The 96th Street Book Club

Only in New York could a book club be scheduled by subway stops instead of clock time.

Tom Toro imagines a group of literary commuters whose weekly meeting lasts exactly as long as the ride from Astor Place to 96th Street. Surrounded by the familiar choreography of the subway, the riders quietly transform public transit into a rolling salon for serious readers.

The handwritten caption reads:
“Our book group meets every Thursday from Astor Place to 96th Street.”

Drawn in pen on 8.5" x 11" printer paper, this original preliminary sketch captures the immediacy of Toro’s comedic process before refinement or publication. 

The loose linework and conversational energy give the piece the feel of an idea caught mid-arrival, preserving the spontaneity often lost in finished artwork. As an unpublished New Yorker pitch, it offers collectors a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into how a deceptively simple joke evolves from first spark to finished cartoon.

Equal parts literary wit, commuter realism, and classic New Yorker observation, this piece is a love letter to both books and the strange efficiency of city life.  Excellent condition.