I'm slow sometimes, and maybe If I'd written about it last week, there would have been more suspense involved in Amol Sarva's Kickstarter project to create Q is for Queens, an illustrated alphabetic roadtrip through New York's third borough. But I am still working on my brackets, and I gotta tell you, I'm feeling pretty good about them right now. Think I'm gonna pick a winner.
As for Sarva's book, it's already blown through its funding goal, so all that's left is for you to sign on, and get in line for your copy. Sarva's timeline and process sound a little optimistic to me, but otherwise, it seems fine. I'm sure he'll finalize the book's contents and find a printer and have it out the door by July. Or so.
I do wonder if it's not too depressing to include 5 Pointz, though. Long Island City's global street art mecca has already been buffed by corporate goons in the dead of night, and the complex is slated to be demolished and replaced by luxury condo towers any day now. G is for Gentrification, not Graffiti. But maybe these are the tough lessons that only a scruffy borough like Queens can teach us. Carry on!
Q is for Queens will be funded on May 16. You can still back it and receive various rewards until then [kickstarter via amol and dt reader rolf]
Sure it's the "corporate goons" that spoiled 5 Pointz. But there's a whole lot of brand representation in the pages I see. I love Queens as much as the next guy and spent last Sunday with the kids at the Hall of Science ("H" or "S") and then a bite at the Ganesh Temple Canteen ("G" or "T"), but looking at this book you'd think that Queens is only good for the companies that were started there or still exist there or choose to advertise there. It's fine. I guess it's all part of the history of the borough. But still. Do I want to start putting the Pepsi logo in front of my toddler every day. And for that matter, it's not quite the same but is it any better for Steinway or the Mets or Manic Panic? I'm being too critical, I know. I'm actually fine with all this stuff. But if there's an ABC book this side of Disney with more brand representation, I haven't seen it.
I'm Coke and Yankees myself, but I definitely get your point.
I'm sure Queens is known for more than its brands [B is for Bulova Corporate Center; C is for Costco], though, like the various famous people from Queens at some point: Geraldine Ferraro and Cindy Lauper. I could see doing a completely off-the-grid, Locals Only Queens alphabet book which tries to capture Qns' ethnic and cultural sweep and history. And I don't think that is this book.
Or maybe it could be, since it's not written yet. Frankly, that's what concerns me more: that he doesn't have the content and illustrations and layout locked down for a book he's planning to ship in 2-3 months.