Jennifer Toth (1967–2025)

Best for: People who have wondered about those who life on the edges of our society.

In a nutshell: Journalism graduate student decides to investigate the lives of those who live in the tunnels underneath Manhattan.

Line that sticks with me: “ ‘This Coalition for the Homeless is just bullshit,’ he says. ‘Red tape ad litigation. They are procrastinators. They thrive on the homeless. Without us, they wouldn’t have jobs, and they know it.’ “

Why I chose it: A colleague who knows I show more read an unusually large number of books gave this to me.

Review: Hmmm. This book has be thinking many things. I started out thinking the author had some good intentions in writing it, but by the epilogue I was curious as to what her real motivation was.

I lived in NYC for a few years, and had heard stories about homeless people living in the subway tunnels, so when my colleague offered this book to me I decided to take it. The stories in it are intriguing for sure, although the validity of her research has been questioned by some. Not the stories, but the actual tunnels. When looking to see what Ms. Toth is up to these days, I came across this blog post (http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/mole-people.html), which seems to call into question nearly all of her descriptions of the tunnels. This doesn’t mean the stories themselves are also made up, but it does give me some pause.

This book could have benefited greatly from an editor. Not a line editor per say (although some language choices cut the flow for me), but an overall editor. There are over 20 chapters in this book, and some read as independent essays, while others feel like a continuation of the previous chapter. It lacks a cohesive organizing force, and I found that made it more challenging for me to get into, which surprised me, as the stories themselves are quite compelling.

I live in Seattle, and we have so many people living as homeless, to the point that our previous mayor declared it an emergency, which led to an activation of the emergency operations center for months this year. When I was reading about the police coming into tunnels and destroying the homes of these folks ‘for their safety’ so they wouldn’t come back and would feel compelled to seek shelter, I was reminded of the sweeps of encampments taking place daily in our city. (http://crosscut.com/2017/10/homelessness-seattles-public-health-crisis-city-budget/).

I don’t know how to best create a society where we care for our neighbors, whether they live in a house, apartment, SRO, RV, or in a tent in a park. And moreover, I don’t know how to create a society where, if people do not want to live in an RV or tent, they have options that don’t involve having to give up a beloved pet (http://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=hrap) or stay in a shelter away from their partner (http://kuow.org/post/seattles-forgotten-homeless-couples-who-want-stay-together). The quote I chose above comes from someone Ms. Toth interviewed for her book; it doesn’t not necessarily reflect my views on homeless advocacy. I’ve worked in government for nearly a decade, and I know that services provided both by the government and by non-profits can come with a ton of strings, and that there are people who realize that, if successful, they’ve worked themselves out of a job. But I don’t believe that they work less hard because of that. I just think our society hasn’t accepted that there may be some solutions out there that we aren’t willing to pay.

As for the specifics of this book, I can’t say whether Ms. Toth met as many different communities as she claims to have, or if all of the stories she shares are true. But on the last page of the epilogue, she said something that bothered me:

“Some people with self-destructive ways made me angry — not for the material things I gave them, but for things they took from within myself. They took from me unrelenting optimism. At times, they took my happiness. They brought an emptiness to my adventure, turning a great story into a human one that I might never put to rest.”

I’m just not sure how to read this sentence without being smacked in the face by her lack of self-awareness. Like, people who live underground “took” your unrelenting optimism? I’m sorry, but are you complaining that people living homeless gave you the sads and maybe put a cloud over your “adventure?” What the hell?

She also seemed to give very little space to women living homeless. She mentions 40% of those in the tunnels may be women, but she devotes only one of the two dozen chapters specifically to women, and in that one nearly all are defined in their relationship to the man in their life.

If you’re interested in the issues covered in this book, I’d suggest checking it out of the library. I don’t think it’s what I’d call ‘a keeper.’ show less

One cold winter in an old Victorian house in small town in Western MA I was romanced by this story of sub culture and counter culture: the coolest of the cool, the ultimate outsiders, the ostracized, the mentally ill, the idealists living underneath the streets in the defunct portions of the NYC subway system. Reading like a cross between a sociology study and a fictional account of the Island of Misfit Toys, this book was just right to intrigue my intellect and my imagination.

Further adding show more to the intrigue, Jennifer Toth apparently wrote the account as part of her graduate studies work. However, when challenged to prove her claims, she would not betray the locations-- and thereby the safety-- of the people she had observed, and in some cases, befriended. Losing academic credibility, the book was published as a novel.

It's rare the book I find that can romance me with descriptions of unused underground 1800s platforms, rococo embellishments and baby grands, and then turn my stomach and repulse me with a description of a dinner of "tunnel chicken": rat meat, and have a cohesive whole. But it works.

And I've never looked at the subway the same. show less

I was intrigued by the title, but didn't really know what I expected when I picked this book up at a local thrift store. After the first couple chapters that focus on the tunnel people from the police and aide societies, I was enthralled. Reading the stories of the people who chose to go 'under' rather than live with society's expectations (including some who suffered from addiction and/or abuse histories or mental illness), brought me nearer to understanding their motive to build their own show more underground communities. Astounding to see the political, i.e. Mayor of the community, to the mental, i.e. nurse who stitched, nursed fevers, pregnancies, to the educators, who taught the children undergound in a self-made classroom. There are no easy answers to why or how/if we should work towards eliminating these communities, but that's not what this book was about. This was a first person spotlight on a condition that occurred due to any number of breakdowns in our society. I recommend this book to all. Coming away from this book with sympathy isn't the point - understanding of your fellow man and how easy it could be you or I, in the place of the "mole people" is. show less

Deep below ground, in dark and abandoned tunnels of the New York subway system, live uncounted thousands of people. They capture and feed on enormous rats (which they call "track rabbits"), collect water from steam pipes, form societies for mutual protection, and spend most of their days dwelling in near or total darkness. All are in abject poverty; some are drug addicted; many are mentally ill; and most have found a way to survive far away from the confusion and pressures of modern society. show more It's a story of human adaptability and courage, and the author endangered her own life to tell their stories.

Unfortunately, much of the above is fictional or at least exaggerated -- an expanded urban legend constructed by an ambitious, would-be journalist writing her first book.

The Mole People is entertaining, and I found it fascinating to read; but a little investigation revealed reasons for skepticism. Ms Toth tells implausible and discrepant stories; tunnels and entrances she describes simply do not exist (and did not at the time of writing); and the only person she could offer to an interviewer as evidence failed to support her statements. How much of The Mole People is true? Who can say -- when an author is caught in questionable statements, and can offer no corroborative evidence for her assertions, everything she claims must be treated as suspect.

Ms Toth had a good run with a book that made her a little money, and launched her career. However, its claims must be treated with great skepticism. Below is one of the various articles that debunk her claims, one written by someone who knows tunnels of the NY subway system well:

http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/mole-people.html show less