Submitted by patrickbringley t3_1129ksv in IAmA
Hi Reddit. When I was twenty-five years old, my big brother died and I decided to make a major change. I felt I couldn’t rush back to an office job and pretend to care about office nonsense. I wanted to be somewhere nourishing and to do something straightforward and useful. So I took a job as a quiet watchman in a great palace of art.
Over the next ten years I spent two thousand days in the Met’s galleries, communing with masterpieces, exploring, people watching, pacing, leaning, thinking my thoughts, responding to incidents, and befriending my diverse and talented colleagues in dark blue suits.
Today — today! — Simon ＆ Schuster is publishing my book about the experience, ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD: THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART AND ME. The Washington Post (paywall) calls it “exquisite,” the AP calls it “hauntingly beautiful,” and the New York Times Book Review describes it as “an empathic chronicle of one museum, the works collected there and the people who keep it running — all recounted by an especially patient observer.” It’s available everywhere books are sold, and you’ll find direct links to the usual outlets here.
It’s a bit of a moment for me, and I’d be thrilled to answer any questions about the museum, its operations, its guards, its treasures, and the unique role of a (mostly) quiet and (mostly) solitary watchman in this busy world of ours. Also, if you have any questions about writing and publishing a book, I’m happy to field those as well.
Or anything else!
Visit my site to learn more! Thanks all.
EDIT: These two+ hours flew right by -- in stark contrast to the quiet, elongated hours a museum guard enjoys, but man, it was a hoot. You asked fascinating questions, and I hope you'll check out the book, ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD, which drops today, to learn much more. For instance, I feel I didn't do enough talking about my extraordinary colleagues! Check out the book and you'll learn about five hundred characters in dark blue suits. It's been real. Thanks again. I'll see you in an art gallery one day.
