Apparating to the Hogwarts Library, Chowing Down on Squid, and Smashing a Sushi Donut

I’m mixing it up and starting with the food today. First of all, sushi donuts are sublime. I saw this sidewalk sign outside Poketeria on my way to the Morgan Library after work, and of course had to stop in and try one.

Open secret: A lot of Instagrammable food tastes only subpar, but this donut delivered in both aesthetic and quality. The sauce was the icing on the sushi rice cake. Definitely seeing more of these in my future!

I also tried squid for the first time yesterday at Kung Fu Kitchen on 8th Avenue. I opted for the seafood ramen, which featured shrimp, squid, bok choy (cabbage), and fish tofu. The restaurant also serves marinated pig ears, which I passed on for now.

So what does squid taste like? It’s a tough meat, and there’s not a ton of flavor, but the cool part is you can feel the ridges on your tongue as you chew it – bump, bump, bump, bump. It’s like eating one of those twisty eraser sticks you ogled at the Scholastic Book Fair in elementary school.

OK, back to work. I did some more high-stakes editing today, including tackling The Daily newsletter this afternoon. They also left me in control of the desk by myself for a while today! We were already short-staffed this week, and then the other editors had meetings, and it was just me. But I made it through without saying no to anything (there are usually three editors on the desk)!

I think I mentioned that yesterday was a busy day (more like drinking from a fire hose of unceasing editing requests). Well, today I learned it was the busiest day in the four months the desk has existed, and we had only two editors staffing it (one was me)! I love the variety of copy I get to work with, from obits to culture stories to Wordplay crossword explainers to politics.

After work (and my sushi donut), I headed to the Morgan Library and Museum on Madison Avenue (yes, that J.P. Morgan). The museum’s Maurice Sendak exhibit, “Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak’s Designs for Opera and Ballet,” had its grand opening today.

There were no photos allowed inside, but rest assured, Sendak wasn’t just a formidable illustrator. He was also a first-rate costume designer (and possibly the world’s most ardent Mozart fan).

I also walked through fascinating exhibits on Walt Whitman, the British artist William Hogarth, and a collection of the library’s treasures, including a Gutenberg Bible, illustrated manuscripts, and Mozart scores. The best part? It was all FREE! (The Morgan Library waives its admission fee on Friday evenings.)

After walking through the exhibits, I headed to J.P. Morgan’s library and study. First up was the East Room, and holy cow, English major heaven! We’re talking floor-to-ceiling bookcases, with secret staircases behind them that lead to the second- and third-level balconies. I thought this kind of thing only existed in the movies.

I can tell Morgan and I would have been friends – he had great taste. And his library might be my new favorite place in the city. I spent ages in the treasures section and the photography exhibit – the explainer plaques were well done, and I wanted to read everything!

I also visited his study – if his library is a veritable Hogwarts, his study is a replica of Thornfield Hall. You can easily imagine that Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester just stepped out. This is what people mean when they call a room handsome.

My only regret is that I didn’t make it to the Morgan in time to see the Tolkien exhibit that closed May 12, a month before I arrived. It was the most extensive public display of original Tolkien material in generations, and featured illustrations, maps, draft manuscripts, and more (I’m sure Stephen Colbert visited at some point). Oh, well – you can’t see everything!

Bonus content: The Dickens duck from the Morgan Library gift shop.

On an unrelated note, can someone please explain to me how it’s legal to swipe someone else into the subway with your MetroCard? You can’t charge the person for the swipe, but can swipe someone in for free. This blows my mind.

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