Excerpts From the Taxi Compliments File

Taxi drivers in New York City are known to generate hostility, disgust or, if particularly fortunate, indifference among New Yorkers. Rare is the case when passengers have something nice to say about cabbies. Rarer still are the people, so taken with their drivers, who call 311 to register their compliments. Yet a total of nearly 700 compliments were received by the service in 2012. The following is a sampling of some of the more unique entries, which include a story about a lost engagement ring and the offer of a gift made by a late relative:

Date Received	Compliment
January 8, 1:58 p.m.	Caller stated that drver behave awsome and he wants to let him know a website www.brucethurman.com
January 9, 11:18 a.m.	Willing to take us to Brooklyn
January 17, 10:44 a.m.	Very pleasant driver. We talked baseball. I’d like to send him a St. Louis Cardinals hat. Can you provide an address where I can get the hat to him or ask him to give me an address.
February 27, 4:59 a.m.	Caller would like to compliment a yellow taxi driver for exemplary interpersonal skills.
March 5, 11:16 p.m.	The caller reports being picked up by a taxi driver and when the taxi was driving off he was cut off by another vehicle the taxi was forced to drive into the crosswalk to avoid an accident. The police approached the vehicle and told the driver to turn off the meter. The caller had to sit in the taxi while the police began questioning the taxi driver about the incident. The caller got out of the taxi attempted to pay the driver, however the caller did not have cash, the driver told the caller not to worry about it. She reports that the incident was not her taxi driver’s fault and that he was polite and courteous the entire time.
March 7, 12:10 p.m.	Taxi driver picked up my boss on March 6th around 12 noon at 34th Street and took him to Boston shuttle at LaGuardia. He was super nice and professional; they spoke about the driver’s desire to work in the grocery business (maybe in Texas) and his family (he’s married w/a 10year old son). He also mentioned that he’s from Bangladesh. We own a grocery chain and would love to help him. When he dropped my boss off at the airport, my boss was running for his flight and therefore did not get the driver’s name or medallion #. If there’s any way that we could find this driver so that we could help him, it would be awesome!
March 9, 7:32 p.m.	Sri Lankan
March 17, 7:16 p.m.	Taxi driver got out of cab and scared away a potential female mugger who was asaulting me.
March 19, 11:54 a.m.	Made a helpful suggestion
March 19, 6:15 p.m.	Dear Sir/Madam, Please give a Special Thank You to Driver 5259628. He took 4 runners to Central Park for the NYC 2012 Half Marathon. When he saw me waiting for a taxi there were already two passengers, also runners, in the taxi. The two runners had asked the driver to stop and get me. They asked the driver to keep looking for runners as there were few taxis at that time and we could fit one more runner in the taxi. The driver told us when he spotted another runner. We asked him to stop and get her. He did. The 4 of us made it the park on time for the race. The driver was courteous and caring. The taxi driver drove carefully and we appreciated his support and good wishes for the race.
March 24, 6:47 p.m.	Kevin was not only a great taxi driver but also a wonderful person who made our ride the best part of our st. patty’s day. he explained the route he’d be taking and was a genuinely kind person. He gifted us Irish flag pins at the conclusion of the trip not only for the passengers but also the other members of my family!
April 1, 1:58 p.m.	Middle aged man of color. He told us he recently attended a wedding in Chicago.
April 2, 10:09 a.m.	Polite
April 5, 10:52 a.m.	Has signs reminding us to cover our mouths when we cough.
April 10, 9:30 a.m.	At 3.00 a.m. on the morning of 9th April my son was lost and disorientated in NYC - Mr. Choudry picked up my son - realizing that my son did not know where he was or where he lived Mr. Choudry called us at home to let us know where they were (5th and 11th Manhattan) - and to ascertain where our son lived, and should he bring him him. On the trip home Mr. Choudry safely secured our son into a seat belt and watched over him the whole way to Chatham NJ. Mr. Choudry took care of our son’s personal belongings, returning them to us upon arrival at our home. This gentleman was truly an angel ensuring that our boy wasn’t wandering around Manhattan at 3.00 a.m. disorientated and upset - he took him under his wing as though he was his own child.
April 12, 7:41 p.m.	Really pleasant man. Enjoyed a spirited convo about basketball and football!
April 18, 9:53 a.m.	Most delightful cab ride to work ever. Offered me the newspaper and had a wonderful chat about flowers in central park. a true delight!
April 19 10:55 p.m.	Although I asked to be dropped a block away from my apartment and he stopped the meter, he still insisted on driving me the rest of the way because it was dark and I was a “lady”. Very kind.
April 23, 11:49 a.m.	Speaks great English
May 4, 1:36 a.m.	Customer stated the driver was very polite. Customer stated after being in a previous taxi that dragged him 15ft, the driver asked him was he alright and if he needed a ride and told hime to just get into his taxi. Customer stated the driver drove him to his destination safely. Customer stated he tried to leave the driver a tip and the driver refused to take it.
June 5, 10:21 a.m.	Because of gracious kindness and wisdom shown by Abe toward me and my husband concerning my mother’s recent death, may I express thanks to this human being by giving him a gift made by my late mother I need to get in touch with him, whom I know by the name Abe.
June 12, 11:01 p.m.	Mr. Garth’s sunny disposition and politeness made my 730am trip to LGA less horrid. Even at this early hour he was noticieably cheerful and well mannered and made my previous night’s experience with a taxi driver a tad less nightmareish.
June 19, 4:04 p.m.	On Tuesday, June 12, I hailed a cab around 30th and 8th Avenue. I had just moved to a new part of Brooklyn, Crown Heights, St. Mark’s Avenue, and did not know how to get there, by cab. And, to make matters worse, I was very, very drunk. And it was pouring out. I’m so sorry that I did not get the cab driver’s name or number. Not only was he extremely patient with me, but, when I could not find my wallet, which I did have, but was too confused to find it, he, very kindly, let it slide. Of course, the next day, I felt terrible, and tried, through CraigsList to attempt to rectify the situation, but, I guess it never occurred to him to check there, as well.
June 21, 7:34 a.m.	The taxi driver stopped a major accident on the brooklyn bridge. A big commercial truck was coming on to the brooklyn bridge from brooklyn and the taxi driver cut in front of him to let him know he could not fit on the bridge. Caller feels this was amazing because the truck could have caused a major accident.
June 27, 3:48 p.m.	I am sorry I did not get the driver’s name - I remembered the number from the license on his window and hope it will be enough to locate him. It was very hot and I was waiting with a super unhappy cat who had a vet visit. Driver picked me up and endured a 45 minute ride, cat howling all the way. For his extreme patience, for his taking me all the way from 8th Ave/26th St. to Sunnyside listening to howling meows all the way, for his kindess helping me with my bags and cat out of the cab, I commend him and cannot thank him enough for making my day a little easier.
July 12, 7:55 p.m.	I only took info. off receipt -says trip #25805 we got to talking as I had just had shoulder surgery; he has a shoulder problem dating back to 1989 accident when drunk driver ran a red light and hit him; he has been a driver for a long time; he’s lived in Green Point, Bay Ridge, Staten Isle; he has 2 children about to graduate college; he is an all around great guy who has been driving for many years; he is a wonderful, even headed driver; fun to speak with him; I have talked with some drivers in the past who were also good guys; Abdul is as good as it gets, I think; I know there may be a long list that you get of drivers to commend etc.; I would put Abdul on that list; very knowledgeable about the city and his trade; he’s a credit to NYC
July 26, 6:12 p.m.	UWS to UES. DOG CONE. The driver picked us up, I know some are hesitant with dogs. I want to apoligize, My dog just woke from surgery and road on my lap. He had an accident in the cab which I did not notice until after existing the cab. I am unsure if the seat was effected since he was on my lap. If it was I am SO VERY Sorry!
July 27, 10:58 a.m.	I am in Dallas Texas. My 21 yr old daughter is doing an internship in NYC this summer. While waiting for a cab after an event she hosted she was on the phone with me when I heard her scream out, then footsteps then the phone went dead. After a panicked 30-40 minutes during which time I frantically called NYPD and NYU public safety, she calls me crying from Mr. Faiz’s phone. She had been mugged and her phone stolen. He saw her crying hysterically on the street. He picked her up, took her to the police, let her talk to me on his cell phone while he drove her to her NYU dorm, spoke to me on the phone and reassured me and then walked her into her NYU dorm and spoke with the security officers and the RA. He was an angel. He saved my daughter.
August 10, 9:39 a.m.	Did NOT use his phone! Unusual!
August 14, 1:51 p.m.	Lost diamond engagement ring returned. Santinder refused my cash reward saying god has provided enough. I couldn’t be more grateful
August 29, 9:39 p.m.	I previously made a complaint and I was looking for a place to cancel my complaint. I realized that I may have overreacted to the situation I reported on 8/25/12. This driver gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek when I went to recheck the seat of the taxi to make sure that I did not leave anything. This caught me off guard and surprised me because I did not know if he was just being friendly or making a pass at me. This resulted in my forgetting to check the taxi seat. The next day I realized my wallet was missing. I was afraid the driver had kissed me to distract me. However, my wallet was returned to me by mail from a kind woman who found it in the taxi. I called the taxi company and they said Mr. Singh is a very nice man.
September 13, 4:06 p.m.	We went to JFK (Term. 8 American Airlines) but turned out our flight was to leave from La Guardia. Driver took a number of short cuts and we made it to LGA with time to spare. He was GREAT! I’m so sorry I didn’t get his name or lic.#
October 12, 4:47 p.m.	I wish to share a compliment with this driver of this Ford truck, small, for putting on their headlights at a good time before dawn. I look out there and like see so many people who forget to put on their headlights when they begin driving before the sun goes down and like the sun goes down and they are driving around areas without the lights totally like I saw a bad problem with once in Rockville Center and Lynbrook and Freeport once. Yes, I am happy that this driver of this Ford van cab really like put on his headlights I guess before travel tonight and all of that at a good time. That is good that the driver did this because the driver is being SAFE and not being stupid like drivers who forget to put on their headlights like I saw once.
October 13, 4:57 p.m.	I was in Briarwood, NY today and I could not believe and LIKED how simple this NYC TLC Yellow cab driver kept his cab. Nothing really fancy on the cab just the medallion and all of the stuff was the same and all of that. Some taxis today can be really fancy, they furnish the inside and make it really fancy in there. I can see how you say some yellow taxi drivers are non NYC TLC workers. Well, this cab his Ford Crown Victoria really was just a simple cab to get into and all of that. Nothing really special. I like the simple cabs that way. A cab is just some way to get people from one location to the other under NYC TLC. That is what I think, so just make them simple. I like that.
October 16, 9:37 a.m.	Such a kind and courteous man. Indulged me in a long conversation about his personal history and accomplishments in life as I asked him many questions. He is pleasant, friendly, smart, kind, and fits my description of what a hero is.
October 16, 7:31 p.m.	I am writing to compliment this driver in front of me with a Ford taxi, the van for having one of those brilliant and bright new signs on his taxi. Yes, the sign on top, the brand new ones, like his 2T16, are very easy for a passenger or even a person like me outside there to read. Yes, he had it on the Belt Pkwy west yesterday on a Ford van taxi. I like the brand new signs and how they illuminate the taxi number and all of that on the taxi. With the new sign, I could read and see the taxi number completely on his Ford van taxi which is good in terms of “Off duty” and “on duty” like if you wanted to hail a taxi or something. Yes, brilliant and bright those new signs you have on taxis which look like the old, but you can tell they are new. Bright
October 27, 10:45 p.m.	Wonderful taxi driver nicknamed Nikki. forgot his full real name because it’s Indian and I couldn’t understand it, but his last name is hyphenated. The second name of his last name is Nixon. He said everyone calls him Nikki. It was very early this morning, Saturday 10/27 around 3 a.m. He drove me to White Plains and we had a fabulous conversation about life and culture. I was really down in the dumps, so it helped me out a lot. He said he would give me his business card, but we both forgot. I’d really appreciate it.
November 14, 4:32 p.m.	We were leaving the Javits Center and he was the only cab in sight. We waved from the upper level and he turned down another person and waited for us. He was very helpful with tips about where we were going (World Trade) and with ideas of what to do later on. We hope he and his family fared well through Sandy.
November 19, 11:54 p.m.	Great guy
November 29, 8:56 p.m.	gentleman
December 2, 11:36	This driver was absolutely amazing and inspiring. Not only did he know his way around the city based on landmarks, but he knew everything about the area and how long certain stores and other places have been around. He also told stories about his past that made me change my views on life a bit. Even though this cab ride must have been about 30 minutes or so, he was great. We drove from the Upper East Side to East 16 Street. This driver has already received a commending letter from the TLC, but I wanted him to have two letters. He more than deserves it. Taxi drivers like this are rare and only come once or twice in a lifetime.
December 2, 8:30 p.m.	I would like to commend this driver who got out of his taxi to help a man in a wheelchair who was struggling up a ramp. It may have been just a simple gesture but it goes a long way in my eyes. He could have just kept going but he pulled his taxi over and got out and pushed the guy along his way. It’s unfortunate that you do not see these random acts of kindness often anymore. Kudos to this driver with the kind heart.
December 3, 10:00 p.m.	I visited BP gas station located on W 110 Street and Frederick Douglas Blvd due to two flat tires which was done intentionally by an unknown individual(s). Mr. Singh took time out of his busy schedule to not only put air in one of the tires but put the spare on the other. He was very comforting since I was in shock and somewhat afraid since I had never experienced anything of this sort in my life. My heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Singh, I am reassured that there are still many good Samaritans in NYC.

