Stoops to Nuts ~ The Bottom of the 9th at Cornelia Street

Thank you, Mom for saving this stuff

Early on, the awards piled up for young Thomas Pryor: Numbers Work, Reading, Arithmetic, Spelling, Religion ~ all achieved while his teachers, the Sisters of Divine Charity, tried to crush his spirit with poor marks in Conduct. Outside the classroom, the boy was a lauded Bobcat Cub Scout at Trinity Church, St. Stephen's Altar Boy of the Year, and survived an assassination attempt by his Troop 654 Scout Master (accused by Pryor, but never charged) in Ten Mile River Boy Scout Camp in 1968.

Tommy’s art has appeared on loose-leaf and construction paper (all colors); Daitch Shopwell’s bathrooms; LaSalle Academy’s cafeteria; inked bone samples in Physical Anthropology Lab at Hunter College and sagas with steely knives on several desk blotters at the NYC Comptroller’s Office.

In 1963, Thomas performed in front of the St. Stephen student body and two hundred hooting Hungarians, singing “Mindem Vagyam Visszaszall,” Father Emeric’s favorite folk song at the priest's Silver Jubilee. Pryor's made countless appearances at Joe’s Candy Store, Spotless Cleaners, Parker’s Grocery, Herman the German's Barber Shop, Loftus Tavern and other Yorkville gin mills where they either liked him or threw him out.

Pryor's "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts" final show at Cornelia Street Cafe is Tuesday, February 10th @ 6pm. We exit with a-bing, and a-bang and a-boom. Short tellings, sweet music and time to yap with each other. Our artists: Barbara Aliprantis, Phillip Giambri, Jim Hawkins, Adam Wade and Sherryl Marshall performs a showcase set.

Admission is $8 with a free drink. Show starts @ 6pm. No reservations necessary. Pryor's hosting and telling one from his memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood."

Thank you, Robin Hirsch, Angelo Verga & Joshua Rebell for your warm support and steady love. Thank you, to the gang at the Cafe who always welcome me like family. I don't forget my friends.

"I will return, I will return, I'll come back for the honey and you."

Next month the second Tuesday storytelling tradition rolls on with "The New York Story Exchange." The show features four alternating hosts: Barbara Aliprantis, Michele Carlo, Nicole Ferraro and Jeff Rose. You are in good hands with the same concept as "Stoops to Nuts," come and tell a good one, sing a good one, have fun. 

Casey on Bow Bridge in Central Park in 2014