"The city is not a concrete jungle, it is a human zoo."
-Desmond Morris
-Desmond Morris
I would never live in the city.
The crowds. The thousand different smells -not all of them pleasant. The endless concrete. The buildings pressing in on every side would render the staunchest person claustrophobic. No, give me fresh air and greenery anytime.
How odd, then, that cities are what most inspire my writing.
All the aforementioned things fascinate me. I love picking faces out of the crowds, imagining what their lives are like. Trying to guess where that smell is coming from. Seeing the traces of green forcing their way through all that concrete, and the way the glass windows on the buildings mirror the color of the sky.
I'm always fascinated by the effect city-living has on people. There are some who are uniquely suited to it. Cool and collected, they glide over the crowds and industrial filth with scarcely a glance down.
There are others who are less well-adapted. They rush through their day, always with a slightly harried look in their eye. They are slightly less impeccable, slightly less calm. But they make do nonetheless.
Others still are, at least on the surface, left behind altogether. These are the street people. The people nobody sees, except when they're trying to ignore an outstretched begging cup.
But underneath the dingy clothes, calloused fingers and matted hair, these are the people who have their ears to the ground. Those calloused fingers take the pulse of the city. Catch one in just the right moment, and they can tell you stories you'd never have dreamed of.
Try though I might, I can't seem to stay away from the city. There's an edge, a veneer of civility that barely covers true human nature, that I find addictive. I want that edge in my writing. I want those people in my writing.
So I may not want to live in a city, but I visit whenever I can.
My goodness Laura, I love this post. Your description of the city is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to read more from you!
ReplyDeleteIn my 20s I was a city person (Boston). Just seeing the skyline on my return from suburbia (to visit family) made my heart race and the adrenaline flow faster. But ten years of congestion, crime, dirt, public transportation, apartment-living and I'd had enough. Now it's the sound and smell of the ocean that cause those feelings of excitement. Oh, and I'm a closet G&R fan so loved the title of your post ;)
ReplyDeletePaula: Thank you! Hopefully my writing lives up to my blogging :-)
ReplyDeleteRhiann: G&R forever! And I love the ocean too. I don't mind visiting the city, but by the end of the day I feel like I need a shower...
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! I'm one of the harried ones, just getting by. But that's because I don't particularly like the city I'm in at the moment. I come from a fairly small town but have grown to love some cities: Vienna, Bratislava, Cairo and my love, London.
ReplyDeleteKelly: It does depend on the city, I give you that. For example, I recently discovered I love Seattle! Who knew?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree... couldn't live in the city, but I find it so fascinating. Great post.
ReplyDeleteTania: Thank you! And thanks for stopping by :-)
DeleteI like cities. In one of my fantasies, a rich, thinner version of me lives in an apartment along the river in the old third ward downtown. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.miaceleste.com/?p=341
Mia: I have that same fantasy! Isn't that strange? But sadly, I am neither rich nor thin, so I live in suburbia...
DeleteDiscomfort is the electric starter that kicks the pilot light in our brains into a full flame. I grew up in Chigo. The noise, the masses of humanity (or eerie lack of at certain hours), the smells, the mixed lighting--it all sharpens my senses and keeps me alert. It sharpens my creative impulse too. Love the imagery in your post.
ReplyDeleteD.D.: Well put! The city is a land of extremes, isn't it? Maybe it's those extremes that "kicks the pilot light in our brains"...
DeleteThat was beautifully written Laura,so poetic. I live in a city (Bristol, UK) but in the suburbs. I do like it but it definitely has its drawbacks, particularly in summer when it's hot, dirty and noisy. Great post
ReplyDeleteElaine: Thanks! Hot, dirty, and noisy. Boy, does that sound familiar... ;-)
DeleteI've never been a fan of the city. I need the open air/greenery too. BUT I also get the pull of it and, well, you captured it beautifully here.
ReplyDeleteJessica: Thank you! It's a strange pull, that's for sure...
DeleteCity living is such a weird existence. I grew up (and still live) a half an hour outside of Manhattan, and have a love-hate relationship with it.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Jerusalem for two years, which is literally a different planet of existence in terms of city life. Every city has a different mood, which in it of itself is an incredible study of humanity.
The city (any) is a mecca of people watching.
Which is why while I toy with moving onto a farm in the middle of nowhere and hermiting there forever, I can't.
Because the people. Always the people.
KK: Thanks for stopping by! I've always loved the idea of living in a foreign city. My husband and I plan to retire outside the US (a long, LONG time from now...). I love people-watching, too, and I especially love the thought of doing it with boots on the ground!
DeleteAwesome post. I've written three books. Two of them have had major scenes in the city. I lived on the outskirts of Philly for years. I never wanted to live IN the city, but I loved being close enough to visit. I've spent the last seven years in nowheresville GA and I miss the city!
ReplyDeleteKaren T: I had the privilege of visiting Philly when I was younger, and I don't blame you one bit! Lovely city. And I know what you mean; even though I don't want to live in a city, I feel a sort of sensory deprivation when I'm not close enough to visit one!
ReplyDeleteWow your post was beautiful - I never enjoyed living in the city, for me it was always about finding that quiet place - even if I couldn't quite imagine alone. And yet I totally get why it inspires you. I like to go in myself from time to time and try and see. (It's always a writing exercise!).
ReplyDeleteI love big cities! I've been lucky enough to live in Paris and New York, and now I'm near London. Cities inspire me a great deal for my writing, and my current WIP is set in London. Great post Laura, I hope you have a good week!
ReplyDeleteRaewyn: Thanks! My city trips always seem to turn into writing exercises, too. Funny how that is...
ReplyDeleteEM: I'm dying to visit Paris and London! I always like tasting a new city for the first time. New York tasted like dishwater hot dogs and car exhaust...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great description of the city! I just got back from Chicago and you nailed it and the people I saw there.
ReplyDeleteChris: It does seem like all cities have a few basic things in common, doesn't it? Hope you had a great trip!
ReplyDeleteThere's something about the mix of people — different walks of life, social classes, backgrounds, and goals —all living together in the same cramped space that just breeds good stories. I'm a city guy... and it never gets old!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
John: I definitely give you that one! I've gotten good stories even from just visiting cities...
ReplyDeleteI have mixed views on big cities. Hmm. Maybe you've inspired a topic for a blog post.
ReplyDeleteBTW, NYC will always taste like soft pretzels and gasoline to me. Probably because when I was a teenager and bought a pretzel from a street vendor in the city, it tasted like it had been soaked in gasoline.
Great post!
Michaele: thanks! I think we may have eaten at the same pretzel stand...
DeleteI am a born and raised Manhattanite so I can't imagine ever not living in a city! So far I've lived in 5 major metropolises and I love it. Sorry I'm so late commenting--I was in Taiwan last week without a computer, the horror!
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