A Thief’s Trick: Turn a Filing Cabinet Into Electronics

New York Police Department The suspects in a tricky shoplifting maneuver at a Target store on Staten Island. The police said the security camera image on the left shows a woman with a box used to steal electronics.

How many computer hard drives can you fit in one filing cabinet box

It was a question put to the test by three women last month during a daring shoplifting ruse at a Target store on Staten Island, the police said on Wednesday.

The answer is 19, in addition to other electronics that the police said added up to about $4,000 in merchandise.

The deception was simple: find a filing cabinet in a box among the store’s sprawling aisles; remove the filing cabinet from the box; fill the box with expensive items; pay for the filing cabinet; carry the box out the door.

The police released security camera images of the suspects, roughly 25 to 30 years old, leaving the store around 2:45 p.m. on March 28. One woman can be seen with a box.

It was not immediately clear how much was paid, although the file cabinet was probably the cheapest available.

Tightrope Expert Extols The Knots That Held Him

Yana Paskova for The New York Times Philippe Petit, the French high-wire artist, speaks at a book party at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Tuesday night. Mr. Petit has been an artist-in-residence at the cathedral ever since he walked on a high wire at the cathedral in 1980.

This time, Philippe Petit was only a couple of feet off the ground.

Mr. Petit is the high-wire artist who danced and pranced on a tightrope between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974 â€" the man in the 2008 Academy Award-winning documentary, “Man on Wire.”

He was in a familiar place, the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.
But he was several hundred feet below where he hung the wire for his first walk there in 1980 â€" a trip across the 601-foot-long nave that led to his arrest. Mr. Petit said that the dean at the time, the Rev. James Parks Morton, “took me out of the police handcuffs and gave me the title of artist in residence.”

It is a title he has held ever since.

But this time, on Tuesday night, he was on a raised platform, not on a wire.

Of course there was a connection to what he was famous for. The occasion was a party celebrating his just-published book, “Why Knot How to Tie More Than 60 Ingenious, Useful, Beautiful, Lifesaving and Secure Knots!”

He said the huge Gothic Revival cathedral was the perfect place for a book party. “It’s like having a birthday party inside the Great Pyramid,” he said.

The book describes, among other things, the kinds of knots that held fast when he was high up without a net â€" the “locked constrictor” he used at the trade center, the “farmer’s loop” he fastened to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia in 1973, the “jug sling” he cast before he walked between Avery Fisher Hall and what was then the New York State Theater in Lincoln Center in 1987.

“I know 200 knots but always I am learning more,” he told the crowd at the party. He talked about the “double surgeon knot.”

“If you go to the hospital, if the surgeon is worth his weight in hemp” â€" here there was a puckish pause â€"“rope, he will do this kind of knot.”

He taught the crowd how to tie a square knot and how to untie it. Many in the crowd were friends of Mr. Petit’s, including the musician Sting; the actress Debra Winger; the choreographer Elizabeth Streb; Diana Picasso, the great-granddaughter of Pablo Picasso; the restaurateurs Eric Goode and David Waltuck; and the actor David Duchovny, who called Mr. Petit “a captivating guy” and “an intense dude.”

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times Mr. Petit walking on a tightrope to the cathedral in 1982.

Mr. Petit also demonstrated a number of other knots after calling James Signorelli, a friend who is a longtime producer for “Saturday Night Live,” to the platform. Mr. Signorelli’s arm served as a bollard as Mr. Petit wound the rope around Mr. Signorelli’s sleeve and the audience watched.

All of that was followed by an impromptu question-and-answer session that was short: One question. It was, “When you are on a wire, do you think about knots”

“I never do the first step if the last step is already done in my head,” he said. “I never go on the wire unless I think all the knots have been checked two, sometimes three times.”

As an artist in residence, Mr. Petit has crossed the nave twice (the other time was in 1986 and he had the permission of the authorities, in a performance for a gala celebrating the cathedral’s centennial). He said in 2009 that his duties had included changing light bulbs in the chandeliers, because he was the only person with the nerve to climb a ladder to reach them.

Perhaps his most famous walk at the cathedral was an invited one, for a ceremony in 1982 signaling that construction was beginning again after a 41-year hiatus. He carried a silver trowel 150 feet above Amsterdam Avenue.

“Why Knot” describes how he practiced in Synod Hall on the cathedral grounds. “The only place to rig was at balcony level, from one column to another,” he wrote, and he devised a pulley system to move the chandeliers out of the way.

Mr. Duchovny, talking before the demonstration, noted that Mr. Petit had written several books â€" “Why Knot” is his 10th â€" and that one was titled “L’Art du Pickpocket.”

It is in French, said Victoria Dearing, a photographer whose images of Petit were displayed in a gallery show alongside Petit’s own drawings of knots in 2010.

Mr. Duchovny said his French was not up to the task.

But back to knots. Sting said he would have to concentrate on “Why Knot”

“I can barely fasten my shoelaces,” he said.

Jolts From Life: Christian Wiman Talks About ‘My Bright Abyss’

In “My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer,” the poet and essayist Christian Wiman writes about his religious faith, which intensified after he met his future wife and then intensified again when he was afflicted with a rare type of cancer at the age of 39. In his review, Dwight Garner called it a “slim and simmering book” that “works both sides of the tracks â€" the intellectual and the mystical â€" in its considerations of faith.” In a recent e-mail interview, Mr. Wiman discussed why he’s a Christian, the writers who mean the most to him, the state of his health and more. Below are edited excerpts from the conversation:

Q.

You returned to the faith you were raised in, and you point out that this generates suspicion in people, including yourself. What’s suspicious about it

A.

People think it’s all psychological. You’re terrified because your world is falling apart and you want to stand in one still place. The past seems like a still place (what an illusion!), and so, according to the skeptics, you try to recreate the security you once felt. In fact, there is no way to return to the faith of your childhood. As I say in my book, if you believe at 50 what you believed at 15, then you have not lived.

Q.

How long after your illness was diagnosed did you begin to feel a significant change in your religious thinking For how long before your diagnosis would you say you considered yourself unreligious, or did you

A.

I actually began to notice a change when I finished my second book of poems. I was 34 or so. That book ends with a crazy character named Serious having a mortal â€" and, as it happens, fatal â€" confrontation with God. It came out of nowhere and left me stunned. Not stunned enough to act, however. That took a jolt from life, not art. When I fell in love with my wife at the age of 38, it became clear to me that I believed in something. When I got sick, it became clear to me that I needed to decide what that something was. I never had a conversion or anything. I simply assented to the faith that had long been latent within me.

Q.

At one point in the book, you describe you and your wife wondering “whether people who do not have the love of God in them” can “fully feel human love.” How do your atheist friends feel about that

A.

I’m so glad you asked this! The Times reviewer of my book, Dwight Garner, really attacked this sentence, which suggests to me that either I wasn’t clear enough, or Mr. Garner was on a tight deadline and didn’t have time to read the rest of the paragraph. (You see how wonderfully charitable my religion makes me!) The sentence you mention refers to the ideas of the Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, and I have a complicated reaction to it. It’s certainly true that for me human love and divine love are raveled up with each other in ways I don’t fully understand, but as I say quite explicitly, “I can’t speak for other people.”

Q.

Why is it important to you to be a Christian specifically rather than an adherent of another faith, or of various faiths

A.

It wasn’t important to me until I reached a crisis in my life. I floated along like so many modern people, alert to a sense of otherness in some of my experiences but unwilling to give it a name. I’m a Christian because it’s the language I know. I’m a Christian because the doctrine of the incarnation expresses a truth that I intuit with every cell of my being. I’m a Christian because a god that does not suffer with us, a god that is not suffering with us right now, is either hopelessly remote or mercilessly cruel. I’m a Christian because, as my grandfather used to say, at some point you gotta fish or cut bait.

Christian Wiman

Q.

You name Cormac McCarthy, Marilynne Robinson and Fanny Howe as three writers who mean a lot to you. I’m very familiar with the first two names, but not with Howe’s work. Why does it have such meaning for you

A.

No doubt the subject matter is important to me â€" she often writes about the intimate relationship between atheism and orthodoxy â€" but mostly I just love the sentences, the formal ingenuity, and the eccentric, electric heart and mind that lie behind those things. She’s a great writer. Someday the world will catch up to her work.

Q.

Pivoting off something Howe wrote, you say “there must be a shattering experience” in order to “build a vocabulary of faith.” You’ve had a shattering experience, with your health, but many haven’t. How should they build the same vocabulary, or can they

A.

Everyone has shattering experiences. It may be falling in love or having a child. It may be the death of someone you love or thwarted ambition. It may be just some tiny crack in consciousness that deepens so slowly over the years that, by the time you notice it, it only takes a spilled drink or missed flight to tear it â€" and you â€" wide open. One way to look at this is: no one is spared. Another way: everyone is gifted.

Q.

You write about dealing with death: “I also feel quite certain that the old religious palliatives, at least those related to the Christian idea of heaven, are inadequate.” Elsewhere you say joy can be found in the “void of godlessness.” Do you ever find yourself in contentious conversations with adherents of sunnier brands of Christianity and other religions

A.

Oh, yes. I think some groups who have invited me to speak end up being quite surprised by the heresies coming out of my mouth, and I have found myself in some prickly circumstances. I’m not interested in religious arguments though. I agree with the main character of Marilynne Robinson’s novel “Gilead,” who says, “Nothing true can be said about God from a posture of defense.”

Q.

Is there something about writing prose that allows you to get at things about your faith or your illness that poetry doesn’t allow Or the reverse

A.

Writing poetry is a much more powerful and destabilizing experience for me than is writing prose. The former plays hell and havoc with my life and mind. The latter is an exercise in sanity. That said, there are certainly areas of experience to which prose gives me access that poetry does not. I can plan on what I’m going to write about in prose. Poems aren’t real poems unless they shatter â€" there’s that word again! â€" all of your intentions.

Q.

How is your health at the moment

A.

Excellent. I had a bone marrow transplant 18 months ago, and I’m eternally grateful to the folks at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and especially to my wonderful doctor Leo Gordon, for keeping me alive through some perilous times.

Evidence a Reporter Was More Than a One-Story Wonder

Librado Romero/The New York Times McCandlish Phillips getting the lowdown from a highly placed circus source.

McCandlish Phillips, the masterly former New York Times reporter who died on Tuesday, was about a lot more than exposing a Jewish-born Ku Klux Klansman, although that is what he is often remembered for. His deceptively simple-sounding declarative voice could make just about any subject seem irresistibly droll.

Here is a selection of some of his finer moments, including one that begins, “Two kinds of people wait in the Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square. Some are waiting for buses. Others are waiting for death.”

1962 McCandlish Phillips Article on Surplus Zoo-Animal Sale (PDF)

1962 McCandlish Phillips Article on Surplus Zoo-Animal Sale (Text)

1964 McCandlish Phillips Article on Dead Fish (PDF)

1964 McCandlish Phillips Article on Dead Fish (Text)

1966 McCandlish Phillips Article on Albany Madness (PDF)

1966 McCandlish Phillips Article on Albany Madness (Text)

1969 McCandlish Phillips Article on War Protest (PDF)

1969 McCandlish Phillips Article on War Protest (Text)

1970 McCandlish Phillips Article on Rikers Singer (PDF)

1970 McCandlish Phillips Article on Rikers Singer (Text)

1970 McCandlish Phillips Article on Port Authority Denizens (PDF)

1970 McCandlish Phillips Article on Port Authority Denizens (Text)

Evidence a Reporter Was More Than a One-Story Wonder

Librado Romero/The New York Times McCandlish Phillips getting the lowdown from a highly placed circus source.

