Interview by Kyle McGlyn
What inspired you to write such a specific piece oriented around the simple price of $2.75 in New York City?
I was tasked with writing a flash fiction piece encompassing New York City and my experience living here for an assignment in my Creative Writing course. As a student who has been using public transportation to get to school since middle school, I’ve become increasingly aware of the rising price of the MTA fare. I thought it would be cool to connect that fare to various aspects of life in both Queens and New York City as a whole.
I enjoyed the end where you describe the $2.75 as “her,” seemingly being replaced by $2.90. Why did you decide to write it this way?
For me, it felt natural to personify the $2.75 as a young woman who was coming to a sense of her self-worth, especially in a dense city. I liked how, in personifying an MTA fare, I could challenge the readers’ perspectives and make them feel “sorry” or even regretful for demeaning the increase in its price over the years. Also, in doing so, the readers are warned of the possibility of the fare’s price rising once more in the future.
Did you intend to write this piece to make a statement on inflation and how something as simple as a slight raise in the MTA fare affects all New Yorkers?
Originally, I wanted to create a piece that simply showcases what the price of an MTA fare could offer people in New York City, whether they be native-born, relocated individuals, or tourists. As I got further into writing the piece, it eventually developed into a statement on inflation where the audience, who may or may not be affected New Yorkers, gets to question whether or not that inflation is reasonable. I highlighted this question by presenting a range of positive and negative factors of subway transportation throughout the piece for the audience to take into consideration.
Read John A. Birt’s poem, “Two Seventy-Five” here.
John A. Birt (he/him) is a student at LaGuardia Community College majoring in Liberal Arts: Journalism. He has a passion for creative writing, digital design, and storytelling.
