by Glenn Miller
In the novel Doorman Wanted, Henry Franken has a problem with money – he has too much of it.
That’s the logline that occurred to me while I was in the final stages of writing this book about a doorman with money issues. Most people have money problems in that they don’t have enough of it; Henry has the opposite problem. His inheritance and the expectations that come with it terrify him, to the point that he hides within the uniform of a doorman in New York City’s Upper East Side. Doorman Wanted is about wealth, inheritance, income disparities, and our perceptions of individuals based on assets and lifestyles.
It also delves into art; art as a form of escape, an opportunity for definition – both of the self and of our world – and as a means of communication. One of the art forms that plays throughout Doorman Wanted is music. New York, arguably, is the most “sung about” city in the world, and for good reason.
The Only Living Boy in New York – Simon and Garfunkel
One of Paul Simon’s most beautiful songs, written while Paul was waiting for Art Garfunkel to return to New York from filming Catch-22. While the lyrics are quite specific to Paul and Art’s relationship at the time, it works well for anyone who is feeling either lonely or abandoned. I include it in this playlist because that sense of loneliness plays throughout Doorman Wanted as Henry works to figure out exactly which world he belongs to.
Everybody’s Talkin’ – Fred Neil
Fred Neil wrote this haunting song in 1966, two years prior to Harry Nilsson’s cut and three years prior to its thematic use in Midnight Cowboy. Not specifically about New York City – though, certainly, associated with the city because of the film – it is a song about isolation and one man’s inability to meaningfully connect with others around him, a subtextual theme within Doorman Wanted. I include Fred Neil’s original version here.
Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reed
Before we move on from the late ‘60s/early ‘70s time frame, I’ve got to throw in Lou Reed’s classic. While a quintessential song about New York’s “gritty period,” it is also a song about landing in the city and having the opportunity to redefine oneself. That, certainly, is what Doorman Wanted’s Henry does when he hits town.
Chelsea Morning – Joni Mitchell
The brilliant singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, though largely associated with the Southern California scene, wrote this gem about New York’s Chelsea neighborhood when she was just starting out. Mitchell’s songwriting is poetic and specific. Rather than trying to represent the city in its entirety, she sings about just one neighborhood within the noisy city. In fact, about just one room in that neighborhood, a room with open windows, yellow curtains, and sunbeam rainbows on the walls.
Summer in New York – Michael Franks
Hey, any song that includes The Strand bookstore within its lyrics is a winner in my book. Michael Franks’ song is such a wonderful paean to the city. I imagine it playing in the background as Henry and Wendy stroll back along Central Park heading to L’Hermitage, following their “date” at The Met, each wondering about the status of their relationship. Is the song about two people in love, or about two people in love with the city of New York?
Someone to Watch Over Me – Nancy Wilson
I don’t think it’s possible or legal to put together a New York City playlist without including something by George and Ira Gershwin, so I’m happy to oblige. While walking the streets of New York, one can’t help but be aware of music – from buskers, from passing automobiles, from open windows and doors. In one scene in Doorman Wanted, Henry walks down the street and passes a musician playing the Gershwin’s Someone to Watch Over Me. I inserted this particular song within the narrative because it reflects both innocence and uncertainty, two qualities that Henry, at this point in the book, is strongly radiating.
Ladies Who Lunch – Elaine Stritch, COMPANY
Can’t leave out Gershwin from a New York City playlist, probably shouldn’t leave out Stephen Sondheim, either. An important scene in Doorman Wanted is when Mrs. Hill tells Henry of a lunch she once had with another woman at a small café on Madison Avenue. This song, a second-act showstopper from Sondheim’s COMPANY, played in the background of my mind as I wrote the scene. It is sung by the irrepressible Elaine Stritch.
I Happen to Like New York – Bobby Short
Let’s move from Broadway to a New York nightclub. For years, Bobby Short was the epitome of the city’s nightclub scene, performing at the Café Carlyle. There is a key chapter in the book that takes place in the Carlyle Hotel’s Bemelmans Bar, right across the entrance from the Café Carlyle, in which Henry attempts to come clean with Wendy about his financial situation. Martinis, however, get in the way.
Manhattan – Blossom Dearie
Another mainstay of the New York City nightclub scene during the 1960s was the wonderful Blossom Dearie. She was known for her stylistic arrangements, piano playing, and distinctive voice. I include her version of Roger’s and Hart’s Manhattan.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? – Thompson Twins
And finally, Cole Porter’s classic is a tongue-in-cheek look at wealth. Of course, everyone wants to be a millionaire. But in Doorman Wanted, Henry would answer the titular question as the singer in the song does, perhaps even more emphatically: “I don’t.” This wonderful version was done by the Thompson Twins on the Red, Hot + Blue tribute album.
Glenn R. Miller launched his professional career by working on television soap operas, game shows, and children’s programming on the back lots of NBC Burbank. He holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and has served as a CBS-affiliate news producer, an executive speechwriter, and creative director at production agencies within the Twin Cities. His published writings range from a regularly featured column in the Minneapolis-based Southwest Journal to the airing of a humor commentary on NPR’s Marketplace. Doorman Wanted is his first published novel.
More information at glenn-r-miller.com
