after that random start there comes a record of my first autumn in nyc, logging my manhattan temp jobs (after the cushy editorial assistant position ended, before worst-job-ever). each entry includes the date, the hourly rate, the org/business and location, the contact person, my subway plans, and, at least at the beginning, comments on the nature of the job.

so I can tell you today that on November 4, 2002, I worked 5 hours at the office for Young Audiences of New York for $12/hr. I took the Q to the V to get to the building on East 53rd St between Madison and 5th Ave, up on the 8th floor. Emily K. was my contact person. The day seems to have gone well:

phones, forgery, & envelope stuffing. did not hang up or misdirect anyone all day.

even better is the following day when I worked an hour and forty-five minutes, but got paid for the four-hour minimum, for Fir Tree Partners (looks like I took the 2/3 to the 4/5):

Jackie was flustered, all in a tizzy over less than 100 folders [that needed to be stuffed]. I could see it would not take me the full 4 hrs right away. I got a can of coke and listened to the boys yell across the office to each other. It was billed as a real estate co., but was actually an investment firm. the managing director’s last name: Tannenbaum. On the train home, watching a woman read the last pages of Nobody’s Fool by Russo. She looked so sad, a defined frown on her face. It did not appear to be a good ending, to result in such sadness. my section of the car was very literary indeed. 11 of 14 were reading. plus two on our adjacent small bench. mostly newspapers and magazines.

sadly those are the only entries with descriptions.