400 Words for 79th Street

Published on December 10, 2009

Bookending music is “Shame” by Low. Two bits in the middle are by Mi and L’au: “They Marry,” and “Philosopher.”

You can read lots and lots about Minik Wallace. (So much so that I felt a little lame about doing it). There’s even a quite good American Experience documentary. However, special commendation has to go out to Kenn Harper, a First Nations author (I believe) from up Canada Way, who not only wrote the (seemingly) definitive Give Me My Father’s Body: The Life of MInik, the New York Eskimo” and was the guy who got Minik’s father Qisuk’s bones repatriated. Amazing.