Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 520

“The Australian Consulate asked me to give advice to an incoming...

“The Australian Consulate asked me to give advice to an incoming group of Australian immigrants, so I’ll tell you what I told them.”
“What’s that?”
“It doesn’t matter how good you are, or how hard you work. There will always be someone in this city who’s better at your job than you are. ”

“I’ve got what I want. I’ve got a place to live, a girlfriend,...

“I’ve got what I want. I’ve got a place to live, a girlfriend, and a child. My biggest struggle is just figuring out how to maintain.”

“What was your proudest moment as a firefighter?”“9/11.”

“What was your proudest moment as a firefighter?”
“9/11.”

“When I was younger, I thought listening was just about learning...

“When I was younger, I thought listening was just about learning the contents of someone’s mind. I’d always try to finish their thoughts, just to show them that I knew what they were thinking. As I got older, I learned to listen better. I realized that by trying to anticipate their mind, I was ignoring their heart.”

“There’s not enough art for working class people. Almost all the...

“There’s not enough art for working class people. Almost all the art in this city seems to cater to the wealthy or the tourists. Access to art should be a right. I came from a working class family, so I want to make art for working class people.” 

Today in microfashion…

Today in microfashion…

"What are you reading?""Rimbaud. He’s a 19th Century...

"What are you reading?"
"Rimbaud. He’s a 19th Century French poet that turned romanticism on its head. Before him, poets tended to associate nature with order and harmony, and extended that to man. He was the first to really describe nature and man as chaotic and unpredictable. He was especially good at expressing teenage angst."
"OK, I’ll give you 60 seconds to find a passage that demonstrates what you just said."

Here’s what he chose:

The wolf howled under the leaves
And spit out the prettiest feathers
Of his meal of fowl:
Like him I consume myself.

After I took his portrait, I asked him if he could remember the...

After I took his portrait, I asked him if he could remember the happiest moment of his life. He thought for a moment, put one finger in the air, and said: “Albania, number one!”

“Who would you say has had the greatest influence on your...

“Who would you say has had the greatest influence on your life?”
“Probably my grandmother. Though eventually I grew up and realized that she was actually a pretty miserable person.” 
“How did she influence you?”
“Well, she was an amazing painter. And she was really good with colors.” 

If you’re going to Grand Central, you gotta play with your...

If you’re going to Grand Central, you gotta play with your trains.