131 Different Things

In this splashy, photo-heavy volume, Sam tends bar at a Lower East Side dive full of colorful characters. He once hoped to be a filmmaker, but, on the rebound from a failed marriage, he’s now just trying to gain equilibrium. That is, until his ex-wife, Aviva, shows up at the bar with a “twentysomething coke vulture” in tow. After this encounter, the news that one-time love Vicki is back and drinking again sends Sam on an unsavory mission as he presumes, if Vicki is drinking again, maybe she can love him again. Searching for Vicki serves as a MacGuffin for a long night of bar hopping, bumping intermittently into Aviva, and meeting memorable denizens of the Village club scene, such as a thug named Big Timmy and the “handsome bore” Blake. The chapters in the book read like interconnected stories, bolstered by Zinner’s outstanding (mostly color) pictures—over 100 in total. Though several references place the book in current times, it conjures up the grittier bygone era of Lou Reed and Debbie Harry, who merits a passing mention. The prose is overshadowed by the photography, but this is nonetheless an intriguing volume, particularly for those looking to party all night without leaving their living room. (Nov.)