‘A Well-Dressed Man Sitting Across From Me Was Drawing With a Pencil’

Drawn Together

Dear Diary:

I was on the southbound 6 train in the Bronx. A well-dressed man sitting across from me was drawing with a pencil in a large, spiral-bound sketchbook.

A young boy carrying a box of candy approached him, hoping for a sale or donation. After looking at his drawing, the boy said something to him.

The man handed the sketchbook to the boy, who set his box of candy in the man’s lap and began to draw, leaning the sketchbook against the subway car door.

By the time we reached the next stop, the boy had drawn a figure with one raised arm that was holding a round object.

When the door slid open, the sketchbook fell out. The boy managed to hold onto the page with his drawing. He turned to the artist, traded the pencil for his box and headed toward the next car with his unfinished sketch.

The artist grinned and pulled a fresh book from the bag at his feet.

— Joel Minsky