Parkway
Standing there, there was something poetic about the design, and not being able to touch it frustrated me a little. We waited a little longer to see if anyone would let us in, my money on the mailman. No one came, and so we left.
Eventually, I parted ways with Mark, so happy to have spent the afternoon exploring together. He waited for me at the bus stop and urged me to sit somewhere on the bus where I could take in all the art deco that lines along the Grand Concourse. The entire ride I looked at the Grand Concourse with almost new eyes: outcropping brickwork with alternating colors, curved edges, straight edges, mosaic designs, large windows that took in lots of light. Many public institutions reflected the design of art deco as well. The more obvious sites like the Bronx County Building still hold fast to this design, including the Emigrant Savings Bank. As I continued my route back home, I wondered if the people who walked this boulevard day in and day out appreciated the beauty of this part of the Bronx. It definitely has helped me to love it even more.
To learn more about art deco in the Bronx, including that beyond the Grand Concourse, I recommend checking out the Art Deco Society of New York’s website. They have an online registry of every borough. You can view the Bronx registry here.
The Bronx Narratives Dream Team
Q+A by Herbert Norat / Interview by Richard Defino / Design by Hoay Smith
“I simply say that there are only three places that have a ‘the’ in front of their name: the Vatican, the Hague, and the Bronx, and that so much talent has come out of the Bronx”
The Bronx is home to artists, musicians, writers, entrepreneurs and regular folks, who make our borough vibrant, diverse, and dynamic. At Bronx Narratives, we look forward to learning about and sharing the innumerable stories that exist in our hometown.
Reading that Mary Higgins Clark, Al Pacino, and Carl Reiner, are all native Bronxites shocked me. To think that some of my favorite artists and writers are from my hometown inspired me to continue honing my writing skills, because maybe, just maybe, I can become a successful Bronxite like them. But, I shouldn’t have been too surprised by the various talents that came up in our borough, after all our grit and resilience are bar none.
As we head into 2019, we invite you to meet some of the Bronx Narratives team members who are striving to make the Bronx a little better than the way they’ve found it.
Dondre Green, Creative Director & Founder
HN: What led you to create Bronx Narratives?
DG: Me and the co-captains felt the need to change the narrative of the borough and let Bronxites create their own instead of being stereotyped by often outdated and misinformed media. The Bronx isn't perfect, we have a ways to go but I'm happy to be a part of the mission.
Decota Letman, Logistics Coordinator
HN: What would you most like to see brought to the Bronx (affordable housing, jobs, etc.)?
DL: More creative spaces for an intergenerational audience and more restaurants/lounges for everyone! We shouldn’t have to leave the Bronx to chill or eat.
Sabrina Hall, Lead Online Editor & Co-Art Director
HN: What are you most passionate about?
SH: At the moment, mentoring and helping people grow their passions.
Hoay Smith, Art Director
HN: What do you love most about the Bronx?
HS: I appreciate an environment that brings me peace - there's plenty of greenery amid the concrete. Walks in the park, meditating to the sounds of a running river, watching the sun set, birds chirping. That's what I love about the borough.
Pedro Pincay, Social Media & Field Data
HN: What’s your favorite restaurant in the Bronx?
PP: Liberato Restaurant in Burnside Ave off the 4 train.
Jeannie Smith, Writer
HN: What are you most passionate about?
JS: Travel travel travel travel travel! I moved around a lot when I was younger and often had to acclimate to new environments and I feel that has inspired this love and need to see the world. I solo travel often, which annoys my friends lol, but it’s a form of self care for me that I greatly value whenever I can. I’m also passionate about culture and learning about people and languages (anthropology nerd!)
Kayla Smith, Illustrator and Podcast Co-Host
HN: What would you most like to see brought to the Bronx (affordable housing, jobs, etc.)?
KS: Anything that will help the Bronx and her residents thrive. I do believe we need more job opportunities in the Bronx but I'd also like us to create them by owning businesses.
For my first assignment as a new staff writer for Bronx Narratives, I conducted a brief interview with Dondre Green, the founder of the online and physical Bronx based publication Bronx Narratives. Dondre, who is a native of the Bronx, as well as the magazines lead photographer and creative director, granted me access into a deeper look inside the publication.
