John Korduba is the poet for people who are bored by poetry. “Each poem is a soft tipped arrow aimed to brush past your funny bone and then bounce off your verse averse heart,” he says. As one of our Code Word contributors, the author of Everybody Gets Lost in Brooklyn will share his unique musings on life in NYC. Prepare to be tickled, New York.

Barter

Chipmunk

who made you so small?

Come closer

accept these nuts I’ve flung

and don’t ask

what you can give

me in return for I

would tell you that

you give

by accepting.

Cleaning Day

In my cluttered apartment

choas is king

and I’m sure his crown

is around here somewhere.

Where in New York Do You Get Close To Nature?

Post A Comment Below And Let Us Know!

New York City is an incredible place to raise children. Just ask husband-and-wife writing team Paul DuBois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender, who followed their successful book My Subway Ride with My Taxi Ride. They show us that New York is not only a playground for children, but also a classroom in which you can learn just by stepping out of the door. Paul and Jennifer delight in communicating the wonders of the city in a way that kids can appreciate. The joys of the city are not just in the places you go, but how you get here. While they currently live in Massachusetts, Paul and Jennifer are active in Brooklyn Public Library’s Meet the Author program and continue to make appearances around the country to speak about storytelling and the writing process. One of their latest ventures is Nascar ABCs, a book that teaches the alphabet through the exciting world of car racing. CiNYC host Hank meets with this writing duo, who teaches us that each journey is a discovery – whether it’s by subway, by taxi, by car, or on foot.

www.jacobsandswender.com

www.gibbs-smith.com

Read up on Hank’s Code Read ventures here!

Which codes hold Your Favorite Bookstores?

Post A Comment And Tell Us Where You Like To Pore Over The Written Word.

John Korduba is the poet for people who are bored by poetry. “Each poem is a soft tipped arrow aimed to brush past your funny bone and then bounce off your verse averse heart,” he says. As one of our Code Word contributors, the author of Everybody Gets Lost in Brooklyn will share his unique musings on life in NYC. Prepare to be tickled, New York.

Distraction

The branch brushes against the window

making me look

but is it the branch that seeks my attention

or the wind

using the branch as its agent?

To play it safe

I assume that they’re

both

trying to bug me.

Park With Swans

This morning before work

I stopped by a

park with swans

shook off their morning dew and

picked up their briefcases and

marched to the office

leaving me behind to

glide smoothly on the lake

all day

all day

all day long

Where in New York inspires you the most?

Post a comment below and let us know!

John Korduba is the poet for people who are bored by poetry. “Each poem is a soft tipped arrow aimed to brush past your funny bone and then bounce off your verse averse heart,” he says. As one of our Code Word contributors, the author of Everybody Gets Lost in Brooklyn will share his unique musings on life in NYC. Prepare to be tickled, New York.

Downpour

The rain bounces

onto glossy pavements

umbrellas

pop open

like blooming flowers

couples clutch

under awnings

heaven pours down

and

if you look up

your face gets blessed.

I Work Nights

I work nights near a marina

on my break

I go sit on the dock

where

a big yacht is moored

some nights its decks are filled

with dancing couples

I think

a yacht party must be the perfect spot

to propose to someone

“Listen, I’m on a break so I have to make this quick.”

what’s the perfect spot to propose in New york?

Post a comment below and let us know!

Coming next week to code words: NYC food guy!

]]> http://www.coolinyourcode.com/2008/05/27/code-words-john-korduba/feed/ 8 http://www.coolinyourcode.com/2008/04/14/john-korduba/ http://www.coolinyourcode.com/2008/04/14/john-korduba/#comments Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:43:17 +0000 Cool in Your Code http://www.coolinyourcode.com/john-korduba/

John Korduba is the poet for people who are bored by poetry. “Each poem is a soft tipped arrow aimed to brush past your funny bone and then bounce off your verse averse heart,” he says. As one of our Code Word contributors, the author of Everybody Gets Lost in Brooklyn will share his unique musings on life in NYC. Prepare to be tickled, New York.

Deli

The deli near my house

is run by immigrants

who sometimes misspell

and so

as I arrive for coffee

I see a sign that reads

“Sadwishes 2 dollars”

and for once

I am glad

I only have a dollar.

