AMERICA OUT MONDAY AND THURSDAY
WHEREVER YOU GET PODCASTS.
THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING ON.
>>> CONCERNS ARE GROWING IN
MOSTLY SUNNY WHERE EXPERTS SAY
THE HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS DELTA
STRAIN OF COVID-19 IS SPREADING
RAPIDLY THROUGH THE STATE.
PARTICULARLY IN SMALLER, RURAL
COMMUNITIES, WHERE VACCINATION
RATES ARE LOW.
ACCORDING TO AN NBC NEWS REVIEW
OF DATA FROM A STATE SPONSORED
PROJECT FOR THE STRAIN FIRST
DETECTED IN INDIA IS FOUND IN
WASTEWATER OF AT LEAST TEN
COUNTIES.
WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THAT.
>>> THINGS ARE LOOKING FAR
BETTER IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE
YESTERDAY MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO
SAID POSITIVITY RATE IN FIVE
BOROUGHS DROPPED TO THE LOWEST
LEVELS OF THE PANDEMIC EVER.
A FAR CRY FROM A YEAR AGO WHEN
NEW YORK CITY WAS AT THE CENTER
OF THE GLOBAL OUTBREAK.
JOINING US NOW, FORMER CHIEF
PHOTOGRAPHER FOR ROLLING STONE.
HIS NEW BOOK IS THE CITY THAT
FINALLY SLEEPS.
ALL 110 PAGES ARE BLACK AND
WHITE PORTRAITS OF A QUIET NEW
YORK CITY, IN THE MIDST OF THE
PANDEMIC.
PROCEEDS FOR THE BOOK BENEFIT
THE NEW YORK CARES CHARITY AND
ITS COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS.
>> MARK, THIS IS SUCH A MOVING
BOOK.
ONE OF THE MOST HAUNTING
PICTURES, A PICTURE OF A
PLAYGROUND WITH SCATTERED TOYS
ABANDONED.
NOBODY IN SIGHT.
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, I WAS ACTIVATED TO GO
OUT AND DOCUMENT WITHIN A COUPLE
OF DAYS OF LOCKDOWN, AND I LIVE
IN WEST VILLAGE.
AND THE CITY WAS IN FULL BLOOM.
YOU HAD LIKE THIS KIND OF IRONIC
MOMENT WHERE NATURE WAS IN FULL
BLOOM, YET THERE WAS NOBODY
AROUND.
IT JUST REALLY BECAME AN
EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE TO COVER
THAT.
>> MIKE, CHOICE OF BLACK AND
WHITE PHOTOS PROVIDES A STARK,
EMOTIONAL DESCRIPTION THAT PRINT
CANT EVEN GET TO ABOUT THAT
PERIOD OF TIME IN THIS CITYS
HISTORY.
EVERYBODY CLEARLY REMEMBERS
BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY THE SNAP OF
A FINGER.
IT WAS JUST YESTERDAY.
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU
EMOTIONALLY, PERSONALLY AS YOU
PROCEEDED DOWN THE PATH FROM
BOROUGH TO BOROUGH TAKING THESE
SHOTS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A
MOMENT OF KIND OF MELANCHOLY FOR
ME, ALSO A TIME FOR ME TO RESET
AND FIND MY WAY THROUGH THINGS
THAT I REALLY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN
OBSESSED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT,
AND THAT IS PHOTOGRAPHING.
SO THE CITY, YOU KNOW, IT
REMINDED ME OF THE FIRST TIME I
SAW IT COMING TO NEW YORK 30
YEARS AGO AND BEING JUST TAKEN
BY THE CITY.
IT WAS REALLY LIKE A LOVE LETTER
TO NEW YORK FOR ME.
IT WAS BITTERSWEET.
I WAS FEELING THE PAIN THAT THE
CITY WAS GOING THROUGH AT THE
SAME TIME I WAS TRYING TO
DOCUMENT IT SO THAT WE HAVE
SOMETHING TO HOLD ONTO DOWN THE
ROAD.
>> MARK, WILLIE GEIST.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.
THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY BOOK.
IM DOING WELL.
THESE IMAGES AS A NEW YORKER,
JUST TO REMEMBER THOSE MOMENTS
AND DAYS THAT FEEL ALMOST LONG
GONE NOW WHEN YOU STEP OUTSIDE
INTO NEW YORK CITY, IM JUST
CURIOUS, WHAT CAUGHT YOUR EYE
DRIVING AROUND?
I THINK LIKE A LOT OF US, YOU
COULD BE CAPTIVATED BY THE IDEA
OF NEW YORK CITY QUIET,
SLEEPING, EMPTY.
THEN AS YOU SAY IN THE BOOK, YOU
COME UP ON A REFRIGERATED TRUCK
AND BE SNAPPED BACK INTO
REALITY.
WHAT WERE YOU LOOKING FOR AS YOU
DROVE AROUND?
>> WELL, I WAS VERY FORTUNATE
BECAUSE WE STARTED TO POST
PHOTOGRAPHS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY
AND THE RESPONSE I GOT FROM
PEOPLE WAS THEY WERE JUST
THANKFUL TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR
CITY IN REPOSE BUT STILL THERE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE EXITED NEW YORK
AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A
PLACE.
WHEN I WAS DRIVING THROUGH THE
CITY, I WAS KIND OF LAWLESS.
COULD STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A
BRIDGE AND PHOTOGRAPH THIS
EXPERIENCE.
"VANITY FAIR" RAN A PORTFOLIO,
AND AFTER THAT I WAS ABLE TO GO
TO THE JAVITS CENTER, FOUND THE
REFRIGERATED TRUCKS WHICH WAS
EXTREMELY UPSETTING AND
HAUNTING, BUT IT WAS ALSO LIKE
NOW PART OF THE LANDSCAPE. THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO FIND THOSE
THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO FIND THOSE
MOMENTS AS WELL AS HOPEFUL
MENTS.
>> THE BOOK "THE CITY THAT
FINALLY SLEEPS."
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AGAIN, ALL THE PROCEEDS FROM
SALE OF THE BOOK WILL SUPPORT