Author Archives: Virginia Valenzuela

Instead of Stoops

Instead of stoops, East Village natives are in the park. For half a century, Tompkins has been the home of homeless punks, addicts, and East Village teens just itching to be free, and though the net population has definitely faded out, its prime audience has held strong.  In the open concrete field at 10th andContinue reading “Instead of Stoops”

Vinny the Snail on the Good Men Project

Ever wonder why Millennials overwhelmingly supported avuncular Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2016 and again in 2020? It had nothing to do with his ‘Boomer’ status, duh, and everything to do with the fact that he was the only candidate, of any generation, who spoke directly to the overriding issue of ourContinue reading “Vinny the Snail on the Good Men Project”

Penny Arcade at Joe’s Pub

Last week my father and I went to see Penny Arcade’s final performance of her piece, “Longing Lasts Longer,” which she states was not a monologue, not a comedy show, and not performance art; which was her own special way of saying that it was not one, but a combination of all three. It wasContinue reading “Penny Arcade at Joe’s Pub”

20 Years In the Matrix

I slept in as long as I could today. I wore a big sweater, my L.A. Cowboy boots, and only a bit of makeup around the eyes. The sky was cloudy, and I knew it might rain, and it struck me as the perfect day to be watching a movie with my students. We spentContinue reading “20 Years In the Matrix”

Democratic Debate at my Alma Mater!

That’s right, snail fans! Last night’s debate took place in the same building where I worked out while watching episodes of Sex and the City, flirted with frat boys during Greek Week, and participated in late-night charity events with my sorority, Epsilon Kappa Tau. Which begs the question: Is there anything better than knowing thatContinue reading “Democratic Debate at my Alma Mater!”

Is This Subway Going Uptown?

Last night I was on the F train, which turned into a C train, which left me on the wrong side of Manhattan at 12AM on a Sunday evening. There were teenagers who wreaked of tobacco while blasting videos with poor sound quality. There was a man with a poorly situated hole in his trousers.Continue reading “Is This Subway Going Uptown?”

Why I Am Not a Writer

On Friday I gave my first lecture of the semester on the topic writing, and after going through all the ways in which we use language to help us communicate our thoughts and our feelings, and reading “Why I Am Not a Painter” by Frank O’Hara, I asked my students to write about two topics:Continue reading “Why I Am Not a Writer”