Invincible New York

"Everywhere else could fall apart, but not New York. Its glossy, reflective surfaces and moneyed environments seemed invincible. Even after 9/11, even after the attempted bombings, even after the blackouts and the hurricanes and the rising waters due to global warming."
Ling Ma, Severance

Humbugs

"Oh, how I loathe New York! New York is not America. It is the place where all the humbugs come together. It is the place where foreigners of all nations mingle. The New Yorkers are not Americans."

Vladimir de Pachmann, Chopin's Prophet

Vegetable Garden

"Manhattan was sprouting like a vegetable garden in June, buildings stacking on top of one another."
Juliet Grames, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna