Slaves of New York by Tama Janowitz
"Slaves of New York" by Tama Janowitz is a collection of interlinked stories set in the vibrant and tumultuous art scene of 1980s New York City. This period was marked by a surge of young artists gaining fame, such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, alongside a rise in the self-promotion and commercialization of art. Janowitz's work satirizes the lives of downtown artists, particularly focusing on characters like Marley Montello, whose overconfidence and exploitative projects reflect the superficiality of the art world, and Eleanor, a jewelry designer who struggles with insecurity and the demands of her exploitative boyfriend, Stash. Through Eleanor's journey, Janowitz explores themes of feminism and the challenges faced by women pursuing independence in a competitive and often harsh urban environment. The narrative employs cultural references and a quirky tone, showcasing the youthful iconoclasm of the time while addressing deeper issues of personal fulfillment and societal expectations. Overall, "Slaves of New York" captures the complexities of navigating love, ambition, and identity against the backdrop of a rapidly changing cultural landscape.
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Subject Terms
Slaves of New York by Tama Janowitz
First published: 1986
The Work
Slaves of New York was part of a wave of books published in the 1980’s that featured innovative writing and trendy subject matter. The identity of this generation of writers—sometimes known as the brat pack because of their youth—was similar to that of the upwardly mobile young professionals (“yuppies”) who invaded the financial and business worlds at that time. Tama Janowitz, who appeared on television talk shows and in slick magazines advertising a soft drink, was part of this group of creative young people who saw self-promotion, marketing strategies, salesmanship, celebrity, and the mass media as a medium of expression. Janowitz makes these people the targets of her satire in Slaves of New York.
The subjects of her stories are downtown artists, that is, those who lived in bohemian quarters of New York City generally situated below Fourteenth Street. The stories are set in the time when the art world of New York was booming with instant reputations and fortunes made by brash young artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. True to the art of the time, the stories also contain references to popular culture, brand names, television movies, commercial films, and music.
There are two major figures in Slaves of New York. One is Marley Montello, an artist who appears in five stories. His self-confidence is overweening, and his exploitative art projects expose the shallow, inflated side of the art world. Seven stories belong to a jewelry designer named Eleanor, who, like Marley, is in New York City on a quest for love, overnight success, and a good apartment. Unlike Marley, Eleanor is a simple soul lost in the heartless city—she is insecure, easily intimidated, and exploited by her more prosperous live-in boyfriend Stash. The self-absorbed Stash, who paints pictures featuring cartoon characters such as Bullwinkle and Mickey Mouse, holds the lease to the apartment he shares with Eleanor. She must either submit to Stash’s demands for devoted domestic service or find herself friendless, rejected, and, even worse, homeless. The feminist statement Janowitz is making is that although Eleanor has eschewed the world of marriage, children, and life in the suburbs associated with the traditional woman, her liberated artist’s life has diminished her well-being and her self-esteem. This serious point, however, is embedded in a loose series of sketches and stories that suggest an offbeat, quirky identity redolent of youthful iconoclasm and irreverence.
Bibliography
Anshaw, Carol. “Hype Springs Eternal.” The Village Voice 31 (August 5, 1986): 46. Anshaw describes a central idea of Slaves of New York, that boys get to be famous and outrageous, while girls get to be girlfriends if they behave themselves. She notes the one-dimensionality of characters and sees Janowitz as standing outside the action she describes.
DePietro. Thomas. Review of Slaves of New York. The Hudson Review 39 (Autumn, 1986): 489. Describes the work as blurring the distinction between high and low culture. DePietro says that Janowitz’s point in the book is unclear: The tales may be a symptom or a parody of the junk culture she describes.
Kaye, Elizabeth. “Fifteen Minutes Over SoHo.” Esquire 110 (November, 1988): 170-176. Discusses the making of the film version of Slaves of New York as well as Janowitz’s early life and how it affected her writing.
McInerney, Jay. “I’m Successful and You’re Not.” The New York Times Book Review 91 (July 13, 1986): 7. McInerney says that it is possible to be too hip as a writer, suggesting that Janowitz sees things at a distance. He describes her stories as static, with no development: The characters do not acquire knowledge, passion, or hope.
Prince, Dinah. “She’ll Take Manhattan: Tama Janowitz’s Tales for the Eighties.” New York 19 (July 14, 1986): 36-42. A personality profile focusing on Janowitz’s writing process and social world. Contains many quotations from Janowitz. Her social life and connections with Andy Warhol receive significant attention.
Sheppard, R. Z. “Downtown.” Time 127 (June 30, 1986): 80-81. Describes Janowitz’s humor as ranging from adolescent to collegiate and her intentions as satirical and sociological. Complains about the failure to follow through on promising ideas and about odd visceral connections that are difficult for the reader to make.
Sikes, Gini. “How Long Can Tama’s Fifteen Minutes Last?” Mademoiselle 95 (April, 1989): 102-104, 276. Written just before the release of the film version of Slaves of New York. Predicts failure for the film and discusses how Janowitz has kept in the limelight even while failing to find critical acclaim. Describes her self-propelled publicity campaign for the book.