The Mole People
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Bethea, Michael, 67, 152, 153, 156–58
optimistic views of, 162–63
Big D, 12
Bill, 91–92, 93
Bingo, 186, 188, 189
Blade, 5, 237–47
on anger, 238–39
background, 239
depth of character, 237–38
and the Harlem gang, 183, 184, 185, 187, 188, 190
on killing, 242
BMT. See Brooklyn Manhattan Transit (BMT)
Bob, 88, 105–9, 237, 249
Boggs, Joyce (Billy), 154
Borges, Jorge Luis, 171
Bowery, 49–58
history of, 49–50
Romero on, 51–54
Brenda, 116, 117, 213–19, 249
Bridges, Jeff, 216
Broadway-Lafayette Station, 54
Bronze Age, 36
Brooklyn Bridge Station, 131
Brooklyn Manhattan Transit (BMT), 45
Brown, Claude, 201, 202
Buckley, Rob, 90–91, 95–96
on underground communities, 91, 94
“Burma’s Road,” 47
Burnes, Donald, 40
“Burrow, The”(Kafka), 169
Butch (Brenda’s boyfriend), 116, 117
Butch (tunnel birth observer), 78, 79, 80
Buxton, Derbyshire, 37
Candy, 18
Cannibalistic Human Underground Dwellers (CHUDS), 74, 205
Carlos, 137, 138, 140–41
on hope, 148–49
Castleman, Craig, 134
Cathy and Joe, 225–26
Central Park, 192, 213, 215, 216, 234, 245
Cher, 229–30, 233
children underground, 77–86
adaptability of, 84
in J.C.’s community, 82
Julie, 82–84
Teresa’s family, 84–86
Chitthum, Samme, 99
Chud, 205, 206
CHUDS. See Cannibalistic Human Underground Dwellers (CHUDS)
Cimmerians, 35–36
Cindy, 24–25
”city of friends,” 203–11
and Rex, 209–210
and Sam, 207–9, 210–11
Coalition for the Homeless, 88, 104. See also homeless advocates; tunnel outreach
Columbia University, 1, 2
“Condos, the,” 20–21, 47
Henry’s discovery of, 66–67
Covenant House, 136, 140, 145
Creation (Michelangelo), 125
Crimeans, 36
Crump, Daniel, 161
Dale, 56
Dameon, 137
Dante, 170
Dara, 84, 85, 86
Dark Angel, 165–68
Jamall on, 234
Dart, 187, 188
David, 136–37, 138
Deamues, Harold: on children underground, 84
on the Dark Angel, 167–68
on the mole people, 159, 161
work with ADAPT, 67, 84, 158–59, 160, 161, 162, 163
Demetrius (”Taki 183”), 132
Denise, 57
Dericka, 223, 224
de Sant-Fond, Faugas, 37
Dickens, Charles, 173
Dirty Slug, 129, 133
Doc (Fabulous Five member), 129, 133
Doc (Harlem gang member), 186, 188, 189
Dolly, 145–46, 148, 250
Don, 109–10
Dopey, 209
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor, 176, 177
Douglas Housing Project, 224
Dunsley Rock (Gibraltar), England, 36–37
Dwane, 84, 85
Dwayne, 89
Dwyer, Jim, 44
Edwards, Dee, 88
Eleanor Kennedy shelter, Fairfax, Virginia, 40
Eliot, George, 173
Ellison, Ralph, 177
Fabulous Five, 129–31
Farrell, Neil, 49, 57
Fay, 206, 210
Felicia, 138–39, 143–44, 146, 147
Fisher King, The, 215
Flacko, 11, 26
Flip, 111, 112
Fort Washington shelter, 56, 57, 116
Fran and Shorty, 225
Frank (runaway), 141–42, 143, 146, 148, 250
Frank (Virginia’s boyfriend), 95–96
Franko, 23
Fred, 79
Frederick, 135–39, 249
”Freedom.” See Pape, Chris (”Freedom”)
Freud, Sigmund, 173–74
Garner, Robert, 36–37
Gayle, Kristen, 1–2, 82–83
George (Blade’s associate), 243, 244
George (”city of friends” resident), 204–5, 206, 207, 211
Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York (Castleman), 134
Ghost, 51
”Ghost Cliff,” 234
Gissing, George, 173
Goya, Francisco José de, 126
graffiti artists. See graffiti writings and writers; tunnel art and artists
graffiti writings and writers, 119, 121, 122, 127, 129–34
Fabulous Five, 129–31. See also tunnel art and artists
Grand Central Station, 3, 4, 57, 84, 122, 151, 161, 219
estimate of underground population, 39
evictions from, 47
J.C.’s community under, 61, 82, 191–202
Williams’s residence under, 12, 13, 19, 21, 23, 26–27
Granick, Harry, 43, 46
Guardian Angels, 230, 239n.
Guernica (Picasso), 126
Hammer, 48
Harlem gang, 183–90
Hector, 99–101
HELP. See Homeless Emergency Liaison Project (HELP)
Henry, Sergeant Bryan, 5, 12, 43, 59–63, 65–67, 82
and “the Condos,” 21, 66–67
on the Dark Angel, 166–67
frustration experienced by, 59–61
initial meeting with author, 3–4
and J.C., 61 63, 66
and Michelle, 219–20
photograph of, 60
Williams on, 26
History of Graffiti (Pape), 125
homeless advocates, 4–5, 40, 104–5. See also Coalition for the Homeless; tunnel outreach
Homeless Credo, 109
Homeless Emergency Liaison Project (HELP), 151–55
HRA. See New York City Human Resources Administration
Hudson Street, 49–50
Hugo, Victor, 172, 173
“human morality,” 209
“human religion,” 209
Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT), 183, 184
International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, 89
Invisible Man (Ellison), 177–79
Iris, 16–18
IRT. See Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT)
Isaacs, Bernard, 5, 88–89, 249
and Bob, 88, 105–9
on David, 137
and Don, 109–10
and Flip, 111
and Hector, 99–101
on homeless advocacy groups, 104–5
and John, 113–15
photograph of, 118
on the Rotunda community, 94
and Sheila, 226, 227
and Shorty, 225
source of income, 102–3, 107
and Tim, 110–11
and Tom, 116–17
and Tony, 111–13
and tunnel art and artists, 119–20, 124–25, 126, 127
tunnel community of, 75, 97–118
on underground people, 117
Israely, Beverly, 90
Jamaica, 189
Jamall, 166, 168, 229–35
Japan, 38
J.C., 4, 89
community of, 82, 191–202
and Henry, 61–63, 66
Jeff, 147, 148
Jeffers, Chris, 107–8
Jess, 221
Jesus, 103
Jimmy, 144–45, 146, 147, 148
Joe, 50–51
Joey, 112, 113
John, 113–15, 249
Journey to the Center of the Earth, A
(Verne), 174
Juan, 78
Julie, 1, 2, 77, 82–84
Kafka, Franz, 169
Klambatsen, Sergeant Steve, 54, 55
Lady Pink, 132
Lafayette Street Station, 47
LaJoy, 69–70
law and underground homeless, the, 59–71
police brutality stories, 63–64
and social workers, 67–69
Lee, 129–30, 131, 132–34
Leon, 101
Lexington Avenue Line, 55, 244
Little Man, 182
Logan, Al, 53, 54
London, 38
Los Angeles Times, The, 4
Mac, 29–34, 249
Malcolm, 13
Manchild in the Promised Land (Brown), 201, 202
Martin, Marsha, 39
Marx, Karl, 173–74
Mary, 89
Meitus, Robert, 2
Melvin, 252, 253
Mental Hygiene Law, 154
Metropolitan Transit Authority. See New York City Transit Authority
Metropolitan Transit Police, 12, 43, 61
Michelle, 219–20
Middle Ages, 171, 175
Les Miserables (Hugo), 172
“Modern Troglodytes” (Garner), 36
Moe, 184, 185
Monica, 138–39, 145, 148
Mono, 129, 130, 131, 133
Morningside Park, 2
Moscow, 38
Mosley, Walter, 183
Murphy, Ken, 68
Museum of Modern Art, 125
National Association of Social Workers, 69
