Some of you know me from my first web site, Literary Kicks. This is my second project, and this time it's not about anything except the thoughts that are in my head. I designed Queensboro Ballads as an early '60's record album for a couple of reasons :

  • I always wanted to create my own concept album.
  • I didn't want to do just another story collection on the Web.
  • I miss vinyl.
I hope what's in here makes sense to somebody besides me. My inspirations were Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jack Kerouac, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Plato, Mahatma Gandhi, Jacob Riis, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Marley. Thanks most of all to my wife, and also to Bubby and Ziti for the great photo session in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. For various combinations of moral support, technical support and great editorial advice, special thanks to Christian Crumlish, Briggs Nisbet, Martha Conway and Rich Frankel (the Enterzone Crew), Malcolm Humes, Sherri H., Dan Levy, Mountain Bike Moik, Colleen McCahill, Dave Green, Michael Finocchiaro, Dan Barth, Kelly Nagle, Jeff and Sharon Groth and Tony Leotta. Thanks also to Levity and The Writer's Web for hosting this project. Finally let me "represent" for everyone out there tonight in Queens and Brooklyn, including my heroes Spike Lee and A Tribe Called Quest and LL Cool J and also New York's proudest sons the Ramones : "Sitting here in Queens / Eating refried beans."

Did I forget to mention Woody Guthrie? This website kills fascists. Please read it in a good mood, and if it's gonna help you like this thing better please drink some wine or have a beer or smoke a joint, or if you're *that* good at least please have a cappucino or get somebody to give you a back-rub or something (... Jeez). Send me mail if you like what you read. If you don't like it : hey, just write yourself a note.

Listen ...

Side One

The Bridges of New York City
Where He Lived
Floating
The History of the California Burrito
Apparition

Side Two

Coming Back to Queens (Ballad of the In-Laws)
Working Class Hero/Eleanor Rigby
Snappers
A Visit to the Walt Whitman Mall
Loomings


Front Cover

Front Cover

About This Project

First Single

News and Updates (Sept 2000)

Queensboro Ballads
by Levi Asher