I grew up on Staten Island and lived the first 30 years of my life there, until 2002. This is an excellent article IMO. I would also point in a fictional context to @nkjemisin.bsky.social 's the City We Became duology, which captures Staten Island's residents' ethos in painful accuracy
For @thebaffler.com I try to explain Staten Island, my hometown. It’s a story of migration, integration, secession, racism, violence, the Dump, and the new generation of demagogues who’ve emerged to capitalize on Islanders’ longstanding grudges. thebaffler.com/salvos/i-got...
Lately, Staten Islanders have been acting out more than usual.
Absolutely. I have New Yorker-specific Opinions about some of the borough avatars but Staten is perfect.
The City We Become is an extraordinary work of art. It haunts me, both in scenes I can't help but see and the themes.
I started to reply recommending the books while reading the first paragraph. Also the narrator Robin Miles on the audiobooks was flat out Amazing.
god the Staten Island in that book is so good
The Jemisin duology was the first thing I thought of as well. That and *some* Staten Islanders complaining that Jemisin mischaracterized their borough.