by Lauren Gill
The Association for Multicultural Affairs and Amnesty International brought Judith Sloan, author of Crossing the Boulevard: Strangers, Neighbors, Aliens in a New America to Haverford College on Thursday, November 19. In an the evening titled “Transforming Trauma into Art,” Sloan guided the audience through Queens, New York, sharing the stories of immigrants and refugees she and her husband met while working on their book.
Sloan explained that she moved to Queens twenty years ago. The New York borough is the most ethnically diverse locality in the United States, with its residents speaking 138 languages. She wanted to focus on the new waves of immigration made possible after the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act. She set out to write Crossing the Boulevard with her husband Warren Lehrer to document the lives of this new flood of immigrants and refugees. The pair interviewed 150 people and included 79 of the stories in the book.
Sloan revealed that compiling firsthand accounts for the book was as easy as knocking on doors and asking immigrants to give a narrative of their trials and tribulations. “If you approach people for a real reason, they’re happy to talk,” she said.
Using pictures and sounds, Sloan brought the culture of the borough to life. The show was divided into five movements, each with a unique story. She told these stories by transforming her voice to match each character. Throughout the night, she shared everything from a sermon to a shopkeeper’s troubles.
A particularly interesting moment came when Sloan told a story of a bull being chased by the cops in a helicopter in the segment “Neighborhood Stories.” The bull was cornered in a public housing project and died by a handicapped parking spot.
Sloan shared many more anecdotes throughout the night, each enlivened by her vibrant storytelling. She also spent a great deal of time detailing her and her husband’s partnership with Gogol Bordello, a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of New York City. She illustrated the intimacy of their relationship with lead singer Eugene Hutz by recalling a time when he called the duo “a couple of freaks.”
Sloan took questions from the audience at the end of her show, giving each inquirer an in-depth answer. Responding to a question about the differences between those with money and those without, she said, “People who don’t have money appreciate what they have a little more.”
The author certainly gave the audience a night to remember, her touching show leaving a lasting impression on those who were lucky enough to witness it.
This article is © 2008 The Bi-College News. The material on this page is free for personal or educational use, but may not be reproduced, reprinted, republished, redistributed, or otherwise transmitted to a third party without the express written permission of The Bi-College News, 370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041.
Editor's note: Articles that appear in the Last Word section are works of satire.
- ‘Crossing the BLVD’ with Judith Sloan
- Orphan Trains
- Student Panel Discusses Islam, Growing Up Muslim in America
- Easter Escapees: The Lives of Refugees in Australia
- Amy Hempel Reads at Wyndham
- Speakers Make Comics Into Art
- Australia: Case Study in Ignoring Problems
- Author Jhumpa Lahiri Speaks in Philadelphia
- Collection Addresses Plight of Afghani Women
- Lucille Clifton Visits BMC
Related articles
