St. Marks Is Dead
The Many Lives of America's Hippest Street
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Narrated by:
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Carla Mercer-Meyer
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By:
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Ada Calhoun
About this listen
St. Marks Place in New York City has spawned countless artistic and political movements. Here Frank O'Hara caroused, Emma Goldman plotted, and the Velvet Underground wailed. But every generation of miscreant denizens believes that their era, and no other, marked the street's apex.
This idiosyncratic work of reportage tells the many-layered history of the street - from its beginnings as colonial Dutch director-general Peter Stuyvesant's pear orchard to today's hipster playground - organized around those pivotal moments when critics declared "St. Marks is dead". In a narrative enriched by hundreds of interviews, St. Marks native Ada Calhoun profiles iconic characters, from W. H. Auden to Abbie Hoffman, from Keith Haring to the Beastie Boys, among many others. She argues that St. Marks has variously been an elite address, an immigrants' haven, a Mafia war zone, and a hippie paradise, but it has always been a place that outsiders call home.
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Amid rising gang violence, the crack epidemic, and police brutality, a group of unlikely voices cut through the chaos of late 1980s Los Angeles: N.W.A. Led by a drug dealer, a glammed-up producer, and a high school kid, N.W.A. gave voice to disenfranchised African Americans across the country. And they quickly redefined pop culture across the world. Their names remain as popular as ever: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Dre soon joined forces with Suge Knight to create the combustible Death Row Records.
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Very Informative and well told
- By guyzilla on 02-19-17
By: Ben Westhoff
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Bop Apocalypse
- Jazz, Race, the Beats, and Drugs
- By: Martin Torgoff
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Martin Torgoff details the rise of early drug culture in America by weaving together the disparate elements that formed this new segment of the American fabric. Channeling his decades of writing experience, Torgoff connects the birth of jazz in New Orleans, the first drug laws, Louis Armstrong, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, swing, Lester Young, Billie Holiday, the Savoy Ballroom, Charlie Parker, the birth of bebop, the rise of the Beat Generation, and the launch of heroin in Harlem.
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fascinating read
- By Ryan on 06-27-17
By: Martin Torgoff
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Fire in the Belly
- The Life and Times of David Wojnarowicz
- By: Cynthia Carr
- Narrated by: Cynthia Barrett
- Length: 25 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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David Wojnarowicz was an abused child, a teen runaway who barely finished high school, but he emerged as one of the most important voices of his generation. His circle of East Village artists moved into the national spotlight just as the AIDS plague began its devastating advance, and as right-wing culture warriors reared their heads. Fire in the Belly is the untold story of a polarizing figure at a pivotal moment in American culture - and one of the most highly acclaimed biographies of the year.
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Why did they let this person read?
- By Wendell Ricketts on 12-11-18
By: Cynthia Carr
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Bear
- The Life and Times of Augustus Owsley Stanley III
- By: Robert Greenfield
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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The creator of the dancing bear logo and designer of the Wall of Sound for the Grateful Dead, Augustus Owsley Stanley III, better known by his nickname, Bear, was one of the most iconic figures in the cultural revolution that changed both America and the world during the 1960s. Owsley's high octane rocket fuel enabled Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters to put on the Acid Tests. It also powered much of what happened on stage at Monterey Pop.
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wow
- By Brian Harnois on 10-12-20
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Street Poison
- The Biography of Iceberg Slim
- By: Justin Gifford
- Narrated by: J. D. Jackson
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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From a career as a, yes, ruthless pimp in the '40s and '50s, Iceberg Slim refashioned himself as the first and still the greatest of the "street lit" masters, whose vivid books have made him an icon to such rappers as Ice-T, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg and a presiding spirit of "blaxploitation" culture.
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A must read for all Robert Beck fans.
- By JMKIII58 on 09-15-16
By: Justin Gifford
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Everybody Thought We Were Crazy
- Dennis Hopper, Brooke Hayward, and 1960s Los Angeles
- By: Mark Rozzo
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Los Angeles in the 1960s: riots in Watts and on the Sunset Strip, wild weekends in Malibu, late nights at The Daisy discotheque, openings at the Ferus Gallery, and the convergence of pop art, rock and roll, and the New Hollywood. At the center of it all, one inspired, improbable, and highly combustible couple—Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward—lived out the emblematic love story of ’60s L.A.