McCandlish Phillips, the masterly former New York Times reporter who died on Tuesday, was about a lot more than exposing a Jewish-born Ku Klux Klansman, although that is what he is often remembered for. His deceptively simple-sounding declarative voice could make just about any subject seem irresistibly droll.

Here is a selection of some of his finer moments, including one that begins, “Two kinds of people wait in the Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square. Some are waiting for buses. Others are waiting for death.”

1962 McCandlish Phillips Article on Surplus Zoo-Animal Sale (PDF)

1962 McCandlish Phillips Article on Surplus Zoo-Animal Sale (Text)

1964 McCandlish Phillips Article on Dead Fish (PDF)

1964 McCandlish Phillips Article on Dead Fish (Text)

1966 McCandlish Phillips Article on Albany Madness (PDF)

1966 McCandlish Phillips Article on Albany Madness (Text)

1969 McCandlish Phillips Article on War Protest (PDF)

1969 McCandlish Phillips Article on War Protest (Text)

1970 McCandlish Phillips Article on Rikers Singer (PDF)

1970 McCandlish Phillips Article on Rikers Singer (Text)

1970 McCandlish Phillips Article on Port Authority Denizens (PDF)

1970 McCandlish Phillips Article on Port Authority Denizens (Text)

Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Cuba Trip Was Approved, Treasury Dept. Says

Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press Beyoncé and Jay-Z in Cuba last week.

As it turns out, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were never in much danger of serving the 10-year jail sentence, or paying the $250,000 fine, that their visit to Cuba last week supposedly might have cost them. Treasury Department regulations prohibit Americans from traveling to Cuba “unless authorized by a general or specific license,” and several Florida lawmakers have raised strong objections.

Two of them - Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, both Republicans - wrote to the Treasury Department to ascertain precisely what license the couple were traveling under.

The department said on Tuesday that the visit was not a problem. In a letter to Mr. Diaz-Balart and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Alastair Fitzpayne, the Treasury Department’s Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, said that the trip was licensed as an educational exchange.

Though parts of the visit, during which the couple celebrated their fifth anniversary, may have looked like tourism - which is apparently allowed during the off-hours on an educational visit - Jay-Z and Beyoncé fulfilled their educational obligations by meeting with the La Colmenita children’s theater group, and students and teachers at the Superior Art Institute.

Strike Over Pickpockets Shuts the Louvre

PARIS -The Louvre museum was shut on Wednesday after 200 guards and surveillance agents went on strike to protest the growing number of often violent pickpockets who prey on them and tourists.

“For more than a year, pickpockets have come here every day,” Thierry Choquet, a member of the main union at the Louvre, said. “They threaten guards by telling them that they know where they live.”

The pickpockets are often minors from Eastern and Central Europe, Mr. Choquet said, who “buy entry tickets, threaten agents and attack tourists.”

On Wednesday the museum’s management said that it would beef up security forces at the Louvre, which usually attracts between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors a day at this time of year.

The Louvre, which says it is the most visited museum in the world, earned that distinction again in 2012, attracting almost 10 million visitors.

Beyoncé to Headline Philadelphia Music Festival

Jay-Z did not have to look far for a singer to headline the second annual Budweiser Made in America music festival in Philadelphia â€" his wife Beyoncé will be at the top of the bill, Billboard reported.

Announced on Wednesday, the lineup for the festival on Labor Day weekend is similar to the one Jay-Z, the rapper and entrepreneur, assembled last year, a mix of rock acts, electronic dance music producers and A-list rappers.

Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Imagine Dragons and Phoenix are among the rockers on the list. The rappers include Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar, ASAP Rocky and Public Enemy. Among the R&B acts will be Miguel, Solange Knowles and Emeli Sandé. The electronic producers will include Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris.

“The point of having that diversity in our music lineup is that we’re trying to expose the people to different types of music,” Paul Chibe, Budweiser’s vice president of marketing told Billboard. “Much like last year, where if you never saw Pearl Jam but you’re a Jay-Z fan, we want fans of Beyoncé or Calvin Harris or Wiz Khalifa to have the opportunity to see Nine Inch Nails, or stuff they might not have seen for a while, like Public Enemy. That eclectic mix creates an opportunity for us to really show the impact of music and culture.”

Last year, about 40,000 people turned out on each of the two days of the festival, which is held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Three Major Tenants Sign Leases for First Tower at Hudson Yards

Ruth Fremson/The New York Times The so-called Hudson Yards district extends from 30th Street to 43rd Street, west of Seventh Avenue, and is being developed into a new neighborhood in Manhattan.

There was a time when developers and city officials thought that the city’s financial institutions would lead the development of the rail yards on the Far West Side of Manhattan.

But with the long-awaited signing of three major tenants for the first office tower at Hudson Yards, it is now clear that the city’s tech companies and creative firms are coming to the fore of new development projects.

The developers Related Companies and Oxford Property Group announced Wednesday that they had completed the financing for a 47-story tower at the northwest corner of 30th Street and 10th Avenue and signed leases for the building with Coach, the luxury retailer; L’Oreal USA, the beauty products company; and SAP, a leading software company.

“It says a lot about the city’s evolving economy,” said L. Jay Cross, president of Related’s Hudson Yards development team. “It’s about much more than financial services today. This represents the emergence of the creative class as a significant part of the city’s corporate landscape.”

In recent years, tech firms like Google have settled and grown all along the West Side, where they employ thousands of young people.

At the same time on Wednesday, the developers closed on their deal with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to build a commercial and residential complex over the rail yard bound by 10th and 11th Avenues, between 30th and 33rd Streets.

Five years ago, the transit authority struck a deal with Related for the equivalent of a small city over what is called the Eastern Yard and an adjacent rail site between 11th and 12 Avenues for $1 billion. But progress has been slow, in part, because of the recession. Both sides now plan to close on the western yard a year from now.

Coach first surfaced in 2011 as a potential anchor tenant for the project. It is buying more than 40 percent of the 1.7 million-square-foot tower for its new headquarters. More recently, SAP signed a lease for the top four floors and L’Oreal completed a deal for a new 402,000-square-foot headquarters.

Related is currently building the foundations for that tower and erecting a separate residential building on the south side of 30th Street.

Officials said that the developer planned to start work on the platform for the rest of the Eastern Yard in January in order to reduce the time it will take to erect the second office tower and attract tenants.

Timberlake’s ‘20/20 Experience’ Rolls On at No. 1

Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images Mr. Timberlake in March.

Justin Timberlake’s latest album is No. 1 on the Billboard chart for a third week, beating new albums by the Band Perry and the rapper Tyler, the Creator.

Mr. Timberlake’s album “The 20/20 Experience” (RCA), his first new release in almost seven years, arrived in stores on a wave of marketing and promotion, and is still selling strong, or at least more strongly than anything else. Last week it sold 139,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, down 56 percent from the week before.

Total sales for the album stand at 1.4 million, and Billboard said it is the first album by a male artist to spend its first three weeks at No. 1 since Eminem’s “Recovery” in the summer of 2010. (The last album by anybody to spend its first three weeks on top, however, was Taylor Swift’s “Red,” in November.)

The second biggest album this week is “Pioneer” (Republic Nashville), the second release by the Band Perry, which opened with 129,000 copies sold. That is a better showing than had been predicted for the band, and was perhaps helped by the group’s appearance on Sunday at the Academy of Country Music Awards, which was broadcast by CBS and drew 15.4 million viewers, the show’s best ratings in 15 years.

Chad Batka for The New York Times Tyler, the Creator performing at Music Hall of Williamsburg in March.

Tyler, the Creator, the leader of the hip-hop collective Odd Future, reached No. 3 this week with his new release, “Wolf” (Odd Future/Sony), which sold 89,000 copies. The country singer Blake Shelton fell one spot to No. 4 with 82,000 sales of “Based on a True Story …” (Warner Brothers Nashville), and Lil Wayne’s “I Am Not a Human Being II” fell three spots to No. 5 with 68,000.

