Stefan Brecht & Legends Contribute to Ph.D Thesis

The rewards of blogging are few and insubstantial.  So it's satisfying when we get feedback like this.

Dear Ed

Just a quick note to say I've just finished reading your book about the Chelsea and really enjoyed it! I also read Joe Ambrose's tome and that was enjoyable too.

On my first visit to the US in 1997 I visited the Chelsea but couldn't afford to stay. Me and my travelling companion were on a really tight budget. We did however, get to stay in the apartment building on Bleeker Street that Gregory Corso was born in, which was a thrill.

I've just got my PhD and part of my thesis was about the Flaneur. I mention Stefan Brecht's 8th Avenue poems (which are fantastic) and argue that Brecht was practicing Flanerie when walking to the Chelsea and his writing room. So thanks for pointing me in the right direction (I read about Brecht on your blog!)

Hope things are going OK at the Chelsea. Who knows? I may get to stay there one day...

kind regards

Andrew Taylor

I wrote about Stefan Brecht's dual poetry and photography book for this blog and for Chelsea Now and The Villager back in April 2007.   I was quite excited by Brecht's project, and it seems at least one corner of academe was as well.  (Photo: from Stefan Brecht's book, "8th Avenue".)