The New York Times author William Grimes reviews "The Big Oyster", by Mark Kurlansky, in "Before There Were Bagels, New York Had the Oyster". In an interesting sounding book, Kurlansky, the author of "Cod" and "Salt", details the history of the perished Hudson oyster. In Grimes' review, he contemplates "The Big Oyster" author's vision that the Hudson will be rejuvenated someday (in the nature sense here -- apart from the business sense).
"...[T]eeming mass of sturgeon, striped bass and shad swimming through the Narrows...up the Hudson...acres of fecund oyster beds...cleanse the waters of New York.
"This is no fantasy", Grimes says. Then, at the end of the book review, after contemplating the reality of the NY metropolis, its effluent, and its unlikely coexistance with oysterbeds, he asks "Is paradise lost forever?"
He points to groups like the Baykeepers, an environmental group devoted to the estuaries (who coincidentally, discuss the "commons" on their home page). The group projects hopefully that the estuaries and their oysters can be restored and served on NY restaurant tables. Oyster lovers we are, but realists also we tend to side with Grimes, who says: "You first."