Need of Roots, The (Weil), 87
Nell, 81
Neolithic period, 36
Nether World, The (Gissing), 173
New Alliance Party, 183–84
New York City, 2, 6, 73
underground population in, 38–42
underground spaces in, 43–48
New York City Human Resources Administration, 26, 52, 68
New York City Transit Authority, 46, 48, 51, 67, 129
outreach programs sponsored by, 151–53, 156
New York Daily News, The, 99
New Yorker, The, 134
New York Health and Human Services Department, 39, 81
New York Mental Health Association, 40
New York Times, The, 26, 68, 108, 115, 132, 249
No Exit (Sartre), 171
Notes from Underground (Dostoyevsky), 176, 177
Notes on the Underground (Williams), 170–71, 172–73
On Being Homeless: Historical Perspectives (Beard), 50
On Walden Pond (Thoreau), 31
outreach programs. See tunnel outreach
Papa, 221
Pape, Chris (“Freedom”), 100–101, 119, 122, 244, 249–50
and Bernard, 111, 124–25
and Bob, 106
collaboration with Smith, 126–27
on David, 137
on graffiti writing, 132
self-portrait, 120, 123
Paris, 37–38
Paul, 83
Pennick, Nigel, 35, 36, 37
Penn Station, 13, 20, 47, 55, 135, 136, 144, 151, 192, 203, 210
estimate of underground population, 39
Peppin, 63–64
Picasso, Pablo, 126
Plato, 97
Polhemus, Guy, 107
Port Authority Station, 13, 47, 55, 57
Quinones, Jorge Lee. See Lee
Rambo, 204
Razor, 78
Reese, 51
Reliquary, The, 36
Renaissance, 171, 172
Republic, The (Plato), 97
Rex, 206, 209–10, 211
Rico, 167, 168
“Riker’s Island,” 47
Riley, Sergeant Steve, 49
Riverside Park, 107, 135, 181, 215, 224, 226
Bernard’s tunnel community under, 88, 101, 103, 116
Pape’s graffiti writing under, 124, 125
Road Warrior, 34
Rodney, 68–69
Rome, 38, 131
Romero, Lieutenant John, 51–53, 54
Ronda, 79, 80
Roosevelt, President Franklin D., 45
Rotunda community, 92–94, 221, 222
runaways underground, 135–49
Carlos, 140–41, 146
Dolly, 145–46
Frank, 141–42, 143, 146, 148
Frederick, 135–39
Jimmy, 144–45, 146, 147
Monica and Felicia, 139–40
Teddy, 142–44, 147, 148, 149
St. Agnes’ Soup Kitchen, 3, 240, 241
Sally, 79
Sam (All Saints’ Soup Kitchen customer), 94–95
Sam (“city of friends” mayor), 206, 209, 210
on “human morality,” 208–9
on Jamall, 231
on listening, 211
management style, 207–8
“Sane.” See Smith, David (“Sane”)
Saroyan, William, 237
Sartre, Jean-Paul, 171
Scientific American, 45
Scott, Gwendolyn (Gwen), 221–23
Second Avenue Station, 47
Secret City of Ivan the Terrible, Moscow, 38
Seville. See Williams, Seville
Serrano, Yolanda, 70–71, 153
79th Street, 103, 221
Sheila, 100, 101, 223, 226–27, 249
Shorty (Fran’s boyfriend), 225
Shorty (Seville’s friend), 11, 23
Shorty (tunnel birth observer), 78, 79, 80
Silwa, Curtis, 239n.
