Most of the time, New York is cold enough on Halloween that only a madwoman would go outside shirtless. But once in a very long while it’s milder, making a variety of costume options feasible that otherwise might not be: topless flapper, for instance, or topless princess, or topless Carmen Sandiego. Several of us explored these and other forms of sartorial self-expression at the intersection of Stanton and Allen Streets, where the city has helpfully set out some benches in the middle of traffic…
…before heading down the block to the Slipper Club, burlesque emporium extraordinaire, for an evening of merriment.
What sort of merriment? Well, to start with, it was the largest gathering of our members we’ve ever had, with several dozen of us in attendance. Costumes were welcome (as was the lack of costumes — we’re nothing if not open-minded). We welcomed cyborgs…
…and monsters…
…droogs that would’ve made Anthony Burgess proud…
…and various other characters, familiar or invented.
(What is this last costume? So glad you asked. It’s a blue-footed booby, of course.)
The Pinchbottom burlesque troupe put on a special stage performance just for us, featuring numbers inspired by Shelley, Coleridge, and Dante, with pulp novelist Jonny Porkpie on hand as Master of Ceremonies and Reader of Excerpts From the Referenced Literary Works.
Afterwards, there was a bit of a bar crawl involving Bulgarian hookahs, Belgian ale and silent televisions playing World Series game three for the Mets fans among us. Photos are few from the indoor portions of the evening, and in-focus ones fewer still. But you can get some sense of what we got up to below.
(And here’s an extra treat for those of you in the UK: a reporter from the one of the biggest newspapers in London flew in just for the event, and an article about us is supposedly forthcoming. Who knows? Maybe it’ll inspire a revolution across the ocean…)
Happy Halloween, all.
Treat! Definitely a treat!
I love your joie de vivre. I have no idea how people can enjoy themselves so much while still making a political point. I presume there are some down times of which we do not hear, but hope, on the whole, all of you enjoy this and are getting the support you deserve.
With regard to the UK newspaper, given I discovered you through a Guardian piece I guess it’s too much to hope that it would be doing it again? The problem is that rags like the Torygraph or Daily Heil, even if they’ve sent out a journal, are unlikely to do you any favours, and Murdoch’s world-power-grabbing machines are unspeakable.
I hope the piece turns out well, and isn’t behind a paywall.
All the best you lot!
Woo-hoo – looking out for that article in the London press! 🙂
I had so much fun. Thank you for inviting me to New York City. It was nice to meet so many of you at one time. After I left the burlesque show at 8 I stayed bare-chested until we got back inside my host’s apt at 1 am! Well… really until I woke up in the morning I guess! Two bars, one band, plenty of city streets and so many positive, normal interactions. Can’t wait to do it again. http://www.breastsarehealthy.wordpress.com
~ Gingerbread
I am curious about the book being read in the first photograph. The cover and back cover appear to be reversed from the norm, but since the words (that can be made out) are legible and read from left to right, it’s clear that the photo itself isn’t reversed nor is the book being held upside down.
Can you tell us what book this is?
It’s a manga called PRINCESS AI.
What a fun Halloween Party. Glad to see the beautiful ladies of Coed Outdoors are back. Are you getting ready for a big Thanksgiving Dinner?
No plans yet, but you never know!
Well that was an unexpected treat – I always appreciate your determined normality in the midst of the world’s phobias and repressions. May the force be always with you!
Thanks for the great pics of brave, powerful and beautiful people.