One in 8 Million

The "eight million" referred to in the title are the inhabitants of New York City. At the last count in 2008, there were in fact 8,363,710 of them. And the "one" refers to the unique individual -- a remarkable person or just an ordinary New Yorker -- who features in each three-minute miniature portrait in this series. Every week since 2009, a new portrait has been added to this \i New York Times\i0 project. They include the Rookie Detective who learned his trade in the Israeli army, the former Bar Fighter enjoying himself on his racing bike, the Struggling Stand-Up living from paycheck to paycheck, and the Urban Taxidermist who goes in search of living examples of the animals he stuffs. Each of them starts as the stereotype these labels imply -- symbolizing a particular kind of citizen -- but they become distinct individuals through the radio interviews in which they talk about themselves, and through the striking black-and-white photographs by \i New York Times\i0 photographer Todd Heisler. \par \par nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/