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Wonderful!
- By Rob on 06-07-22
By: Mark Rozzo
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1965
- The Most Revolutionary Year in Music
- By: Andrew Grant Jackson
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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During 12 unforgettable months in the middle of the turbulent '60s, America saw the rise of innovative new sounds that would change popular music as we knew it. In 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music, music historian Andrew Grant Jackson (Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of The Beatles' Solo Careers) chronicles a groundbreaking year of creativity fueled by rivalries between musicians and continents, sweeping social changes, and technological breakthroughs.
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Seems like a good overview
- By wylie smith on 01-12-23
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Levittown
- Two Families, One Tycoon, and the Fight for Civil Rights in America's Legendary Suburb
- By: David Kushner
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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In the decade after World War II , one entrepreneurial family helped thousands of people buy into the American dream of owning a home. The Levitts, William, Alfred, and their father, Abe, pooled their talents to create storybook towns with affordable little houses. They laid out the welcome mat - but not to everyone. Levittown had a Whites-only policy.
By: David Kushner
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Detroit
- An American Autopsy
- By: Charlie LeDuff
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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In the heart of America, a metropolis is quietly destroying itself. Detroit, once the richest city in the nation, is now its poorest. Once the vanguard of America’s machine age - mass production, automobiles, and blue-collar jobs - Detroit is now America’s capital for unemployment, illiteracy, foreclosure, and dropouts. With the steel-eyed reportage that has become his trademark and the righteous indignation that only a native son can possess, journalist Charlie LeDuff sets out to uncover what has brought low this once-vibrant city, his city.
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WOW
- By Avid Reader and Listener on 07-09-13
By: Charlie LeDuff
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The One
- The Life and Music of James Brown
- By: R. J. Smith
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Senior editor at L.A. Magazine RJ Smith saw his first book, The Great Black Way, win the coveted California Book Award. With The One, Smith profiles one of the 20th century’s most innovative musical icons, the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown. Drawing on extensive research and captivating interviews, Smith chronicles Brown’s rise from abject poverty to the pinnacle of fame, while also detailing Brown’s work as a civil rights activist and entrepreneur.
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pitiable, lovable, despicable,understandable
- By Anonymous User on 01-06-13
By: R. J. Smith
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Can't Stop Won't Stop
- A History of the Hip-Hop Generation
- By: Jeff Chang
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 19 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Forged in the fires of the Bronx and Kingston, Jamaica, hip-hop became the Esperanto of youth rebellion and a generation-defining movement. In a post-civil rights era defined by deindustrialization and globalization, hip-hop crystallized a multiracial, polycultural generation's worldview and transformed American politics and culture. But that epic story has never been told with this kind of breadth, insight, and style.
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Not About Hip Hop Music
- By A. Yerkes on 09-06-19
By: Jeff Chang
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The Last Love Song
- A Biography of Joan Didion
- By: Tracy Daugherty
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 26 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Joan Didion lived a life in the public and private eye with her late husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, whom she met while the two were working in New York City, when Didion was at Vogue and Dunne was writing for Time. They became wildly successful writing partners when they moved to Los Angeles and cowrote screenplays and adaptations together. Didion is well known for her literary journalistic style in both fiction and nonfiction.
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Riveted for 1591 miles
- By Kaysi12 on 04-11-16
By: Tracy Daugherty
What listeners say about St. Marks Is Dead
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- F. Mileti
- 06-13-16
It's Hous-ton Street not You-ston/ NYC, not Texas
Would you consider the audio edition of St. Marks Is Dead to be better than the print version?
Only if Houston Street is correctly pronounced — Hous-ton
Who was your favorite character and why?
St. Mark — the street
Which character – as performed by Carla Mercer-Meyer – was your favorite?
The narrator
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Mispronouncing Houston
Any additional comments?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about my old neighborhood. Born and raised on the Lower East Side, it was great hearing its history before, during, and after, my time there. I tried, unsuccessfully, not to recoil when Houston Street was mispronounced early on in the audio book — an especially egregious error for a native of 484 E. Houston. I eventually recovered from the chokehold, for the moment, when the narrator self-corrected, afterward.
