Fresh, distant, and dibble
The next items from the Archive answer questions about BSC vocabulary, Ann's former addresses, and then sent me off on a tangent
Today is a collection of four miscellaneous photos from the AMM Archives, along with one recent Google Maps photo grab. The two written pages have fun notes about the BSC's made-up words. They are an Ann M. Martin invention!
From books 38 and 39, we started with fresh and distant…now we are on to dibble! Ann herself created the “shortened form of incredible,” opposite stale.
I don't actually remember why I took a photo of the Kristy/Bart conversation...but it's fun to read through anyway. It’s heavy on the tiny edits that really emphasize AMM’s level of attention to the exact words and phrases. Was “person-first language” a thing in 1990? I don’t think it was in the wider world, but maybe among the liberal set AMM was likely hanging around with, queer and in NYC?
Speaking of…it was very cool to see what I think was (and assume no longer is) AMM's home address in New York. This screen grab is what that building looks like now:
And a quick Google of the address brings up some current information. Ann lived just a few blocks from the Strand Bookstore and Union Square. From the website StreetEasy:
“Butterfield House, at 37 West 12th St, is a luxury, full service, 24-hour doorman co-op building located between Fifth and Sixth Avenue on one of the most sought after blocks in Greenwich Village’s Gold Coast. Built in 1962, the 102-unit residence is comprised of two wings; a 7-story building facing West 12th Street and a 14-story building facing West 13th Street. The two wings are connected by a glass-walled corridor that runs through the building’s landscaped interior courtyard with fountains. The interior garden greatly increases the number of apartments enjoying an attractive outside exposure. The entrance to the residence is on West 12th Street. The building is named after General Daniel E. Butterfield, a Union officer during the Civil War and the composer of “Taps” whose home was on the site of the current West 12th Street building.”
Very interesting! The website has more details, including about the 3 units currently for sale. This home seems like it is the unit next door to AMM’s, a 2 bedroom/2 bath co-op listed at $2.9 million. It has a private balcony with a garden view. If only we knew what it looked like around 1990…
Random, personal fact: I definitely learned about what “Taps” was from BSC Super Special #2, which is up there in both my favorite BSC books of all time and possibly the book I’ve read the most times in my life.
Other fun, personal facts: I live one town over from Princeton, about 10 miles away from the street where Ann grew up. I've checked out her street several times and tried to figure out which is her house based on old photos. We’ll get into more Dodds Lane stalking another time… But I do know of a few streets (including Burnt Hill Road that I drive by most days!) and parks/towns/schools/counties that I am sure Ann must've named places in Stoneybrook after. I got confirmation when meeting her in person that the Burnt Hill Road was the one that inspired her! It was awesome. I also love thinking how when I drive from my home to Smith College, it was along the same roads and route that Ann probably drove many times in her college years!
I go into the city a varying amount, depending on a lot of factors - the last time I went was in March to see a few shows and the next time I have planned is in August to go to a BSC (graphic) book signing event. I hope to be there before then, though, now that summer is officially starting. The next time I go and have time to spare, maybe I’ll make it over to 12th Street to report back! I’ll definitely do more of a deep dive about Princeton and all the different, real-life nearby influences in the future, too.