We here at Ask a New Yorker love a touch of genius and Becky Cooper has certainly produced a book that is pure genius in inspiration. Since 2009, cooper has handed out 3,000 blank maps of Manhattan, and asked a cross section of New Yorker’s to fill them in. Cooper printed only an outline of our favorite borough with two lines inside. One for Broadway and Houston. Cooper also included a rectangle for Central Park. The rest of the map was up to each individual to provide their imagination. Cooper 25, came up with the idea while studying at Harvard. The result of her brainstorm is a new book ‘Mapping Manhattan.’ Soon Cooper realized all the maps she got back were mini autobiographies. “When people don’t realize they’re revealing themselves, they’re apt to lay themselves much more bare,” she writes.
The book is a gem, featuring such maps as “Mappuccino” and “Lost Gloves.” Pure genius and a lot of fun! The book will be published in April by Abrams Image.