Also on the chart this week, New Kids on the Block â€" yes, New Kids on the Block â€" open at No. 6 with 51,000 sales of “10″ (The Block). It is the third album that the “kids” â€" now in their 40s â€" have released since reuniting in 2008, including “The Block” that year and “NKOTBSB,” a compilation of mostly old material by the New Kids and another aging boy band, the Backstreet Boys.

Country Music Hall of Fame Names New Members

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press From left, Bobby Bare, Cowboy Jack Clement and Kenny Rogers on Wednesday.

Kenny Rogers, Bobby Bare and Cowboy Jack Clement will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum later this year, the Country Music Association announced at a news conference on Wednesday.

All three helped spread country music to new audiences in their day. Mr. Rogers had several crossover hits in the 1970s and 1980s, like “The Gambler,” “Lucille” and “Lady” (produced by Lionel Richie).

“I tell you I came here one day with some friends of mine and walked around looking at these plaques, and this is truly rarefied air in here, ” Mr. Rogers said at the news conference in the museum’s rotunda.

Mr. Clement, who was both a recording artist and an influential producer, played a critical role in the development of rock ‘n’ roll. He worked as a producer and engineer at Sun Records, shaping the recordings of stars like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. It was Mr. Clement who added the mariachi horns to Mr. Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” giving that record its unusual sound.

Mr. Bare, an innovative singer who helped set the template for the so-called outlaw movement in country, also proved country songs could have appeal on the pop charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s with hits like “All-American Boy,” “Detroit City” and “500 Miles From Home.” He was an influence on many of country’s outlaw songwriters of the 1970s, inspiring them to move freely from country to rock and pop.

The three were selected through a vote by members of the Country Music Association, which is Nashville’s main trade group. They will be inducted in October during a ceremony at the museum in Nashville, joining 118 other members of the hall of fame.

Steinem on Thatcher

Press Association, via Associated Press Margaret Thatcher in 1975.

Margaret Thatcher, who died on Monday at 87, was the first female prime minister of Britain and, for a time, among the most powerful women in the world. But her conservative politics and dismissive attitude toward “women’s libbers” (her words) made Mrs. Thatcher a complicated figure for feminists, even after she withdrew from public life.

Brad Barket/Getty Images Gloria Steinem

“I didn’t agree with her,” Gloria Steinem, the feminist author, said in a telephone interview. “The women’s movement in Britain didn’t agree with her. But they defended her against sexist language and we all defended her right to be wrong.”

Ms. Steinem, a titan of the American women’s movement, said she never met the former prime minister, and her left-leaning activism rarely matched up with the social policies that Mrs. Thatcher oversaw during her time on Downing Street.

Some of those policies still seem to rankle Ms. Steinem, like Mrs. Thatcher’s alliance with President Ronald Reagan on an American rule that prohibited federally financed groups from performing or promoting abortions in foreign countries.

“She was supporting Reagan at a time when he initiated the gag order which was responsible for the deaths of a million women a year in the world,” Ms. Steinem said, referring to the rule by a common sobriquet.

“She also cut off milk for children,” Ms. Steinem added pointedly, referring to Mrs. Thatcher’s notorious effort to restrict free milk for some British schoolchildren.

Still, in the interview, Ms. Steinem made it clear that she was not entirely disillusioned with Mrs. Thatcher, noting that, as prime minister, she had provided more government assistance to widows.

“Like everyone else, it’s important that all the breadth of humanity be represented,” Mrs. Steinem said.

And she noted that the sexism Mrs. Thatcher faced in life â€" from the public, political opponents, even at times her own ministers â€" had not dissipated, even after her death.

“I saw photographs and banners in the London streets with people saying, ‘Goodbye to the bitch,’” Ms. Steinem said. “I’m sure the women’s movement there is protesting that.”

Jury Lineups Announced for Tribeca Film Festival

Mike Coppola/Getty Images The ticket line for the 2012 festival.

Imagine a cocktail party populated by recognizable guests who would otherwise probably never hang out together: some of them are highly knowledgeable about movies, some have made movies, others have appeared in movies and still others have at least seen some movies. Hold that image in your mind and tally off the boldface names in attendance, and you may come up with rosters not unlike the â€" shall we say, heterogeneous â€" juries that will preside over this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

The festival’s organizers on Wednesday afternoon announced the jurors who would choose the winners in its seven competitive categories, calling them, with some understatement, “a diverse group of 41 industry leaders.” For example, the jury for the world narrative category will consist of the writer-directors Kenneth Lonergan (“You Can Count On Me,” “Margaret”) and Paul Haggis (“Crash,” “Million Dollar Baby”); the actresses Blythe Danner and Bryce Dallas-Howard; and the cultural journalist Jessica Winter. And the winner of the world documentary category will be chosen by the documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger (“Paradise Lost”) and Sandi Dubowski (“Trembling Before G-d”); as well as Whoopi Goldberg, Mira Sorvino and Evan Rachel Wood.

Other juries announced on Wednesday include best new narrative director, whose notable names include the actors Radha Mitchell (“Red Widow”) and Ari Graynor (“For a Good Time Call”) and the screenwriters Naomi Foner (“Running on Empty”) and Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”); best new documentary director, which includes the actors Taraji P. Henson (“Person of Interest”) and Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”); narrative short film competition, which includes Sheila Nevins, president of HBO’s documentary film division, the music-video director Chris Milk and the actress Christine Baranski; and the documentary and student short film competitions, which includes the ESPN Inc. president John Skipper, the actresses Eva Longoria and Abigail Breslin, the screenwriter Danny Strong and the celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 17 through 28.

Jury Lineups Announced for Tribeca Film Festival

Mike Coppola/Getty Images The ticket line for the 2012 festival.

Imagine a cocktail party populated by recognizable guests who would otherwise probably never hang out together: some of them are highly knowledgeable about movies, some have made movies, others have appeared in movies and still others have at least seen some movies. Hold that image in your mind and tally off the boldface names in attendance, and you may come up with rosters not unlike the â€" shall we say, heterogeneous â€" juries that will preside over this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

The festival’s organizers on Wednesday afternoon announced the jurors who would choose the winners in its seven competitive categories, calling them, with some understatement, “a diverse group of 41 industry leaders.” For example, the jury for the world narrative category will consist of the writer-directors Kenneth Lonergan (“You Can Count On Me,” “Margaret”) and Paul Haggis (“Crash,” “Million Dollar Baby”); the actresses Blythe Danner and Bryce Dallas-Howard; and the cultural journalist Jessica Winter. And the winner of the world documentary category will be chosen by the documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger (“Paradise Lost”) and Sandi Dubowski (“Trembling Before G-d”); as well as Whoopi Goldberg, Mira Sorvino and Evan Rachel Wood.

Other juries announced on Wednesday include best new narrative director, whose notable names include the actors Radha Mitchell (“Red Widow”) and Ari Graynor (“For a Good Time Call”) and the screenwriters Naomi Foner (“Running on Empty”) and Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”); best new documentary director, which includes the actors Taraji P. Henson (“Person of Interest”) and Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”); narrative short film competition, which includes Sheila Nevins, president of HBO’s documentary film division, the music-video director Chris Milk and the actress Christine Baranski; and the documentary and student short film competitions, which includes the ESPN Inc. president John Skipper, the actresses Eva Longoria and Abigail Breslin, the screenwriter Danny Strong and the celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 17 through 28.

Jury Lineups Announced for Tribeca Film Festival

Mike Coppola/Getty Images The ticket line for the 2012 festival.

Imagine a cocktail party populated by recognizable guests who would otherwise probably never hang out together: some of them are highly knowledgeable about movies, some have made movies, others have appeared in movies and still others have at least seen some movies. Hold that image in your mind and tally off the boldface names in attendance, and you may come up with rosters not unlike the â€" shall we say, heterogeneous â€" juries that will preside over this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

The festival’s organizers on Wednesday afternoon announced the jurors who would choose the winners in its seven competitive categories, calling them, with some understatement, “a diverse group of 41 industry leaders.” For example, the jury for the world narrative category will consist of the writer-directors Kenneth Lonergan (“You Can Count On Me,” “Margaret”) and Paul Haggis (“Crash,” “Million Dollar Baby”); the actresses Blythe Danner and Bryce Dallas-Howard; and the cultural journalist Jessica Winter. And the winner of the world documentary category will be chosen by the documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger (“Paradise Lost”) and Sandi Dubowski (“Trembling Before G-d”); as well as Whoopi Goldberg, Mira Sorvino and Evan Rachel Wood.

