Just Put Down C.O. Moed's "It Was Her New York"
C.O. Moed's book, "It Was Her New York," presents itself as more than a conventional memoir. It's an experiment in narrative form, a deliberate blurring of the boundaries between personal history, urban sociology, and visual anthropology. Moed utilizes the framework of her mother's life in New York as a prism, refracting complex themes of familial relationships, the psychology of place, and the specter of both personal and cultural loss.
The synergy between Moed's prose and the accompanying photographs is where this work truly distinguishes itself. The images act not as mere illustrations, but as narrative counterpoints. They often possess a haunting, oneiric quality that challenges the text's linearity. Consider the opening image of Florence, Moed's mother, a Julliard-trained musician, later consumed by dementia. The photo is both intimate and alienating; it captures Florence's fading self-hood while foreshadowing the emotional terrain the book will navigate.
Moed's portrayal of New York City transcends nostalgia. The city becomes a character in its own right, a shape-shifting labyrinth of memory and experience. Moed is less concerned with iconic landmarks and more with capturing the fleeting sensory details – the textures, smells, and hidden rhythms that inform one's psychogeography of a place. This micro-focus provides a counterbalance to the looming theme of transience that haunts the narrative.
The book's central tension lies in its exploration of the maternal bond. Moed confronts the complexities of a daughter's love with unflinching honesty. There's a fierce tenderness in Florence's portrayal, yet Moed doesn't shy away from depicting the frustrations and resentments borne out of caregiving within a slowly eroding relationship. This struggle for emotional autonomy reflects a universal dynamic in adult parent-child relationships.
One potential point of deeper exploration would have been the intersection between personal memory and the collective memory of a city. Moed alludes to the ways New York's ever-changing landscape mirrors her mother's decline, but a more sustained analysis of the parallels between urban and personal decay could have added a further layer of depth.
Overall, "It Was Her New York" is a poignant and intellectually stimulating work. Moed's lyrical prose, her vulnerability, and the bold interplay of text and image offer a meditation on how we construct meaning from love, loss, and the ever-fleeting present moment. This is a book that lingers, probably echoing long after the final page is turned.