“Hous-ton,” unlike the city in Texas, “You-ston,” are world's apart — as much removed as the erroneously used synonym we used for sociopath (cowboy). Mispronouncing Houston during my youth, when crime was rampant and New York City out of control, served as an accelerant for street thugs to hastily improvise an assault. Those unfamiliar with the environs they stumbled upon paid a hefty price for the memory.
I wanted to praise this book and briefly conclude with something clever, like, “There is no U in Houston.” But, there is.
Just eight short blocks south of St. Marks Place (8th Street), Houston Street is silent in comparison to the wilds of St. Mark’s, as is the U in Houston Street, with its emphasized H. Does that help? Probably not, as the only surefire way to not say Houston like a Texan is to live in New York City.
Save yourself from the “Victim File” by respecting ways in which words are spoken in unfamiliar haunts. I highly recommend this book and truly enjoyed it. My one and only criticism was not intended to monopolize this review, ad nauseam, but it precipitated this writing. So, I guess it's all good. But should the impetus for a 5-star review be less than stellar due to mispronunciation?
As previously stated, Houston Street was corrected by the second, and I believe, final mention. But, what about the first? This book is not “small town.” It's about a celebrated neighborhood, my neighborhood, often referred to as the most famous, world-wide. But, the stone in my shoe is still there.
Small things matter in any art form. It's like a musician who flubs a note in the first chorus, then corrects it in the second. It's still a bad note, and must be absolutely faithful when releasing a final take, or recording — or, an audio book.
Remember, this is a fun and fast read, especially for natives of Manhattan, the original and great city of New York, New York — Manhattan. It's for all those intrigued or just curious with the subject matter, which is vast — all the more reason for pinpoint accuracy.
But, I'll remember Houston Street.
Frank Mileti
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2 people found this helpful
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- Jonathan Hurst
- 11-17-20
If you love history and NYC buy this
Great book! I thought it was well written and so very researched and smart! I hope the author writes more.
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- Judith
- 03-23-17
Interesting history of a storied place.
Told by someone who grew up in the neighborhood, it tracks a place's role in our cultural history and raised the question "what's next?"
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1 person found this helpful
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- Bob Swain
- 08-21-22
I loved it
great book. the reader sometimes mispronounced words. a zine is pronounced zeen not zign. a charming look at a weird part of NYC that has had an outsized influence on the American underground. deeply appreciated.
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- Liza B.
- 11-07-15
Wonderful history of a wonderful place.
What did you love best about St. Marks Is Dead?
I loved peeling back the layers of my favorite part of Manhattan. The history of St. Marks Church was especially interesting.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Jimmy Webb from Trash and Vaudeville, who I often saw around the neighborhood while working in a bakery on Second Avenue. What a character! Also much respect to the New York Dolls:)
Did Carla Mercer-Meyer do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
This isn't fiction and had no dialogue, so this question isn't really relevant.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Emma Goldman and her story were especially moving and interesting.
Any additional comments?
The narrator mispronounced many place names in a way that would make any New Yorker cringe. Proper script prep and research would have done true justice to this book. We don't have any streets named after towns in Texas in the city, FYI.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Judith
- 11-06-16
Awful reader.
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Content is interesting, but book is not well written
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
None.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Carla Mercer-Meyer?
This person reads with no understanding of grammar or content.
Do you think St. Marks Is Dead needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
No.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Jacob Ford
- 06-10-18
If you can, listen at the subject
Listen as you pace Saint Marks. It’s really a comforting balance of footnoted history and soothing anecdote.
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- newyorkdoll
- 02-14-16
Engrossing tale, awkward narration - but bearable
The story was great - and will be particularly interesting to people who lived in the East Village prior to 2000. The narrator has a young voice - but maybe she is too young. Referencing a local 'zine she made it rhyme with "vine." There were other awkward pronunciations - or just wrong emphasis. It was competent though - still worth the listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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- M
- 03-13-22
Excellent book
An amazing, colorful book about the history of St. Marks Place - a great listen, will listen again!
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- Gingoldj
- 12-30-15
Good idea---for a magazine article
Never before have so many details been presented about such vapid events. It does warrant 2 stars for informing me that Norman Mailer helped found the Village Voice. Downhill from there. To make matters worse, narrator is a dead ringer for Siri. Book about the East Village and Houston St. Is mispronounced like the name of the Texas city? Gimme a break! Avoid this one---the idea is far better than the book, and the narration is monotonous.
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1 person found this helpful