Other juries announced on Wednesday include best new narrative director, whose notable names include the actors Radha Mitchell (“Red Widow”) and Ari Graynor (“For a Good Time Call”) and the screenwriters Naomi Foner (“Running on Empty”) and Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”); best new documentary director, which includes the actors Taraji P. Henson (“Person of Interest”) and Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”); narrative short film competition, which includes Sheila Nevins, president of HBO’s documentary film division, the music-video director Chris Milk and the actress Christine Baranski; and the documentary and student short film competitions, which includes the ESPN Inc. president John Skipper, the actresses Eva Longoria and Abigail Breslin, the screenwriter Danny Strong and the celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 17 through 28.

From the Audience to the Stage at the Metropolitan Opera

Hiroyuki Ito for The New York Times The soprano Danielle de Niese performing in Central Park in July.

The soprano Danielle de Niese came for a relaxing evening at the Metropolitan Opera - in the audience â€" with her husband and parents on Tuesday night. Instead, she found herself onstage.

On the morning of the performance, Natalie Dessay told Met officials that she was too ill to sing in Handel’s “Giulio Cesare.” “Symptoms of a cold,” said Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager. “She could not vocalize properly.”

So Mr. Gelb, knowing that Ms. De Niese was coming to the house anyway, asked her to step in. She arrived at 1 p.m., met with the conductor, Harry Bicket, and went over the choreography. “The costume shop went into overdrive,” Mr. Gelb said.

Mr. Gelb announced the circumstances from the stage, and Ms. De Niese performed to a large ovation.

It is a classic opera substitution story. But the drama had a back story. As it turns out, Mr. Gelb had asked Ms. De Niese to be in town during the early performances of the opera, just in case Ms. Dessay had to cancel.

“Natalie is one of the great artists, but she also is somewhat fragile,” said Mr. Gelb, who pointed out that she has talked about leaving opera and moving back to acting, her early training. “I’m always aware where singers are whenever we have a major new opening or production. Our practice is, whenever possible, when a star is ailing, to get another to step in.”

And the last-minute appearance was not a huge stretch for Ms. De Niese. She originated the role in this production, by David McVicar, at the Glyndebourne Festival and reprised it at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The next “Giulio Cesare” performance is on Friday and Ms. Dessay is scheduled to sing then. Ms. De Niese, Mr. Gelb added, will again be available, just in case.

Tentative Settlement Reached in Labor Dispute at St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s musicians and management have tentatively settled one of the stickiest labor disputes of the musical world this season, a conflict that has caused the cancellation of concerts since October.

Dobson West, the orchestra’s board president and chairman, said on Wednesday that negotiators for both sides had agreed to a contract except for broadcast and recording rights. Once that final issue is resolved the contract can go before the musicians for ratification, he said.

Logistics still need to be worked out, but the goal is to return to performances “as soon as possible,” he said. Concerts have been canceled through April 21, with the next scheduled performance on April 25. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is one of the leading groups of its kind in the country, and about seven weeks of the season remain.

“We are excited to return to the stage as quickly as possible,” Carole Mason-Smith, the co-chair of the musicians’ negotiating committee, said. One difficulty in planning for a resumption of performances is that some orchestra members have taken up temporary jobs with other ensembles, Mr. West said.

The tentative contract calls for an 18.6 percent cut in annual guaranteed salary, which will become $60,000; a guarantee that extra pay negotiated on an individual basis will not be cut more than 20 percent; reduction in the number of players to 28 from 34; and better retirement benefits. The old contract expired Sept. 30 and the musicians were locked out on Oct. 21.

Mr. West said that credit in helping break the impasse should go to St. Paul’s mayor, Chris Coleman, who pushed both sides to reach an agreement; his efforts included an eight-hour session of shuttling between the sides at City Hall last month.

The Twin Cities’ other major orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, remains idle because of its own labor dispute.

Architectural Masterpiece in Moscow Under Grave Threat, Preservationists Say

MOSCOW â€" The Russian avant-garde architect Konstantin Melnikov’s seminal cylindrical house in Moscow, which has inspired architects around the world for nearly a century, is gravely threatened by construction of a large multipurpose complex abutting its tiny backyard, Russian and international preservationists say.

The work has led to “numerous new cracks” to the building’s load-bearing and partition walls and signs of damage to its foundation, according to an appeal that Russian architecture and heritage experts addressed to President Vladimir V. Putin and other officials.

The house is on a side street just off of the central Arbat pedestrian mall, which is known as a busy tourist trap. Real estate continues to be at prime value in Russia even as the country’s oil boom has waned. The construction project is the latest to take place in the vicinity of what is regarded as one of modernist architecture’s most famous works, completed in 1929 and used by Melnikov as a home and studio when the very act of building a private house in Soviet Russia was revolutionary.

The letter to Mr. Putin was posted this month on the Web site of Archnadzor, a Moscow-based preservation watchdog group that is battling developers across the Russian capital. It was accompanied by photographs of the damage, and warned that the “risk of losing a masterpiece of 20th-century world architecture” had “grown significantly” and was magnified by a failure to take measures to prevent the house’s collapse.

“The eyes of the world are on Russia in this important case,” Ana Tostoes, the chairwoman of Docomomo International, a grassroots architectural heritage organization, said in a joint statement released with the International Council on Monuments and Sites. The organizations have also appealed to Mr. Putin to intervene.

Natalia Melikova, a recent master of fine arts graduate from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, posted a detailed report on the Web site of the United States branch of Docomomo. In it, Konstantin Melnikov’s granddaughter, Ekaterina Karinskaya, who lives in the house, says that the construction is part of a willful plan “to simply destroy the house.”

Ms. Melikova has returned to Moscow, where she has started the Constructivist Project to try to save the Melnikov house and other endangered sites.

A prolonged dispute over ownership of the house, still not resolved, has kept it from being given official landmark status and the latest in a series of stalled efforts to turn it into a museum is in the earliest stages.

Architectural heritage is in danger around Moscow. The great-grandson of the Russian engineering design pioneer Vladimir Shukhov warned last month that his grandfather’s early Soviet-era radio tower, which architects including Norman Foster have named as one of their greatest sources of inspiration, could soon collapse from neglect.

Tsarist-era buildings are also under constant threat. Archnadzor is fighting to save a mansion that served as the setting for scenes in “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina.” An organization with Kremlin connections has been reconstructing the building. And just outside of Moscow, preservationists are fighting development around Arkhangelskoye, a palatial estate that was once home to Feliks Yusupov, a prince who took part in the killing of Rasputin. They say that construction projects promoted by Russia’s defense ministry and the billionaire Viktor Vekselberg would destroy the estate’s grounds.

Online, Searching for Those Buried, and Often Forgotten, on Hart Island

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times Inmates in 1991 burying coffins holding babies on Hart Island.

For more than a century, to be buried on Hart Island, off the coast of the Bronx, was to be essentially forgotten.

A man run over by a train and no family to claim his body. A homeless woman who froze to death on a bitterly cold winter’s night and no loved ones to find their way to her. A stillborn baby born to a woman who could not afford to pay for a burial. These are among the approximately 850,000 forlorn souls who since 1869 have been buried in the city’s potter’s field, a 101-acre cemetery just east of City Island.

Until recently, the names of the dead - when they could be identified - were simply scribbled into ledgers, which were largely inaccessible to the public.

But on Wednesday, the veil of mystery over who was buried in the cemetery was partially lifted when the Department of Corrections, which runs the cemetery, introduced a searchable database so that people can look up the names of people buried on the island.

Stretching back to 1977, there are more than 65,000 names in the registry, and the plan is to add more names as they become available.

The dead can be searched by name - first or last - age, gender and year of death. The database also provides information on the place of death.

Dora B. Schriro, the Corrections Department commissioner, said the database would be of particular use for people searching for family members who were long considered lost.

“The service is an easy-to-use, searchable database to help family and friends determine whether their loved ones are buried there,” she said. “We’re proud to make this resource available to the community today.”

In some ways, however, the city is catching up to the work done by one determined woman - Melinda Hunt, an artist who initially was drawn to the island in an effort to learn more about the mass graves for babies born to the city’s most impoverished mothers.

And for more than two decades, Ms. Hunt has been trying to get the city to open its books and make records more easily accessible.

Through a Freedom of Information request, she acquired tens of thousands of names of those buried on the island and has been working to make her own database available online.