RICHARD DEFINO: Hi Dondre. Before we get started, I wanted to take the time to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to write for Bronx Narratives; it’s a real honor to work with you and share my story with Bronx readers, writers and artists alike, both from the Bronx and outside our home borough.
For my first story with Bronx Narratives, I’ve been selected to interview you--my goal is to familiarize the readers with yourself and Bronx Narratives. I’m really excited about this interview and thought we could first start with an introduction of yourself before we got into the thick of it. Thank you!
RICHARD: Can you tell me a little about yourself?
DONDRE: I’m a Bronx-born and raised curious human who enjoys simple things and creating solutions. Some of my passions include: Photography, Design (Graphic, Interior & Stage), Basketball and Community.
RICHARD: What inspired you to start Bronx Narratives?
DONDRE: I felt there was a niche in our local media sources to create something that felt more authentic, more innovative while being fully community centered. In 2014, after me, Decota (our now Logistics coordinator) and Hoay (our now Art Director) threw our first Bronx event ever at The Point, I wondered what building a long term community infrastructure would look like and how we could attract and share more interesting Bronxites in a variety of ways.
We met up with people who attended the event a few weeks later at The Bronx Library and started listening to ideas of what Bronx Narratives could look like from the eyes of people who live here. It was refreshing.
In addition, my friend Jack Sommer, also played a huge role in the publication, I’d actually say he low-key mentored me during the early stages, he’s always been someone to help people near to him organize their ideas and offer honest feedback with anything you present his way and for him I’m thankful.
RICHARD: What can people expect from Bronx Narratives in 2019?
DONDRE: I think each year we’re trying to grow and challenge ourselves by taking leaps that allow us to continue our mission and I believe in 2019 ongoing local partnerships will allow us to event plan and be a bit more strategic with our goals when it comes to serving the community.
RICHARD: What changes will there be from previous years?
DONDRE: I don’t think they’ll be changes per se but as each year passes by, the captains and I all approach each year with a new level of focus and setting the tone with the energy we expect from our teammates.
RICHARD: What do you love/dislike the most about the Bronx?
DONDRE: The people. I love Bronx people, they’re resilient. If you know where to go, you know what the Bronx has to offer when it comes to food. Things I dislike are public transportation within borough and lack of resources for low-income individuals.
RICHARD: What was your favorite street pastime as a kid? For example; manhaunt, stickball, hanging with friends, etc..
DONDRE: I would play basketball pretty much all day with my brother during the summers, just to stay active. Most times with my neighbors too to spice up the competition. Reflecting on it, those were really fun times.
RICHARD: From your perspective as a Bronxite, innovator, or just as Dondre Green, what are you most proud of?
DONDRE: I think putting Bronx Narratives in a space to serve the community in ways I’ve never imagined is a start. For instance at our Bronx Day Party at the Bronx Museum this past year, afterwards I felt charged up seeing everyone come together and share that special unity we hold in our hearts. My team has been planting seeds for quite some time now.
RICHARD: Dondre this was great, thank you for your time and for allowing me to interview you! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Bronx Narratives.
DONDRE: Thank you and glad to have you on board.
Bronx Narratives Magazine Issue 03 Release Party
Written by Dondre Green / Photos by Hector Santos & Joshua Poyer
We celebrated the release of our third annual magazine at The Miles Coffee Bar with groovy sounds by DJ Sunny Cheeba and a moderated Q+A with Deascent of Pop Dust.
We thank everyone for coming out and supporting us. The room was warm with smiles, beautiful energy and both new and familiar faces.
Bronx Boys Q+A with Filmmaker Adiana Rivera
Q+A by Dondre Green / Photos & Poster Design by Adiana Rivera
Filmmaker, Adiana Rivera, can be found around the borough capturing the pulse of events and collaborating with other Bronx creatives. Adiana is a vibrant personality with a knack for storytelling through her video work. She’s recently embarked on a new visual project, called “Bronx Boys” which highlights men from the Bronx. I initially saw her numerous posts about the project on Instagram, so I reached out to her to learn more about the inner-workings and what prompted her to start it.
1) What inspired Bronx Boys? Why was it important for you to create it?
