Not only are books magic but “Books are Magic” is magic, as are the coven curating the creative compositions there.
You can tell a lot about a person from the books and music on the shelves in their home – what’s on display and what’s been repeatedly used and lent and dog-eared for reference. But I was keenly aware that the books there are carefully considered recommendations for the benefit of the person walking through the door.
There are the big hits with substance, and they sit alongside the books of big impact with a smaller distribution. The range is impressive – rather than 90 copies of this seasons “Eat, Pray Love” they’ll have 2 copies and a dozen + titles speaking to a broad range. They have recommendation cards a plenty so you know they know the library. You can tell books are a personal love language here. As a middle-aged / Autistic / Aboriginal / Jewish / Australian I felt uncommonly welcome. I may have helped that the music was in one of the many playlists I’ve had over the years, like a sound track across the epochs of my history.
I bought two books – Katherine May’s “Enchantment” I had previously bought in virtual edition for a book club, and uncharacteristically a new manga “Love Bullet” that once I flipped a few pages, insisted to me that I take it home – like the face of a puppy staring up at me in an animal shelter.
The staff are attentive and happy to facilitate as if you are a house guest rather than a target for financial transaction.
Loved Books are Magic. Well worth a 23 hour flight.
The story of my Macaulay Culkin Christmas (thus far)! I’ve been updating on Insta and it’s linked meta platforms.
I’d been toying with the idea of getting out of my regular reach for the holidays, but come the Fri 19th Dec when I was putting the mountain of projects on hold, and saying goodbye to friends departing long term. I finally got to 11pm and said “enough”.
Within 48hrs, incl. one final neurodivergent bookclub, and a Christmas themed D&D game with some close friends, I’d recovered enough mental functioning to make a plan. 10 hrs prior to boarding the plane I booked my ticket out and a place to stay when I landed.
I have had an overarching need is to start repair on my brain. 2025 was the hardest year yet. Just when I’d thought that burnout had hit it’s core and I am at my last reserve I found myself in another layer, and in myself another layer of resilience. I could feel my sense of self being stripped away as I lost the more confidence, and watched my skills evaporate as if I was in the final chapters of my own personal Flowers for Algernon. It made sense to go to my upside-down – where the weather was cold, my expected outcome was not failure, and people called me friend.
The flight out had a hicup but I’m used to that now, and what would have been a problem in the past is now a bit of business.
I landed at Newark Airport NYC and made my way to my excellent tiny hotel Pod51. The rooms are Piet Mondrian themed! I braved the chill and found a pretty jumping Pizza store on 2nd Av blaring Latin American dance music for a few partying folks. Was a good vibe. I escaped with 2 slices bigger than my head(!), got back into my room by midnight, watched local news and had pizza in bed. SUCCESS!
Since then Jordan at the pizza store will slip me an extra slice of some garlic bread when I go. Great guy.
Slice the size of my head Mondrian room
Next day I caught up with my friend Dale @ Beyond Sushi for great vegan Sushi lunch, before his expert tour of Midtown & Central Park West.
I took myself to Macy’s to buy myself a gift, for Christmas Day then Bryant Park skating rink. Then home to prepare to foil the sticky bandits. The gift is more pants for the cold – is up or in wearing two pairs. I freaked out a little the first time I went to the bathroom and forgot. I thought I’d turned into Ken.
After spending Christmas day wandering through Central Park, finding a diner in the Upper East side NYC and generally being a badly organised tourist (by design!) I was treated to a play Marjorie Prime (by 2nd Stage) by my friend Dale. While we were eating all the Tofu at Ollies Szechwan I happened to glance out the window and it was snowing!? I’ve never seen snow in my 39yrs (and some months*) existence so this was pretty AuDHD brain popping. We had a great conversation on the issues with AI, and a wonderful show in an incredible theatre. Adding a Christmas snowfall definitely lightened the ToDo column of the bucketlist.
*177
I’m very grateful to Dale who’s been exceptionally patient with my poor planning and touristy excitement as I repair my broken brain on this trip. Also he keeps me eating well – difficult to do solo when burnt out.
Marjorie Prime (2nd Stage) & for on NYC for Christmas
Heath Wilder 