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sumatra_squall 's review for:
Arbitrary Stupid Goal
by Tamara Shopsin
I got intrigued by this memoir by Tamara Shopsin, whose father Kenny Shopsin was the quirky owner of The Store (a grocery store turned eatery) in NYC, after reading a profile of Kenny Shopsin by Calvin Trillin. I can see why some people loved this book. The random anecdotes and snippets Shopsin pulls together in Arbitrary Stupid Goal evoke a New York City that no longer exists. One that was dirtier, grittier and scarier (The Store and its neighbours often got robbed), but also one where there was a real sense of community and connection within each neighbourhood. Where people knew each other and looked out for each other. Unfortunately, Shopsin's style wasn't for me. A little too staccato. Give me the writing in E.B.White's Here is New York any day. The highlight of the book for me was when Shopsin spoke about The Store's operations and how her father developed its prodigious menu.