Everybody Gets Lost in Brooklyn

On the sidewalk I see

someone’s abandoned belongings

the most interesting of these being

a stone carved head

It’s a pharaoh, I’m sure!

hello your greatness

no vacant pyramids ‘round here I’m afraid

but take this jelly donut as offering

and remember me in the next life

when maybe

I’ll be asking you

for directions.

]]> http://www.coolinyourcode.com/2008/04/14/john-korduba/feed/ 3 http://www.coolinyourcode.com/2008/02/29/forgotten-ny-2/ http://www.coolinyourcode.com/2008/02/29/forgotten-ny-2/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:17:39 +0000 Cool in Your Code http://www.coolinyourcode.com/forgotten-ny-2/

Kevin Walsh has made it his mission to document those tiny bits of New York City history that many of us walk past everyday without even noticing. After moving to Queens from his native Brooklyn, he began photographing ancient street lamps, faded advertisements, and left over rail lines. He realized that most people have no idea how much of the old NYC is still all around us, but disappearing quickly. His desire to share his discoveries and preserve these memories led him to create a blog, and then a tour company to lead other people through the alleys, buildings and landmarks they might have missed on their own. Forgotten NY is now a book where this amateur historian shares his research, references and photographs of all these hidden gems. It is a true guide book to a New York that may not be visible much longer.

www.forgotten-ny.com

See New York City from a new point of view in Mark Kurlansky’s book The Big Oyster – History on the Half Shell. “It was just a great story,” says Kurlansky, “which is always what I look for.” Oysters have always been in abundance on these shores and not too long ago you could by a dozen for the price of a hot dog. The 1800s saw $6 million worth of oyster sales and they’re no less popular today. Kurlansky’s book tells the tale of NYC’s oyster love throughout the ages and across socio economic divides.

Click To Play

Everyone loves a good mystery and the Mysterious Bookshop in 10007 specializes in the occult. One of the oldest mystery specialists in America, this shop has offered the best in Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Espionage and Detective fiction for the past 28 years.

Proprietor Otto Penzler has a history in the publishing world with a focus on who-done-it prose. He is the recipient of numerous awards and his touch can be seen throughout the store, especially in the amazing collection of rare books. “There are certain things that you can read a second or third time and still get something out of it,” Penzler tells us when pushed to pick a favorite book. “I could read Sherlock Holmes 500 times and find something new every time.” Don’t be afraid to ask for advice either, the knowledgeable staff as well as Penzler himself are always willing to give a recommendation. Or, if you’re already a buff, join one of their book clubs or attend one of their various events and satisfy all your mysterious inclinations.

Read on at www.mysteriousbookshop.com
58 Warren Street, 10007

For books that are rare, hard to find or simply unusual and affordable, visit Westsider Rare and Used Books in 10024. This neighborhood favorite caries an array of books, LPs and videos, with dollar books out front and hidden gems inside. The knowledgeable and helpful staff combined with extensive stacks makes this one book shop worth blowing the dust off.

2246 Broadway, 10024

www.westsiderbooks.com

“I follow people down the street and I go to places I’m told not to go,” says S.J. Rozan explaining how she prepares to write a gripping noir tale. Born and raised in the Bronx, this New Yorker was a perfect fit to edit the latest collection of dark short stories, Bronx Noir. The collection includes pieces from various writers intimately acquainted with the Bronx, resulting in tales that evoke the area so vividly that readers can almost smell the hot-dogs at Yankee stadium and hear the animals stirring at the zoo. “It’s fun,” Rozan comments on her roll as editor, “you get to meet all kinds of interesting writers.” Rozan is herself an accomplished writer with an affinity for New York. Author of nine novels and numerous short stories, her work is always set in New York. “New York is pretty much another character,” she admits. And while sometimes hard on this rough city, her love is apparent. Her work has won her various awards including the Edgar, Nero, Macavity, Shamus and Anthony awards for Best Novel and the Edgar award for best Short Story.

Rozan is a former architect who sees the influence of this earlier training in her writing. She’s used to drafting and redrafting and keeps herself on a strict writing schedule. She’s also a firm believer in good solutions that answer more than one problem. Next time you notice a woman slinking behind you down a narrow Bronx side street, think twice before calling the cops because it may just be Rozan concocting her next thrilling storyline.

Read more about Rozan’s work at http://www.sjrozan.com