Emotional Memories Drive Passion ~ "My Aim Is True" ~ Stoops To Nuts @ Ryan's Daughter 2.14. @3-6 pm

When I was boy my father and I took long bike rides around Manhattan. He always took his Yashica 44 camera along. On top here, is Dad's 1961 photo in Central Park taken with 127 film stock. My recent shot near same location is below Dad's photograph.

Thomas Pryor presents: "My Aim Is True" 

Our Stoops to Nuts Valentine Show

Ryan's Daughter, 350 E. 85th Street

February 14th @ 3pm to 6pm ~ Free show

I''ll perform sections from my upcoming play, "City Boy." Our musical artists: Nina & Son (David Terhune & Nina Terhune) and Eric Vetter with his partners in crime.

Nina & Son are David Terhune and his daughter, Nina Terhune. David is best known as an original member of the Loser's Lounge, NYC's long running tribute series, now in it's 22nd year . The Losers, the best entertainment bang for the buck in NYC, perform regularly at Joe's Pub and Lincoln Center. Nina grew up attending Loser's Lounge shows and started performing with her father in 2014. They specialize in the kind of harmonies that only shared genetics can produce. Accompanying themselves on guitars, their repertoire runs from The Beatles to Gram Parsons to Squeeze to X to David's own compositions.

Eric Vetter is the MC/producer of long-running NY comedy/variety staple, "No Name... & A BAG O' CHIPS". That flagship show has spawned 4 other ongoing shows under the No Name umbrella. No Name celebrated its 20th anniversary last February with an all-star show at the 3000+ seat United Palace in Washington Heights. Mr. Vetter is also lead vocalist for The Summer Replacements, the Bag O' Chips show's house band.

Yorkville author & photographer, Thomas Pryor's work has appeared in The NY Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and other periodicals. His memoir, “I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood,” was published in 2014 (YBK). Pryor’s blog: "Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts," was chosen by The NYTimes for their Blog Roll in 2008. Thomas appeared on PBS's series: "Baseball: A New York Love Story," NBC’s “New York Nonstop,” and “This American Life.” His newspaper column ran in Our Town & The West Side Spirit. For five years, Thomas curated a monthly storytelling show, “City Stories: Stoops to Nuts,” at the Cornelia St. Café that Time Out Magazine, The NY Daily News and CBS News praised. His photography portfolio, "River to River - New York Scenes From a Bicycle," was published in 2012 (YBK). Cornelia St. Cafe hosted an exhibition of his photography. NBC, NY Press and NY 1 highly recommended the exhibit and his portfolio. You can view and purchase his prints online at Thomas R. Pryor Photography. January 2017, Pryor will present his first play, "City Boy," dedicated to Herman Wouk's character Herbie Bookbinder and the old neighborhood.

Robert Burns, put his words to Scottish folk melodies. Modifying and recreating tunes he heard as a child. His emotional memories flood his work. Stoops to Nuts draws inspiration from the process of listening to a pleasing sound (prose, verse or song) that you never forget and you're compelled to tell or sing the melody from your spot. "My Aim is True," Well said, Elvis Costello.

Union Square, Gramercy Place, Irving Place

Love the  Union Square/Gramercy Park/Irving Place area - but who doesn't?

All year round it's buildings, parks and streets cheer me up.


Thomas R. Pryor Photography

Mark your calendar. Valentine's Day, February 14th, "My Aim Is True," a special Stoops to Nuts show at Ryans Daughter, 350 E. 85th Street @ 3-6 pm. I''ll perform sections from my upcoming play, "City Boy." Our musical artists: Nina & Son (Nina & David Terhune) and Eric Vetter & his melody makers.

Check out my 1960s memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood." at Logos Book Store, or purchase the book online at Amazon (114 five-star reviews out of 114 posted) or Barnes & Noble ~ and buy "River to River ~ New York Scenes From a Bicycle" my photography portfolio online.

Rumble Seat

"I used to ride in my father's rumble seat," Dad said and sipped his beer. I sipped my coke. We sat on stools facing the grandfather clock in Loftus Tavern.

 "What's a rumble seat?"

"It was a seat that hinged out of the back of the car, it felt like you were riding in mid air."

We mulled over our drinks and I thought, someday, I'm going to ride in a rumble seat.

One hot afternoon in the Old Timer's Tavern, I was laying on the floor watching the ceiling fan spin and I overheard my Uncle Mickey say to my father, "Bob, when we were young, I remember you driving us to Rockaway. Why don't you have a car?"

"Because I knew I was going to drink and I didn't want to hurt anybody."

