Giveaway: Pope Francis in His Own Words

Posted on 1 May, 2013 by Julie Schwietert Collazo

Text: Julie Schwietert Collazo
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For those of you who have a (free) Goodreads account, you’re welcome to participate in the giveaway I’m hosting on the site. And while you’re clearly under no obligation to do so, a review on Goodreads and Amazon would be much appreciated!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Pope Francis in His Own Words by Julie Schwietert Collazo

Pope Francis in His Own Words

by Julie Schwietert Collazo

Giveaway ends May 06, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Categories: Books | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

3 Things to Do in NYC This Spring Sunday

Posted on 28 April, 2013 by Julie Schwietert Collazo

Text & Instagram Photos: Julie Schwietert Collazo
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Spring is finally, finally– no, finally– here and we’ve waited it for it so long and it’s so beautiful that you can’t help but just feel full inside… especially when you’re outside.

You’ve got all of Sunday ahead of you and it’s going to be sunny. Here are three outdoor-focused itineraries for your day:

1. Soak up sun at Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.

Take the 7 to Vernon/Jackson and walk west on 50th Avenue to the waterfront, where you’ll find Gantry Plaza State Park. “The Gantry,” as we locals call it, is growing a bit more every year, as developers add to each end of the park. You can sit on the piers and enjoy a perfect, unobstructed view of Manhattan, find an Adirondack chair and read the Times, or jockey for one of the hammocks near the playground.

Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.

Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.

If you get hungry, there are plenty of restaurants along nearby Vernon Boulevard, or you can pick up brunch or lunch at Food Cellar, a supermarket on 47th Road.

2. See public art in Madison Square Park.

A new public art installation is being set up in Madison Square Park this weekend, and though Orly Genger’s “Red, Yellow, and Blue” officially opens on May 2, you can get a sneak peek of the installation in progress right now.

New installation at Madison Square Park.

New installation at Madison Square Park.

And there’s no better weekend to be in the park; MSP is bursting with blossoms: daffodils, tulips, pear and cherry trees, and saucer magnolias, which are taking their final spring bow.

Eataly’s across the street if you want a pastry, an espresso, or focaccia.

3. Explore upper Manhattan’s history.

I love it when I learn about something in New York that I’ve never seen or heard of before, and such was the case this week when I came across a mention of the Morris-Jumel Mansion on 160th Street in Manhattan. The borough’s oldest house, it has a colorful, interesting history; a highlight is that it once served as headquarters for George Washington and his troops during the Revolutionary War.

Morris-Jumel Mansion.

Morris-Jumel Mansion.

You can tour the interior of the house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or explore the grounds, which have a peaceful garden. The surrounding neighborhood is fun to explore, too. If you saw this picture, for example, would you ever guess that it was taken in New York City?

Where are these houses? Surprise! New York City!

Where are these houses? Surprise! New York City!

Categories: New York | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

#FriFotos: Style

Posted on 26 April, 2013 by Julie Schwietert Collazo

Text: Julie Schwietert Collazo
Photo: Francisco Collazo
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At least once a year, the MTA– New York City’s public transportation system– hauls its old subway cars out of storage and puts them on the tracks for a weekend. The event draws out train aficionados, of course, but it also attracts people who just love to dress in period clothing.

A couple evokes the style of the past during old train weekend in New York City.

A couple evokes the style of the past during old train weekend in New York City.

This year, train and style aficionados will have the chance to experience old trains more than once, thanks to the Grand Central Terminal Centennial celebration. On May 11 and 12, from 10 AM until 4 PM, Grand Central will exhibit a group of historic trains from around the country, which will have made the journey from across the US specifically for the centennial. You can learn more about that event on Grand Central’s home page.

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“American Sabor” Exhibit at New York Public Library

Posted on 24 April, 2013 by Julie Schwietert Collazo

Text & Instagram Photos: Julie Schwietert Collazo
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Here are a couple things I find difficult to articulate well:

1) How grateful I am to be able to attend certain exhibits. Art exhibits aren’t like Broadway shows: there aren’t revivals.

2) How incredible it is to think about all the ephemera people have collected and preserved– and how much more incredible it is when a curator learns of these collections and is able to integrate them into an exhibit in a meaningful way.

I’ve been thinking about these things a lot lately, as Francisco and I have seen some really exceptional exhibits in and around New York. The most recent of these was “American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music,” which opened at the New York Public Library’s Performing Arts division on April 20 and runs through July 13.

The exhibit is a survey of Latinos’ influence in music in the United States since the early 1900s, and while all the familiar names from a variety of genres– Tito Puente, Selena, Los Tigres del Norte, Ruben Blades, Daddy Yankee–are included, the exhibit’s installations also include some composers and musicians from the early 20th century who are probably less well-known to Americans, including Armando Romeu.

The Victor-Columbia catalogues for Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Mexican music, circa 1910-1920.

The Victor-Columbia catalogues for Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Mexican music, circa 1910-1920.

