Steve Mentz

THE BOOKFISH

THALASSOLOGY, SHAKESPEARE, AND SWIMMING

  • Home
  • Steve Mentz
  • Humanities Commons
  • Public Writing
  • The sea! the sea!
  • The Bookfish
  • St. Johns

Newtown Creek: Six Walks in 2017

January 12, 2018 by Steve Mentz

Swimming in the Creek

[Orig posted 12/30/17]

The first day I planned to visit the Newtown Creek Nature Walk was July 16. I was hoping to convince my daughter to join me for a walk-through after spending the afternoon in the company of a certain roguish Rebel pilot’s version of Hamlet. She opted instead for Dylan’s Candy Bar.

I finally made it there on October 14, in the company of three of my very favorite people.

One strange thing: I kept thinking about beauty, and about design. I always think clear water is beautiful, no matter what’s beneath the surface. The plastic floatable bears a semi-translucent charm. What do we want beauty to do for us?

I went back on Nov 7 (Election Day!) and again on Nov 17. I thought different things on the different days.

17 November: Plastic debris hugged the shoreline of Whale Creek like a vision of our shared future. In the company of plastic — that’s the world we’re moving into. In chilly sunshine, the bright colors looked just a bit inviting.

Or not

7 November: On this visit I read the description of the Nature Walk on a sign that presumably had been written by George Trakas, who designed the space  in 2007. The area was meant to represent a “vibrant intersection where multiple histories, cultural identities, and geologic epochs coexist.” I like that capacious vision  in which multiplicity and uneasiness together create ecological art. Shivering a little on this wet afternoon, I wondered about coexistence and its difficult durations.

A fourth trip on a gloriously warm Dec 1.

December 1, 2017, was a glorious spring afternoon in the anti-climate. For the first time since I brought some of my favorite people with me in October, I wasn’t alone in post-Nature. Coming back to Newtown Creek was like coming into community with entities that I don’t yet know well.

It took me two tries to get inside the Walk on Dec 14-15, because on the first day the gate was closed due to snow.

What wise words does the silent Creek speak about transition? What’s changing, in and under and near that toxic water?

Heading back on Jan 5th with a crew of MLA-ers!

Filed Under: Newtown Creek

About Steve

Steve Mentz
Professor of English
St. John’s University
Read Bio

Twitter Feed

Steve MentzFollow

Steve Mentz
Retweet on TwitterSteve Mentz Retweeted
dlitephulDr. Danielle Lee 👊🏿👊🏾👊🏽👊🏻@dlitephul·
18h

So, I'm doing a thing... So excited!! @MarGalarrita @UCRiverside https://twitter.com/margalarrita/status/1380539647944663044

Reply on Twitter 1380623150900248576Retweet on Twitter 13806231509002485761Like on Twitter 138062315090024857613Twitter 1380623150900248576
stevermentzSteve Mentz@stevermentz·
9 Apr

I'm so excited to hear my brilliant colleague and #sjuenglish grad talk about her research on early modern race next Friday, courtesy of UCR's Race in the Premodern Period speaker series. Registration details here! @sju_english

Reply on Twitter 1380486199110995968Retweet on Twitter 13804861991109959681Like on Twitter 138048619911099596816Twitter 1380486199110995968
Load More...

Pages

  • OCEAN Publicity
  • #SAA 2020: Watery Thinking
  • Creating Nature: May 2019 at the Folger
  • Audio and Video Recordings
  • Oceanic New York
  • Public Writing
  • Published Work
  • #pluralizetheanthropocene

Recent Posts

  • Zoomtopia! #shax2021
  • #bluehumanities thoughts for the New Year
  • S21: New Semester, Still Zoomin’
  • Blue Humanities
  • Bookfish in 2020

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in