In his blog, Annals of Americus, Mathew Newton writes
"Essays, reportage, and commentary on life in post-millennial America".
He describes his blog as "topics include, but are not limited to,
intimate ramblings, visual studies, shocking nonsense, social/cultural/political analysis."
In one of his recent posts called Graveyard Consumerism,
he offers some very astute insights and observations
of the American pastime called the flea market.
The sights, sounds, and smells at a flea market are as much a part of the experience as sifting through the discarded possessions of strangers. Part of the appeal is the bizarre voyeurism it involves, gawking at things people once believed they needed but have since found no use for. And as any flea market veteran will attest, the experience is purest when the people you are buying from have just emptied their attic or garage, packed it into a car, and driven to a parking lot somewhere to sell it all. It’s a cleansing ritual — a hit-and-run way to quickly purge things that have outlived their usefulness.
For more photos and... wisdom.
xo
