The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City

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I THOUGHT A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE TITLE OF THIS BOOK. ALthough there are several communities of tunnel dwellers who call themselves the mole people, there are many individuals living in the tunnels who take issue with the term. In homeless circles aboveground, the tunnel people are commonly referred to as “mole people.” Sometimes the term is used in such circles disparagingly, to establish higher status within the homeless community.

Graffiti artist Chris Pape and photographer Margaret Morton each raised concerns about “The Mole People” because it is regarded as a pejorative term among homeless advocates, and more important to us all, it is insulting to some tunnel dwellers. Bernard Isaacs and his community under Riverside Park were those we most wanted to protect from this title. For years, Bernard has objected to the term because he feels it is a label that portrays him as an animal, not as a person. Yet when I talked to Bernard about the title of this book, he agreed “The Mole People” was the right choice.

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