How I Learned

How I Learned

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Day 10: Tribute | 28 x 20

The caretakers of your reinventions

Blaise Allysen Kearsley's avatar
Blaise Allysen Kearsley
Feb 10, 2026
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Today, a juicy prompt lifted from a beloved New York essay from a beloved New York writer. I love the way this prompt blurs the line of fiction and gets at the most intimate, unflinchingly true story one could tell.

COLSON WHITEHEAD:

The city knows you better than any living person because it has seen you when you are alone. It saw you steeling yourself for the job interview, slowly walking home after the late date, tripping over nonexistent impediments on the sidewalk. It saw you wince when the single frigid drop fell from the air-conditioner 12 stories up and zapped you. It saw the bewilderment on your face as you stepped out of the stolen matinee, incredulous that there was still daylight after such a long movie. It saw you half-running up the street after you got the keys to your first apartment. It saw all that. Remembers too.

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