Last Wednesday, October 5th, around 9:30pm, a hero of his own art drowned in the Hudson River. 22 year old Dennis Kim of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn was walking along the Christopher St. Pier in the West Village of New York City when he somehow lost his backpack over the railing.
"I can't let that stuff go," he told a friend as he began emptying his pockets and removing his shoes.
He wasn't so concerned about his copy of Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer as he was about his many poems and various writings. After taking off his shirt, he dove into the Hudson River and swam about 30 feet to retrieve his backpack. Eyewitnesses say that as soon as he grabbed his bag, the rough river's current began to overtake him. He screamed for help but friends and strangers could do nothing. If they dove in to save him, it was likely the current would take them, too.
Police say that a body washed up on shore yesterday. They believe it is the body of Dennis Kim. An autopsy will have to be done to be sure, but police say that the body was clutching a bag with the name "Dennis" on it.
It's a sad and tragic thing, for sure. Dennis probably had no idea of the serious danger he was in before it surrounded him. All he knew was that he had to save his art.
There's not much else to say. Our hearts go out to Dennis' family and friends. And we hope, as a tribute to Dennis, that some of his poems will be made public over the next few weeks. If they are, we will certainly bring them to you here.