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T H R E E D A Y S I N N E W Y O R K I h a d th re e d a y s . T h re e d a y s to c a p tu re s o m e th in g o f a c ity th a t I k n e w v e ry little a b o u t. O f c o u rs e , to a n y o n e w h o 's g ro w n u p w a tc h in g T V a n d ďŹ lm s in th e U K , th e re a re th o s e in s ta n tly
re c o g n is a b le v ig n e tte s th a t c o n tin u o u s ly m a k e y o u fe e l a s e n s e o f d e ja v u ; th a t th is is n 't s o m e a lie n c ity a t a ll, b u t s o m e w h e re - th a t s o m e h o w - y o u k n o w w e ll.
T h e tru th is th a t th e re a re m a n y N e w Yo rk 's a n d w h a t th e c ity is to
o n e p e rs o n is a s in d iv id u a l a s th e ir th u m b - p rin t. A c ity, a n y c ity, is a liv in g , b re a th in g , e v o lv in g s p a c e th a t n e v e r y ie ld s to ďŹ x e d d e ďŹ n itio n s .
W e te ll s to rie s a b o u t o u r e n v iro n m e n t, a b o u t th o s e th in g s w e
b e lie v e a re ďŹ x e d a n d th a t b in d u s to g e th e r a s a c o m m u n ity. It's n o t th a t th e y a re u n tru e , m o re th a t th e y a re o n e a s p e c t o f th e tru e
id e n tity o f a s p a c e . In h is s e m in a l w o rk T h e A m e ric a n s , th e S w is s p h o to g ra p h e r R o b e rt F ra n k p o rtra y s a n A m e ric a th a t m a n y a t th e
tim e fo u n d s h o c k in g , e v e n in s u ltin g . Ye t, in h is in tro d u c tio n , J a c k 5
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K e ro u a c re c o g n is e s th a t th e lo o k fro m th e o u ts id e r re v e a ls a n o th e r
la y e r o f tru th th a t is n o le s s v a lid th a n th e v ie w fro m th e in d ig e n o u s in s id e r. In d e e d , it is a tru th th a t o n ly th e o u ts id e r c a n s e e .
M y h o p e w a s th a t I to o , in m y o w n w a y, c o u ld c a p tu r e s o m e th in g o f th is g re a t c ity th a t w a s u n iq u e to m e . In th a t, I h o p e I h a v e
s u c c e e d e d . W h e th e r th is w o rk o  e rs a n y th in g m o re , w e ll, th a t is fo r o th e rs to d e c id e . F o r m y o w n p a rt, I s u s p e c t n o t. It is m y e y e th a t
h a s s e e n th e s e m o m e n ts in tim e a n d d e c id e d to c a p tu re th e m . It's a ls o p a rt o f m y jo u rn e y a s a p h o to g ra p h e r. B u t it fo llo w s in a
tra d itio n th a t h a s b e e n s e t d o w n b y th o s e fa r g re a te r th a n m e ;
p h o to g ra p h e rs , lik e F ra n k , w h o s a w th is “w a y o f s e e in g � b e fo re
a n y o n e e ls e h a d lo o k e d . In th a t s e n s e , I a m s im p ly fo llo w in g in th e ir fo o ts te p s , h o p in g , s o m e w h e re a lo n g th e w a y, to ďŹ n d m y o w n u n iq u e p a th .
R . S im o n D a lto n , N o v e m b e r, 2 0 16
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