In general, the Bronx inspired me. I grew up here my entire life and I’ve always loved what the Bronx gave to me. I wanted to give something back, but didn’t know how. Documentaries and photos are insanely powerful, and that’s the only tool I knew to use, so I wanted to create a documentary about the Bronx. I always loved profile pieces whether in articles or in documentaries, because I felt they talk about broader issues using the subject’s day to day life. And then one day my thought process fell on my brother. I thought about his pre-teen to teen years growing up in The Bronx. I remember being in elementary school and walking to the corner with him so he could fight another kid because he spoke badly about our mother. I remember him coming home bloody from a fight. He was just surrounded by a lot of violence once he left home and entered the streets. It always felt as if he was protecting his manhood. He had a different outlook on life.
A lot of other Bronx Boys I would meet were these amazing, talented individuals, with these similar stories to my brother. They were poets, painters, athletes, rappers or honestly just the sweetest individuals, but each of them shared a violent past in someway or another.
It just felt so important to create this project to highlight them, because I needed people to see these boys for who they were. Not just a statistic, not just their borough, not just another story. I needed people to know that gems were created from The Bronx despite any hardships. I needed others to know that this borough provides inspiration and is the home to some of the strongest, most creative, passionate people I know. I needed people to know that the violence is just a factor from our circumstances.
2) Have you read the book “Bronx Boys” by Stephen Shames?
I haven’t read Bronx Boys, but once I’m finally done with this project I’m going to reward myself with buying Stephen Shames book. I wonder if there are going to be any overlapping messages and ideas between his book and my mini-documentary series.
“I had to convince myself that this project didn’t have to be perfect, it just had to exist.”
3) How did you come up with the name “Bronx Boys?
It’s kind of silly how I came up with the name. I was just sitting thinking of titles that would fit with the Bronx just cause. First I landed on Bronx Bars, and thought I could do a Bronx Bar crawl, which I did attempt too but I never edited any of the footage and only filmed on my iPhone. Then Bronx Boys popped up in my head and I knew that would be the perfect title for my project.
4) How long did it take you to complete this project?
The project still isn’t complete yet. It’s a ton of work. The first four episodes took almost 3 months because there was so much trial and error. I’m still working on the last four episodes and my hope is that I can finish it in about 2 months. Actually, I shouldn’t say hope, because it has to be completed within that time frame, as the first four episodes are dropping before the last four are completed. So overall, it’s probably a 5 month long process.
5) How’d you go about choosing the boys in each episode? Why specifically did you choose to highlight boys?
I chose four boys who inspired me. In reality, they’re grown men, but the term “Boy” refers to their childhood and the idea that as the Bronx grows, so do they.
With the four that I’ve chosen, we’ve run in similar circles either from my childhood or my semi-recent involvement with The Bronx. Their passion and past had me in awe. I decided to highlight boys, because of my brother and all of the male individuals I’ve met who grew up in The Bronx. I felt as if these men encompass the Bronx overall. They’ve encountered Bronx violence. They’ve had to survive with less than ideal not ideal circumstances, but it didn’t matter. Their passion and their love for the Bronx didn’t falter.
6) Did you film and edit everything yourself? If so, what was that process like?
I did film and edit everything myself! The process was a mix of simple and insanely hard. On paper it’s setting up a time to meet with one of the men, interview them, capture b-roll, edit once footage is captured. But of course setting up times were difficult, because everyone is living their own life with their own busy schedule. Filming gets harder the colder it gets, and the more it rains. Then once I was done and it was time to edit, which was hard because the only feedback I had was mine. The only person I could really bounce ideas off of was myself. Eventually I did turn to other creatives for advice and opinions, but there was a lot of internal dialogue for this project.
7) What do you hope people gain from viewing this project?
I want them to gain insight and have conversations. By the end of all the episodes, I want them to wonder about The Bronx and everyone who lives in the borough. I want people to see how a Bronx Boy’s life is complicated, layered, and beautiful.
8) What was the biggest challenge in creating this project?
I think the biggest challenge was myself. I’ve had this idea for awhile now, but I always came up with excuses to wait. Even when the process finally began, I would be scared to film and once I got the courage up to actually film, I wouldn’t want to even look at the footage. I had to convince myself that this project didn’t have to be perfect, it just had to exist. I just had to get it out there for everyone to see.
Follow Adiana Rivera on her Instagram page., to stay up to date with the series.