New York, New York

On 9/11, New York Times carries Spalding Gray's beautiful tribute to his adopted city. He speaks for many of us immigrants in this city's unrelenting soul.

I fled New England and came to Manhattan, that island off the coast of America, where human nature was king and everyone exuded character and had big attitude. You gave me a sense of humor because you are so absurd.

Last January, this brilliant actor and monologuist vanished voluntarily in New York. His body was fished out of the East River two months later.