Tag Archives: new york

APOCALYPSE NOW AND THEN by Peter Nolan Smith

November 10, 2020 – 1:56 pm

In 1968 I lied about my age and tried to enlist in the Marines soon after my 16th birthday. My mother refused to sign the papers. The Tet offensive fed her doubts about the final outcome of the Vietnam Conflict. Boys were returning in coffins, wheelchairs, or hooked on heroin. Returning soldiers were portrayed as […]

By Peter | Posted in 70s, america, politics, semi-fiction, War | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

The Long Way Home

October 5, 2020 – 1:30 pm

Eastern Airlines served the Boston-NYC-Washington circuit throughout the 1960s as the premier shuttle airline between those three cities. A billboard at the entrance to Logan Airport promoted a $11 commute flight to La Guardia. My paper route paid that amount every week and I dreamed about purchasing a ticket to the Big Apple, however when […]

By Peter | Posted in family, holiday, New England, semi-fiction, Travel | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

SMASHING KNIVES by Peter Nolan Smith

September 4, 2020 – 7:13 am

 In the Greater Depression the employment opportunities for a man my age were limited in New York City, however my absolute willingness to work overcame most obstacles and for the past two months I have labored at a different job every few day. I have trawled Harlem pawn shops for loose diamonds, videoed Off-Off […]

By Peter | Posted in Bet On Crazy, semi-fiction, work | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

THE VALUE OF IGNORANCE by Peter Nolan Smith

June 2, 2020 – 1:45 am

The 2013 Christmas season had been a disaster on 47th Street. Back in the 1990s I usually sold close to a quarter of a million in jewelry and my commissions provided a healthy six-month cushion for the winter, however in 2013 my sales from Thanksgiving to the Winter Equinox totaled less than $25000. After Xmas […]

By Peter | Posted in Bet On Crazy, Diamonds, NEW YORK, semi-fiction | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

The Bliss of Fake Bling

May 31, 2020 – 7:38 am

Tiffany’s on 5th Avenue has a very special return policy for its jewelry. “Go down to 47th Street to sell it.” Many other people seek to transform jewelry into cash on the busy block between 5th And 6th Avenues. Some are in possession of estates or family heirloom. A few are thieves, but many are […]

By Peter | Posted in Bet On Crazy, Diamonds, NEW YORK, semi-fiction | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)