Manhattan is not altogether felicitous for fiction. It is not a city of memory, not a family city, not the capital of America so much as the iconic capital of this century. It is grand and grandiose with its two rivers acting as a border to contain the restless. Its skyscrapers and bleak, rotting tenements are a gift for photographic consumption, but for the fictional imagination the city's inchoate density is a special challenge.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Manhattan is visually iconic but lacks deep familial memory, making it challenging for fiction despite its density.
- In plain terms
- New York looks great in photos but is hard to use in stories because it lacks history.
- What can you take from it?
- Visual appeal does not always equal narrative depth for writers.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a city good for a story?
- Does density make a setting rich?
Another view
Cities often hold deep memories for long-term residents regardless of outside perception.
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