The entire exhibit is interesting, but I especially loved the vitrines displaying Victor-Columbia Records’ catalogues of Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Mexican music, which date to the early 20th century.

What I found particularly remarkable about the catalogues is how descriptive and accurate they were without resorting to the marketing language of the era, which tended to exoticize these cultures. What’s more, Victor-Columbia envisioned its product as a sort of Rosetta Stone: learn Spanish through song! That was pretty savvy cross-marketing, if you ask me.

If you have even a passing interest in Latino music, this exhibit’s worth your time. It’s kid-friendly, too; there are a couple of listening and mixing stations, and there’s even a dance floor with a jukebox!

Categories: Latin America, New York | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

The Human Gaze at Guantanamo

Posted on 22 April, 2013 by Julie Schwietert Collazo

Text & Photos:
Julie Schwietert Collazo
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It’s easy for us to forget about Guantanamo– and the fact that people have been incarcerated there without charges for more than 11 years– until capital B, capital N “Big News” crosses the Straits and floats into newspaper headlines.

Such was the case last Sunday, when The New York Times published an op-ed by a detainee who is among the hunger strikers at Guantanamo. Other outlets picked up the story, bringing the ethical, moral, and human rights concerns of America’s offshore detention center back to our national consciousness.

No matter how much we read about Guantanamo, though, it’s hard to get a sense of what, exactly, is going on there and what it’s like. There are only a handful of journalists (The Miami Herald’s Carol Rosenberg is the only one who comes to mind immediately) covering Guantanamo news coherently and consistently… and by that, I mean being there. And there are even fewer visual references; I don’t know of a single photographer who covers Guantanamo as a photojournalistic beat (That doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist; I’m just saying I don’t know one.).

I was able to visit Guantanamo Bay in 2008 on a journalist visa, and it occurred to me that the photos I’ve got stored away might actually be of interest to those of you who give a damn about what’s going on at Guantanamo.^ Moreso, you might be interested by the process that governed the taking and sharing of these photos. More about that below.

I filed one piece about Guantanamo for a major outlet (a science research piece for Scientific American), but didn’t find any other takers for Guantanamo stories, despite the dearth of articles that cover Guantanamo outside the scope of legal proceedings. So let’s dust off these images and talk a little bit about them in context.

The Joint Task Force (or JTF) facility is just one part of the US military's installation at Guantanamo Bay, though it's become the most notorious due to the detainee situation. When I visited in 2008, Camp Delta was one of the facilities where detainees were housed.

The Joint Task Force (or JTF) facility is just one part of the US military’s installation at Guantanamo Bay, though it’s become the most notorious due to the detainee situation. When I visited in 2008, Camp Delta was one of the facilities where detainees were housed.

Rules governing photographers' activities at Guantanamo Bay, especially behind the fences of the detention facility, are quite strict. Images of detainees were not allowed, nor were images of officers taken without their knowledge and permission.

Rules governing photographers’ activities at Guantanamo Bay, especially behind the fences of the detention facility, are quite strict. Images of detainees were not allowed, nor were images of officers taken without their knowledge and permission.

Not being allowed to take photos of people--detainees especially--produces images that are, by their very nature, "constructed." There's a sense of disembodiment, dislocation, and sudden abandonment of place--where are all the people?

Not being allowed to take photos of people–detainees especially–produces images that are, by their very nature, “constructed.” There’s a sense of disembodiment, dislocation, and sudden abandonment of place–where are all the people?

A press officer reviewed photographers' images and video at the end of each day to ensure that no compromising shots had been captured. Technically speaking, this shot could have been deleted by the press officer.

A press officer reviewed photographers’ images and video at the end of each day to ensure that no compromising shots had been captured. Technically speaking, this shot could have been deleted by the press officer.


One of the most difficult things to understand about Guantanamo is how--or whether--the US justice system is operating. During 2008, hearings were held in this room, but they weren't (and still aren't) governed by the same kinds of laws that govern detention and legal proceedings on the US mainland.

One of the most difficult things to understand about Guantanamo is how–or whether–the US justice system is operating. During 2008, hearings were held in this room, but they weren’t (and still aren’t) governed by the same kinds of laws that govern detention and legal proceedings on the US mainland.

Being at Guantanamo, whether as an officer or as a detainee, can feel incredibly isolated, both geographically and, in the case of detainees, culturally. Even though news comes in from the outside world, it's not passed along to detainees without being subjected to the censor's black permanent marker before it's made available in the library.

Being at Guantanamo, whether as an officer or as a detainee, can feel incredibly isolated, both geographically and, in the case of detainees, culturally. Even though news comes in from the outside world, it’s not passed along to detainees without being subjected to the censor’s black permanent marker before it’s made available in the library.

To see more of my photos from Guantanamo Bay, please see this gallery on Flickr.

To follow developments at Guantanamo Bay, follow journalist Carol Rosenberg on twitter.

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^The latest report out of Guantanamo Bay is that almost half of the detainees–77 of 166– are currently on a hunger strike.

Categories: Cuba | Tags: , , | 3 Comments