Slam, 182
Slave, 129, 130, 133
Slim (”city of friends” resident), 206
Slim (Harlem gang member), 188, 189
Small Talk, 187, 188, 189
Smidge, 33, 34
”Smith.” See Smith, Roger (”Smith”)
Smith, David (”Sane”), 119, 125, 249
death of, 120–21, 250
lawsuit against, 121–22
Smith, Roger (”Smith”), 4, 51, 73–74, 119, 122, 125, 250
collaboration with Pape, 126–27
lawsuit against, 121–22
Sneakers, 243
social workers, 67–69
Sonya, 68–69
Squeeze, 39
Stash, 101
”Stealth,” 181–82
”STIPSO” statute, 154
Stokes, Suellen L., 40
Stone, 221
Subterranean Kingdom: A Survey of Man-Made Structures Beneath the Earth, The (Pennick), 35–36, 37
Subway Lives (Dwyer), 44
Sullivan, Robert E., Jr., 43, 44, 46
”Taki 183.” See Demetrius (”Taki 183”)
Teather, 11
Teddy, 142–44, 147, 148, 149
Teresa, 84–86
Thackeray, William, 173
Third of May (Goya), 126
Thoreau, Henry David, 31
Tierney, John, 115, 249
Tim (member of Bernard’s community), 110–11
Tim (Sally’s boyfriend), 79, 80
Time Machine (Wells), 174–75, 176
Time of Your Life, The (Saroyan), 237
Tina, 252, 253
Tom (Butch and Brenda’s friend), 116–17
Tom (Denise’s friend), 57
Tony, 111–13, 249
on tunnel art, 128
Tracy, 134, 168
Transit Workers and Mechanics Union, 161
Trey, 69–70
Tripper, 95, 96
Tsemberis, Dr. Sam, 153–54, 155, 159–60, 163
Tumulty, Karen, 4
tunnel art and artists, 119–28
Bernard’s involvement with, 119–20, 124–25, 126, 127
May Third mural, 126–28
Pape’s work, 122–26
Tony on, 128. See also graffiti writings and writers
tunnel outreach, 151–63
ADAPT’s efforts, 151, 152, 153, 155–63
Project HELP, 151–55. See also Coalitio
n for the Homeless; homeless advocates
Tweed, Mayor Boss, 45
Tyrone, 244, 245
underground communities, 87–96
Bernard’s tunnel, 75, 97–118
Buckley on, 91, 94
communication network in, 89–90
“families” in, 87
J.C.’s, 191–202
Rotunda, 92–94, 221, 222
underground in history, literature, and culture, 169–79
and the Agharthi legend, 170
in Ellison’s Invisible Man, 177–79
in Hugo’s Les Miserables, 172, 173
in the nineteenth century, 175–76
and the underground man concept, 176–79
in Wells’ Time Machine, 174–75, 176
Underground Man (Abood), 176
underground population, 35–42
Cimmerians, 35–36
in England, 36–37
estimates of, 39
life expectancy of, 41
in New York City, 38–42
in Paris, 37–38
underground spaces, 43–48
Underneath New York (Granick), 43, 46
van Hollar, Roderick (Rick), 221, 222
Vathek (Beckford), 171
Verne, Jules, 174
Vicky, 96
Virginia, 95–96
Volunteer Services for the Grand Central Partnership Social Services Corporation, 90
Volunteers of the Bathroom, 13–14
wanderers, 181–82
Washington Post, The, 40
”We Can,” 107
Weil, Simone, 87
White, Patrick, 32
Whitman, Walt, 211
Williams, Robin, 215, 216
Williams, Rosalind, 170–71, 172–73, 174
Williams, Seville, 11–27, 73, 249
childhood, 15–16
children, 17–18
on dealing drugs, 25–26
and humor, 12–13
and Iris, 16–18
medical treatment, 25
on Peppin, 63–64
on track workers, 75
on tunnels, 20, 27
Willie, 100, 224–25, 226–27, 249
Wilson. See Blade
women underground, 213–27
Brenda, 213–19
Cathy and Joe, 225–26
Dericka, 223
Fran and Shorty, 225
Gwen, 221–23
Michelle, 219–20
Sheila and Willie, 224–25, 226–27
Zack, 192
*Both of these studies were internal and unpublished. Individuals provided them to me.
*J.C.’s community is described in chapter 20.
*Graffiti writers have their own jargon, part of, but different from, other examples of hip-hop culture. “To bomb” is to accomplish a lot in a short time. A “burner” is superior work, so are pieces that are “nasty,” “the death,” “vicious,” “bad,” “dirty,” or “snap.” “Down by law” means having high status.
*Captured in a photo by Henry Chalfant, who recorded much of New York’s graffiti with his camera.
*The runaways brought me into their group as a peer rather than as an adult. They were perhaps the most trusting and open community I met in the tunnels. There were no status lines to break through. They saw that I was like them, only they were on their way to doing what they wanted to do, and I was half a step ahead in doing it. I never had the “adult authority” to take them anywhere.