What Makes New York New York: Nonsense NYC Email List Turns 10

This Saturday night, at 3rd Ward in East Williamsburg, we attended "a one-night physical manifestation of the Nonsense NYC email list, celebrating 10 years of weird art and culture coverage in New York City."

Nonsense is a weekly e-mail round-up of novel events, so novel, in fact, that it makes for entertaining reading in and of itself, and so novel, in fact, you find yourself compelled to go out. "Weird art and culture" is may be how the newsletter defines itself, but the key word is fun. We first heard about it when we met its founder, Jeff Stark, at a carnival where the rides, such as a carousel, ferris wheel, and see-saw, were all made from old bicycles.

"The New York that comes to us every week is vibrant and alive," wrote Mr. Stark in an e-mail announcing the party to his subscribers. "It's a place where people do stuff because doing stuff is fun. Because that's how you meet your people. How you exist in the world.

"You might be making art, but we think what you're doing is far more important. We think you're creating culture. We are creating culture. All of us."

And so: we arrived at 3rd Ward. First we put on bunny ears to have our picture taken with a man in a bunny suit. Then we checked out a group show of event posters by artists, venues, and event organizers, promoting events that they think shouldl happen in the next 10 years. We got hooked quickly here, not only because the posters are such wonderful examples of hand-crafted work, but because they convey our anxieties, fears, and dreams. We liked the idea of Abe Lincoln and Frederick Douglass performing live dance music together, through the advances of time travel. Another poster told us, "The end is not at hand." Phew.

Check out the gallery here.

At 9 p.m., stilt walkers and others started coralling groups to go upstairs for performing acts. We participated in a clothing swap with a fashion show at the end to "strut our stuff". We listened to a story teller in a room lit red and outside in an alley, found the Raya Brass Band playing their hearts out. We attended a 15-minute dinner party, during which the servers scooped up our plates and threw them all against the wall. And we witnessed a pillow fight.

With that, we're going to find our own pillows and bid you good night.