Reading Mr Beller's Neighborhood

MR BELLER'S READING SERIES WHATEVER IT TAKES I'll be reading March 21 at Dixon Place 161 Chrystie Street 7PM LOVE TO SEE YOU. I'll be reading SMASHING KNIVES In the Greater Depression the employment opportunities for a man my age were limited in New York City. A younger man would perform the job for a third of the wage, however my absolute willingness to work overcame most obstacles and for the past two months I have labored on the black market at a different job every few day. I have surveyed NY pawn shops for loose diamonds, videoed theater pieces, transported bronze flower planters to a penthouse on 5th Avenue, installed bronze radiator covers in Dolce / Gabbana’s fourth-floor penthouse on the Hudson River, constructed sets for PS 122, sold gold for friends, and babysat children. Hoping for a seasonal job I grew a beard to be a part-time Santa Claus, except the daughter of my landlord and good friend AP said that I looked scary. Off came the scruff of Xmas and I found my next job in my old exchange on West 47th Street. PETER NOLAN SMITH