Crossing the BLVD: Strangers, Neighbors, Aliens in a New America

by Warren Lehrer, Judith Sloan

A kaleidoscopic view of new immigrants and refugees living in Queens, New York the most ethnically diverse locality in the United States. For three years, Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan traveled the world by trekking the streets of their home borough. This book documents the people they encountered along the way. First person narratives are illuminated by strikingly direct photographic portraits of the subjects alongside the objects of their worlds. Lehrer's postmodern, Talmudic design juxtaposes the multiple perspectives of these new Americans, now thrown together as neighbors, classmates, coworkers, enemies, and friends. They reflect on the good, the ugly and the unexpected in their stories of crossing oceans, borders, wars, economic hardship, and cultural divides. These soulful narratives are put in context by the authors' personal and historical observations. The voices, images and sounds collected here form a portrait of a paradoxical and ever-shifting America. 500 color illustrations

Genres: Nonfiction, School

393 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2003

About the author

Warren Lehrer is a writer and artist/designer known internationally as a pioneer in the fields of visual literature and design authorship. His work explores the vagaries and luminescence of character, the relationships between social structures and the individual, and the pathos and absurdity of life. His books are acclaimed for capturing the shape of thought and reuniting the traditions of storytelling with the printed page.

Lehrer has received many awards for his books and multimedia projects, including the Brendan Gill Prize, the Innovative Use of Archives Award, three AIGA Book Awards, The International Book Design Award, a Media That Matters Award, and grants and fellowships from the NEA, NYSCA, NYFA, the Rockefeller,
Ford, and Greenwall Foundations. Lehrer is a professor at the School of Art+Design at Purchase College, SUNY, and a founding faculty member of the Designer As Author graduate program at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Together with his wife Judith Sloan, Lehrer founded EarSay in 1991, a non-profit arts organization in Queens, NY. Over the last few years, he has been setting stories and text into animation, video, and interactive media. His latest novel, A Life In Books: The Rise and Fall of Bleu Mobley, is on sale now.

Reviews

[Jenn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all the different perspectives and multimedia presentation. Wish there were something like this but even more recent.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked reading this every morning on the 7 train. Everything that I was reading about people living in Queens meshed nicely with those around me. I became more open to the lives of others and the struggle that they faced leaving their country and living in Queens. There were stories that stick with me more such as the Egyptian restaurant owners, the Colombian gay couple's story and the exotic dancer from Vietnam. The structure looks a little daunting to read, but once you get started, it begins to flow and find it's voice.

[D Dina Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the kind of book I generally read, but it was so well done. I was intrigued because it is a collection of oral histories of recent immigrants who came to Queens, where I grew up and still spend time visiting my family. Evocative, heart-felt, and beautifully designed. It is the kind of book to savor a little bit at a time, which is why it took me so long to read it.

[Laurenkatz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the book Crossing The Blvd so far. It tells different peoples stories with pictures and problems that they have encountered so far. It makes me think about how bad some peoples lives are and how much help they need.

[Isaac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my type of boo. SOme stories are pretty interesting, they keep me into the book, but some stories really bore me to death. Whatever, i have to read it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I learned about the world and why people still come to this country. Fabulous book. I gained a lot of insight.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories, but I hated the presentation. The page setup seemed like it was trying so hard to be visually interesting that it was hard to follow the stories.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book...pictures/photos and words.

[Pope Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights into a great neighborhood and the people who live there.

[Samantha Elkrief · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, beautiful images, honest stories. A must read for anyone in Queens.