The guests congregate in the belly of the "Frying Pan" a ship that spent 3 years underwater

Forgotten objects from the deep inspire widespread creation.
By Joshua Harris

“Do you want to come to a special reading? Some NYC based writers and artists are reading their work.” is what I was asked last wednesday morning. My initial response was to pass it up…I mean, how many times are there readings in the city with brilliant authors or artists? A lot, that’s how many.

“…Well, the reading is on an old light boat that was raised from the sea after being sunk for 3 years.” …that followup got my attention. I decided to go.

The reading is a launch party celebrating the creative collaboration between artists, writers, and musicians all focusing on creating something inspired by long forgotten objects that have been raised from the waters surrounding NYC.  The organizers call it “Underwater New York“. Everything from ice cream trucks to old shopping carts serve as inspiration to create vivid works of fiction.  The people at Underwater New York encourage  interested creatives to make some form of art inspired from their list of “crazy” objects found under the boroughs’ murky waters.  The result are a range of works, from songs and short stories to photography.

When I arrived, I boarded the old vessel, The Frying Pan ; the smell of diesel and rusted metal combined with the melodic sway gave an old world industrial feel to everything.  Inside, on three levels, people congregated in quiet excitement sipping drinks mixed by a centrally located bar, probably converted from an old mess kitchen.  The ship is a historic relic, everything seems preserved and worn down at the same time.  In the belly of the ship, this is most evident; old levers, pipes, and broken fixtures serve to remind the attendees of the ships forgotten purpose.

Inside this area of the boat, the night started with a bit of sketch comedy, was highlighted by some live sets by accoustic musicians, and ended with a short story of two tragic lovers.  The expression of the love for creativity inspired by misplaced objects was strong and was the lasting impression I took away from the event.  You can check out more on Underwater New York, submit your stories and other artwork, and even check out pictures of the event here.