Julie Powell and Tin Man: blackout survivors

Julie: Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a Blackout. “With a flashlight wedged under my chin and candles everywhere, I sautéed rice in butter—would have used some onions there but I had none, or if I did they were lost in the dark refrigerator…”

Tin Man: “ I stood on the Hudson River promenade. I listened and looked at the water lapping against the rocks. I leaned against the railing and stared east at the Manhattan skyline. Most of it was dark, but much of Lower Manhattan had power. It was an eerie reversal from two years ago.

“It was like Lower Manhattan had suffered enough and was finally getting a respite.”