Year in Review: Top Cultural Stories of 2011

Today we conclude our weeklong “Year in Review” series with a look at some of the top cultural stories of 2011.

Writers, musicians, and artists of all kinds have been flocking to Brooklyn for decades in search of cheap rent, solitude, and ample space to practice their crafts. The rents are no longer cheap and the space is tighter than ever, but Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill continue to be vibrant art communities where creative types can make their homes and share their work.

Over the course of the year, Carroll Gardens Patch profiled and interviewed a broad range of local cultural figures. Here are some of their stories.

Turning unemployment into inspiration

Shortly after losing her screenwriting job, Carroll Gardens writer Liz Bartucci decided to use her plight as a form of inspiration. The result was a blog and e-novel called “Secret Lives of the Unemployed.” The main character lives in Carroll Gardens and finds kinship with other “laptop junkies” around the neighborhood.

The poet/plumber of Carroll Gardens

Local plumber Pete Romano took a circuitous route to poetry. As a youngster in Carroll Gardens, he thought poetry was for “sissy boys”. But his teachers liked his writing, and his friends kept asking him to ghost write their love letters.

It wasn’t until years later, though, during a stint in rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, that he finally embraced his god given talent. He has been performing spoken word poetry for four years. “Spoken word is street poetry, hood poetry,” he says. “It’s got more of a hard core message and people use the slangs and terms…It’s more gritty.”

Year of the Dragon gets stamp of approval

Illustrator Kam Mak of Carroll Gardens created a design that will be featured on next year’s stamp commemorating the Year of the Dragon. His sketch depicts the head of the dragon dance costume frequently used in Lunar New Year celebrations. This is the fifth time that the United States Postal Service has used one of Mak’s sketches.

Do-it-yourself history

History is both a social science and an art form. Like many art forms, it can be practiced in the comfort of your own home. , who in October taught a class at the Cobble Hill Association intended to share his research skills with the general public. He told his audience that everybody in Cobble Hill lives in a historic house, and that something interesting must have happened in each home over the past 150 years. History is right in front of us—all we have to do is look for it.