It was in part because of her efforts that the City Council held hearings in 2012, in which lawmakers discussed the need for the cemetery to be more accessible to the public - both in terms of record keeping and access.

Secrecy seems as much a part of Hart Island’s history as burials. During the cold war it was a secret Nike missile base, and at various times in its history the island housed a lunatic asylum for women, a prison, an institution for cholera victims and a drug-rehabilitation center.

Over the years, the cemetery has fallen under the authority of different city agencies and tracking down records has not been a simple task.

There was a fire on the island in the late 1970s that destroyed some important records, officials said, including some records from 1956 to 1960 and several years of records from the 1970s.

The database draws on log books maintained by Department of Corrections. For those searching for older records, information may be available from the health department or, for those before 1949, the Department of Records and Information Services.

$25,000 Dance Prize Goes to Michelle Dorrance

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Michelle Dorrance in March.

Jacob’s Pillow, the dance festival and school in the Berkshires, will award its seventh annual Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award to Michelle Dorrance, the tap dancer and choreographer whose company, Dorrance Dance, is known for its blend of inventiveness, virtuosity and musicality.

Reviewing the premiere of Ms. Dorrance’s “SOUNDspace” in The New York Times in January, Brian Seibert wrote that “the main emotion that ‘SOUNDspace’ produced was excitement: excitement about sounds, and about the development of this talented choreographer, the most promising one in tap right now.”

The award, which was established in 2007, includes a cash prize of $25,000, to be used to advance their work in any way they choose, as well as a glass sculpture by Tom Patti. It will be presented to Ms. Dorrance by Ella Baff, the executive and artistic director of Jacob’s Pillow, at the festival’s season-opening gala on June 15. Ms. Dorrance will perform at the gala with the singer Aaron Marcellus.

Previous recipients of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award include Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar, Merce Cunningham, Alonzo King, Bill T. Jones, Crystal Pite and Kyle Abraham.

Ms. Dorrance said in a statement that she was “humbled to be in the company of such legendary recipients,” and added that award will allow her “the freedom to collaborate with artists who inspire new directions in my work.” Her company will perform at Jacob’s Pillow with the blues musician and composer Toshi Reagon and her band, July 24 to 28.

Man Accused of Burning Jewish Symbols Is in Police Custody

N.Y.P.D. Rubin Ublies

The suspect in this week’s hate-crime burning of a dozen Jewish doorway adornments in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is in custody, a law enforcement official said Wednesday.

He was identified as Rubin Ublies, 35, who the police say has more than 50 prior arrests, on charges including robbery, assault, and weapons and drug possession. No information was immediately released on where and how Mr. Ublies was apprehended.

On Monday afternoon, the police said, 11 of the symbols, known as mezuzot, were damaged by fire inside 85 Taylor Street, a public-housing complex on Williamsburg’s south side. On Tuesday, another mezuza was burned a block away inside 130 Clymer Street.

N.Y.P.D. Security-video stills of a man the police say burned mezuzot in a Williamsburg apartment building and whom they have identified as Rubin Ublies.

The burnings Monday coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day, but the police said they did not know whether the timing had anything to do with the crime. A mezuza is a small case containing a miniature scroll with verses from Deuteronomy that many Jews affix to their doorframes as a reminder of God’s presence and commandments.

Taymor, Producers Reach Settlement in ‘Spider-Man’ Legal Battle

After more than a year of brinkmanship at the negotiating table, the producers of the Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” and their former director, Julie Taymor, announced on Wednesday that they had reached a settlement in their acrimonious legal battle over profits, copyright claims, and artistic credit for $75 million show, the most expensive in history.

The two sides disclosed the settlement together in a joint statement, a rare moment of accord in a once-close relationship that ruptured in March 2011 when the producers fired Ms. Taymor because of disagreements over making major changes to the show, which was generating negative buzz during a problem-plagued period of preview performances.

Terms of the settlement agreement were not released.

But one person close to Ms. Taymor and briefed on the terms said that the monetary settlement for her was “significant” and would ultimately total millions of dollars if “Spider-Man” proved to be a lucrative property. The person familiar with Ms. Taymor’s financial deal spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private settlement

Now in its 3rd year of performances on Broadway, the musical is routinely one of the top-grossing shows in spite of negative reviews from theater critics; its ticket sales have softened in recent months, however, and some weeks the show barely covers its weekly running expenses of roughly $1.1 million, which are the highest on Broadway due to the show’s aerial stunts and technical complexity.

Last week the production grossed about $1.4 million - a strong showing, but relatively minimal if the producers are to have a chance at recouping their $75 million capitalization from profits in New York.

The legal settlement makes it vastly easier for the “Spider-Man” producers to make deals for future versions of the musical in cities and countries where labor and production costs are significantly lower than in New York. The producers have been eyeing Las Vegas, London, Hamburg, and parts of Asia as possible locales for future productions of “Spider-Man.”

The lead producers of “Spider-Man,” Michael Cohl and Jeremiah Harris, said in a statement: “We’re happy to put all this behind us. We are now looking forward to spreading ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ in new and exciting ways around the world.”

Ms. Taymor said in a statement, also released by the musical’s press agent, “I’m pleased to have reached an agreement and hope for the continued success of Spider-Man, both on Broadway and beyond.”

The East Village of ‘Mad Men’ Versus the Real 1960s One

Jordin Althaus/AMC Betty Draper (January Jones) in an East Village scene from Sunday’s “Mad Men.”

What was the East Village like in late 1967 and early 1968 In Sunday night’s season premiere of the period drama “Mad Men” on AMC, a subplot involving Betty Draper’s search for a runaway teenager takes her to the neighborhood, and though no street sign is shown, a character’s comment implies that it’s just off St. Mark’s Place. The block looks rather seedy, home to abandoned buildings, litter-strewn sidewalks and sketchy characters. In the background, someone scurries by carrying a television down the street. Was it looted Stolen

Readers of ArtsBeat’s “Mad Men” chat were divided on many aspects of the episode,  from the changes in Don Draper (fascinating or tiresome) to the meaning of Betty’s comments on rape. But the readers did agree: St. Mark’s Place in those days was actually quite cheerful and hardly one of the mean streets of the city. Here’s a sampling of their comments:

NYexpat: That wasn’t any tenement I knew on St Marks or the area.

Isabella McFArlin: All I can say is, whomever thought that looked like St. Marks Place ca. 1968 was never there, nor did they bother to look at any photos. It was a touristy street, jolly with love beads and egg creams (on the corner of 2nd Ave- you can still get these there). I wonder why they chose a street so many must remember so well and made it look like Dresden after the bombing.

Diana: I’d have believed it more if the address was Avenue B or C a few years later. This just felt like a cheap set.

Are the commenters correct Judging by photos, like this one, unearthed by Jeff Roth in The New York Times morgue, St. Mark’s Place in the late ’60s was a well-maintained neighborhood where neatly dressed women weren’t afraid to walk down the street together or with children in hand.

Meyer Liebowitz/The New York Times From February 1969, a shot of St. Mark’s Place near First Avenue.

Mr. Roth, by the way, remembers the area as fairly respectable into the early 1970s and points out, as has been noted elsewhere, that the subplot contains shades of the real-life story of Linda Fitzpatrick, a teenage runaway from Greenwich, Conn., who was found bludgeoned to death, along with her boyfriend, in a building on Avenue B in October 1967. (Her death was the subject of a Pulitzer Prize-winning article by J. Anthony Lukas of The Times.)

Note to Matthew Weiner, the creator of “Mad Men” who is known for caring deeply about getting historical details correct: If the scene had been set further east, many of the commenters would have had no gripe. One shared a memory from 1967:

limerockcodger: That was when I quit college and rented an “apartment” in one of those walkups on 13th & Ave. C for a month or so. I still feel guilt for making my mother have drive down and attempt to “retrieve” me. Watching last night, I could smell the undefinable stench of those buildings… the rental unit I got from a slumlord wasn’t much better than the abandoned crash pad.

Then again, Mr. Weiner, maybe even an Alphabet City location would not have helped:

Jeff K.: Any New Yorker can tell you that the whole scene was obviously fake and shot on a Hollywood backlot, where all the supposed “New York streets” are curiously free of traffic, prone to dead ends, and harboring numerous long alleyways that are completely nonexistent on the actual island of Manhattan.

