Every day, I walk over the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. I live about a block away, and have to cross it to get to the studio where I write, and also to the One Story offices over on Third Avenue. The Gowanus was constructed in the 1860s, as a way for factories in Brooklyn to ferry their products out to the harbor. Recently, the Gowanus was claimed as a Superfund Site. The canal is completely polluted, from years of factories dumping their chemicals, but it has a ton of personality. It’s even rumored to have Syphilis and Gonorrhea floating in the water. I’ve heard that it will take 30 years to clean it all, dredging and steel walls built into the sides. But I’m in love with the Gowanus. All of its stinky polluted parts. Every time I cross it I see something beautiful. I started taking pictures a few months back, when it was snowing, and I’m going to start posting them here. The Gowanus has become a real inspiration. I’d highly recommend walking over one of its five bridges, especially the Carroll Street bridge, which always makes me feel like I’ve been transported, for just a few moments, until I reach the other side.