The Newtown Pentacle

Friday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Why? Who am I, how did I get where, and ultimately – what the hell?

A humble narrator has been working on a portfolio site, and combing through the tens of thousands of photos in my archives, which has caused these sorts of questions to come up a lot in my own mind. It occurred to me that I might want to say it here, to y’all. As a note, the photos in today’s post were gathered during a short walk in Pittsburgh.

Allow me to introduce, or reintroduce, myself –

Hi, I’m Mitch Waxman.

Constitutional walks occur every other day, but weather and worldly obligation often get in the way. These mostly urban peregrinations of mine have been underway since a health crisis arrived back in 2006, which surprised the hell out of me and ultimately changed the way I live my life.

The curative I’ve obliged, over these six thousand two hundred twenty nine days in the interval, has been governed by this day on/day off walking schedule. Three days a week a humble narrator takes a ‘short walk’ of under five miles (about two hours), and once a week there’s a ‘long walk’ which burns out about ten miles worth of shoe leather. This ain’t the incidental walking one does as part of the daily round, I’m talking about dedicated time instead. I see a lot of things on these walks.

I bring the camera along to keep things interesting, and am almost always alone while I’m scuttling about. I lived in New York City for the entirety of my life – grew up in Brooklyn, and then lived in Manhattan and Astoria, Queens as an adult.

Three hundred and ninety five days ago, I escaped the confines of the City of New York or ‘Home Sweet Hell’ as I’ve always called it, and now dwell in a suburb of the ‘Paris of the Midwest’ – Pittsburgh.

Back in NYC, I was fairly well known for an encyclopedic knowledge of the City’s history, and its dark underbelly. Newtown Creek, Western Queens, North Brooklyn, intra city transit, and New York Harbor’s maritime world were my main points of focus and interest there.

Things progressed to a point where I was regularly offering narrations for – and leading – walking and boat tours of NYC’s less commented upon areas for several ‘non profit’ and ‘for profit’ entities. My activities drew the attention of several journalists and film makers over the years, notably including a NY Times profile of me published in 2012.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Personally speaking, I’ve enjoyed many long term and life long friendships, and have been married to Our Lady of the Pentacle for several decades.

Professional life has seen me write and draw comic books, while simultaneously working on Madison Avenue (in the Advertising Salt Mines) first as a print production artist, then as a photo retoucher. The latter role led me to pick up photography, as I needed to learn how to ‘Sprechen Sie Deutsch’ with the photographers I was working with and for. Facility with the camera led to another job description for me, and since picking up the thing I’ve sold a fair number of photos to national publications, governmental agencies, and corporate websites over the years.

Notoriety led to new opportunities for me to annoy powerful and overly serious people and thwart the evil plans of the avaricious, so I began working with several organizations accordingly to expand the pool of people whom I might anger or distract.

I was the Transportation Chair for Queens Community Board 2 back home in Astoria, Queens. Historian and a Board member at Newtown Creek Alliance, and a Board member of the Working Harbor Committee. I was also a steering committee member, and Strategist, for the transit advocacy group Access Queens.

Most recently – and to be clear this was an invitation, and they asked me – I’ve also recently been added to the list of ‘Who’s Who in America.’

No, really.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

This Newtown Pentacle blog of mine began publishing back in May of 2009, when I found myself serving as a Parade Marshall for the Centennial of the Queensboro Bridge. I will always describe myself as a wandering mendicant, clothed in wind blown black sackcloth, carrying a camera. Thing is, I’ve done a lot of cool things over the years which this blog was instrumental in achieving.

When I first started this blog – FIFTEEN YEARS AGO THIS JUNE! – I’d write in a manner and prose style reminiscent of an HP Lovecraft story. Over the years I’ve dropped the HP Lovecraft shtick here at Newtown Pentacle, and sought to let my actual voice come to the fore and attempt to become more conversational in tone.

The best compliment I’ve ever received about Pentacle was that ‘it’s just like hanging out with you, and listening to all your crazy stories, but unfortunately you’re still kind of an asshole.’

Many have asked what prompted the move to Pittsburgh at the end of 2022, intoning that I had some sort of hidden agenda or motivation, and saying ‘you’ll be back.’ I will be back, but not until next year and it’ll just be a visit. Home will always be NYC, but I’m ‘all in’ on Pittsburgh. In the meantime, I’m loving living in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Back next week, with less self aggrandizement or biography. It’s so much easier to write about anything other than one’s self.

“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle

Buy a book!

“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.