Russian Ballerina Natalia Osipova Joins London’s Royal Ballet

LONDON â€" It was only 18 months ago that the Russian ballerina, Natalia Osipova, shocked the dance world by leaving the Bolshoi Ballet, where she was considered a major star, to join the lesser-known Mikhailovsky Ballet in St. Petersburg. But on Monday, the Royal Opera House announced that Ms. Osipova will join the Royal Ballet as a principal dancer for the 2013-14 season. The announcement comes hot on the heels of Ms. Osipova’s wholesale conquest of this city during the Mikhailovsky’s recent two-week engagement here.

In an interview with the Russian newspaper, “Kommersant,” Ms. Osipova gave the same reason for her move from the Mikhailovsky to the Royal as she did for her move from the Bolshoi to the Mikhailovsky: Repertoire. “I really would like to soak up the choreography that I haven’t yet masteredâ€"ballets by Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan. It’s great that I can work with the company’s chief guest choreographersâ€"with Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor, as well as the stunning young choreographer Liam Scarlett. This is a great chance.”

One controversial aspect of Ms. Osipova’s move to the Royal Ballet is how it will affect her relationship with American Ballet Theater, where she also holds a principal dancer contract, with commitments running through the 2014 season. Sergei Danilian, Ms. Osipova’s agent, was quoted on Monday in “Kommersant,” saying that Kevin McKenzie, the artistic director of Ballet Theater “did not hide his frustration, as the spring season in London coincides with New York, but this is a new reality that will have to be dealt with somehow. It is difficult to say how it will be settled, but the fact remains that there are conflicting interests, and we will hope for the wisdom of the leaders of the two companies to settle it.”

In the “Kommersant” interview, Ms. Osipova, who has previously danced as a guest artist with the Royal Ballet, said that she will go on performing with the Mikhailovsky Ballet, as a guest artist, and that she will continue to dance with Ballet Theater. “ABT is a part of my life, but I am happy with the relationship that I have with them. I go there, dance at the Metropolitan, and leave,” she said, according to a translation of the interview.

It will remain to be seen if Ms. Osipova will put down deeper roots in London, or whether the Royal Ballet appointmentâ€"which begins with a performance in “Romeo and Juliet” opposite Carlos Acosta in the fallâ€"means little more than a similar string of guest appearances. The ballerina’s on- and off-stage partner, Ivan Vasiliev, who is also a star, and who left the Bolshoi for the Mikhailovsky with her, has not been asked to join the Royal Ballet, but will also move to London, “Kommersant” reports.

Census Takes a Look at New Yorkers’ Migration Patterns

So much for Horace Greeley. Between 2006 and 2010, more people, on average, moved to Manhattan from Los Angeles annually (3,251) than, for example, from Suffolk County (2,301). And more moved to Manhattan from Brooklyn (11,469) than from any other county in the United States or from any other country. (Europe was second.)

New migration patterns identified by the Census’s 2006-2010 American Community Survey offer revealing insights into the ebb and flow of New York’s population. In any given year during that period, more people settled in Manhattan from Africa than from Puerto Rico.

Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Westchester, Fairfield and Los Angeles were among the counties that recorded a net gain in residents from Manhattan. Nassau; Suffolk; Bergen; Washington, D.C.; and Cook County, Ill., were among the losers.

The Bronx registered a net gain in population from every other borough, but exported more people to suburban Westchester, Orange, Dutchess, Rockland, Hudson and Bergen Counties. More people from the Bronx moved to Berks County in southeastern Pennsylvania than to either Fairfield or Suffolk.

Brooklyn gained more residents from Manhattan than the number who moved there, but lost population to each of the other boroughs and to the suburbs.

Queens was a magnet for former residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan, but exported people to the Bronx and Staten Island and to the suburbs. Twice as many moved to Queens from Africa as from Westchester.

More people moved to Staten Island from Brooklyn and Queens than left for those boroughs. Staten Island exported more of its residents to Monmouth County, N.J.; Manhattan; the Bronx; Nassau; and Suffolk than it gained from those counties.

How Robert Schimmel Got the Last Word on Showtime’s ‘Inside Comedy’

Brian Higbee David Steinberg and Robert Schimmel during an interview for the Showtime series “Inside Comedy.”

As David Steinberg remembers it, his interview with Robert Schimmel was a hilarious reflection on an often tragic life.

In early 2010, Mr. Steinberg, the veteran comic and host of the Showtime series “Inside Comedy,” sat down with Mr. Schimmel, a stand-up performer who was not quite a household name but who had built a loyal following with appearances on “The Howard Stern Show” and in HBO specials like “Unprotected.”

Over the course of their conversation, Mr. Schimmel spoke candidly about challenges he had faced - driving from Phoenix to begin his stand-up career at the Improv comedy club in Los Angeles, only to find that it had burned down the previous night; the death of a son from cancer; and his own experiences after he was given a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma - while making clear he could find a dark humor in all of these events.

Then, later that summer, Mr. Steinberg and his colleagues at “Inside Comedy” received some shocking news: Mr. Schimmel had died from injuries he suffered in a car accident.

Mr. Steinberg’s interview with Mr. Schimmel will be shown on Monday, concluding the second season of “Inside Comedy” with an episode that is not particularly sentimental, celebratory or maudlin, and that acknowledges Mr. Schimmel’s death with only a simple title card at the end of the show.

It is also an episode that, for the makers of “Inside Comedy,” raised many questions of how best to present a performer who could no longer speak for himself, including the question of whether it should be shown at all.

That, said Mr. Steinberg, was his “very first thought.”

“Even after I saw it,” he added, “I had to be talked into it.”

Mr. Steinberg said he got over this first hurdle after consulting with his fellow producers on “Inside Comedy,” who include Steve Carell and Alan Zweibel, and who concluded among themselves that “no one in this group would be exploiting him in any way.”

“We just thought, this is a good thing to show his family, to show his kids,” Mr. Steinberg said. “It was so important for him to do this. This was a special interview for him.”

While most episodes of “Inside Comedy” typically alternate back and forth between interviews with two different comedians - say, Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin, or Tina Fey and Judd Apatow - Mr. Steinberg and his partners decided to devote an entire show to Mr. Schimmel.

This was a plan that Showtime did not immediately embrace, noting that the only other performers who had been given solo episodes in the series were Chris Rock and Larry David.

“At first blush it was, ‘O.K., so the third one in that constellation is Robert Schimmel’” said Gary Levine, the network’s executive vice president of original programming. “It gave us pause and we had to talk about it.”

Meanwhile, the “Inside Comedy” producers debated how best to inform viewers unfamiliar with Mr. Schimmel that he had died. They approached Mr. Stern, the radio host, about recording an introduction to the episode, but he was unavailable. They also scrapped a prologue in which Mel Brooks would have recited his famous aphorism on the difference between tragedy and comedy: “Tragedy is if I cut my finger. … Comedy is if you walk into an open sewer and die.”

By now, Showtime had seen the interview with Mr. Schimmel and felt it could sustain its own episode. “The timing of the interview and the irony of his life ending from none of the things that had afflicted him through his whole lifetime was just really impactful,” Mr. Levine said.

But Mr. Levine wanted a title card that would quickly alert viewers that Mr. Schimmel had died â€" “I thought, to have the audience share the power of the episode, they should be armed with the same knowledge that we are,” he said â€" and asked Mr. Steinberg to add this after one of Mr. Schimmel’s first anecdotes, in which he describes his arrival at the Improv in Los Angeles and finds it still smoldering.

“It’s something that I considered,” Mr. Steinberg said. “And then when I put it together that felt wrong. To me, the only way to go was to just let the audience hear what he has to say, and go with that card at the end.” After he and Showtime “jousted back and forth about this quite a bit,” Mr. Steinberg said, his approach ultimately prevailed.

(“My philosophy is, if you tried it, if you listened and if in the end you really don’t believe it works for you, you get to break the tie,” Mr. Levine said.)

For all the back and forth over the episode, Mr. Steinberg said it was important to highlight Mr. Schimmel, who he feels possessed a daring spirit that stand-up comedy requires.

“If you go into these areas that people are afraid to go into,” Mr. Steinberg said, “you’re always helping someone that has the same thing happening to them. There’s always someone else that has a version of whatever your worst thing is, happening to them.”

“The hardest thing to do in stand-up is risk the audience’s appreciation of you by going too far, and he wasn’t worried about that at all,” Mr. Steinberg said of Mr. Schimmel. “He will make you nervous, in any one of his shows, at some point, no matter who you are.”