The Pryor’s didn't have a car, and depended on the kindness of strangers and relatives. My Uncle George occasionally took us to beaches and lakes, my grandfather Rode took us to buy wool for my grandmother on Grand Street. I spent an inordinate amount of time in Checker cabs heading for Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden. That gave me access to the pull up seat on the floor of the cab. A seven ticket ride.

My mother's father, Pop Ryan, didn't have a car. In 1961 he bought his first one - a Falcon in mint condition. This made my grandmother very unhappy since my grandfather had a reputation for taking the laws of self-preservation lightly.
Pop put plastic over the seats and washed the car every Saturday in front of the house on York Avenue (He was the building's super). Nan wouldn't let Pop take me for the first few weeks because he had just gotten his first driver’s license by the skin of his teeth.

Week six, after relentless whining and begging, Nan finally let me go for a ride with Pop. I started off in the back seat but climbed into the front seat when we were out of sight from Nan. We turned left on 86th Street, and went straight over to 5th Avenue passing my favorites places: Loews Orpheum, Woolworth’s, the huge RKO, Horn and Hardart’s, Prexy's, Singer's, and many more.

We drove down Fifth Avenue pass the museums and mansions, I took it all in on my knees with my head out the window catching air in my mouth. At 72nd Street we turned into Central Park and veered right past Pilgrim Hill. Going north I waved at the boathouse doing 30 miles an hour.


At Cherry Hill, I said, "Pop, do 40!" He hit the accelerator, we did 40 uphill. Near the Engineer's Gate I saw a hawk swoop down and said, "Pop, 50!" The speedometer moved up. As we started down the hill pass the 102nd Street transverse, I yelled,"60, 60, 60!" Pop gave me a wicked smile and there we went. Pass the Harlem Meer at the north end of the park taking the curves at a breakneck speed with no one on the road but us. We rode up on the curb facing Cathedral Parkway and nearly hit a trash can. Pop backed down to 45, then 35, and we stayed there until we turned east at Columbus Circle heading back to Yorkville. Luckily, there was a spot on York Avenue in front of 1616. Pop parked, I jumped out, ran up the stoop, busted into the apartment screaming, "Nan, it was great! We did 60 miles an hour in Central Park!"

The next day, Pop sold the car to his son, my Uncle Lenny.

Mark your calendar. Valentine's Day, February 14th, a special Stoops to Nuts show at Ryan's Daughter, 350 E. 85th Street @ 4pm. I''ll perform sections from my upcoming full length play, "City Boy."

"My Aim Is True"

Thomas Pryor presents:  Stoops to Nuts Valentine Day Show

Ryan's Daughter, 350 E. 85th Street
February 14th @ 4pm

Check out my 1960s memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood." at Logos Book Store, or purchase the book online at Amazon (114 five-star reviews out of 114 posted) or Barnes & Noble ~ and buy "River to River ~ New York Scenes From a Bicycle" my photography portfolio online.

Gabriel, Blow Your Horn!

Pictured here, Nanny Cuckoo and Mom making our traditional New Year's Eve dish, Pork & Beans on Wonder Bread. (click picture and Uncle Mommy blows up!)

Nan firmly believed in carbo-loading before anyone knew the term. Mom believed in no cooking.

They prepared the sandwiches at Davies Lake in July, then froze them for five months in Nan's cavern-sized freezer on York Avenue. Nan began thawing the sandwiches on Boxing Day. She'd spread them over the top of the washing machine under wax paper.

Around eleven o'clock on New Year's Eve, she'd start passing them out, as the adults listened to Guy Lombardo's Orchestra on the radio, drinking Ballantine beer and High Balls while Rory and I wrote down the Top 100 songs off WABC AM Radio and sipped Hoffman's Ginger Ale. 

We'd eat two to three sandwiches each and wait for the ball to drop on Times Square. At the stroke of midnight, the family linked arms and marched to the front of the apartment. We'd open the windows, drop trow and release the Norse Wind. Our trumpets loud as a thunder-clap.

Mark your calendar. Valentine's Day, February 14th, a special Stoops to Nuts show at Ryan's Daughter, 350 E. 85th Street @ 4pm. I''ll perform sections from my upcoming full length play, "City Boy."

"My Aim Is True"

Thomas Pryor presents:  Stoops to Nuts Valentine Day Show

Ryan's Daughter, 350 E. 85th Street
February 14th @ 4pm

Check out my 1960s memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood." at Logos Book Store, or purchase the book online at Amazon (113 five-star reviews out of 113 posted) or Barnes & Noble ~ and buy "River to River ~ New York Scenes From a Bicycle" my photography portfolio online.