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June 17, 2003

Ode to Northampton

Most people cannot appreciate the fullness of Northampton, Ma, without having visited. Yes, it's a little college town. Yes, it's a little, liberal college town...and there are lots of them in the US. Every so often there's a special highlight of the town, such as the PBS Great Public Spaces or in the New York Times house and home section. While Tracey Kidder's failed to capture my quirky appreciation for Noho, Augusten Burroughs' came closer to the target.

Until recently, everywhere I went I seemed to attract weird people. Of course, I myself am strange, however I seemed to have the knack of falling into the crazy crowd. Whether it was because I made a few trips to visit people at the Cooley-Dickenson psych unit* or spent a few too many hours drinking coffee at the Haymarket, I was a psychiatric magnet. And I loved it.

I've been unable to find documentation about the concentration of disturbed people in Noho, however I do think that it might be higher than most places. To some degree, this could have been the result of the closing of the Northampton State Hospital (one of my favorite abandoned asylums, soon to be demolished), but I'm not sure. Whatever the reason, you can't take too many steps down Main Street without having some sort of interaction with one character or another. When I was visiting the town two weeks ago, I was a bit sad not to see the "regulars" from my era. I did see "Tumor Man," but such favs as "The Drooler," Lawrence (see pix), my dear, dear Leona (who was actually a friend, to some degree), the bearded guy on a motorized wheelchair...all gone.

Sigh. New York has its crazies, but it's just not the same.

Some funny Northampton/Valley overheard quotes.

*I myself was once on the brink of becoming a CDPU resident, following "the unfortunate schrooming incident." Cheesebus, I know you can appreciate that shout-out.

Posted by callalillie at June 17, 2003 1:01 PM |