Projects, essays and reflections on place, memory, mobility, and life across borders.
Patric Tengelin is a writer whose work explores memory, place, mobility, and the changing relationship between people and the modern world.
His essays range from personal memoir and travel writing to historical reflection, cultural observation, and archival projects focused on preserving individual lives and experiences. Whether writing about a memorial chair in Bryant Park, life in the Caribbean, the experience of watching films across different decades, or the realities of working remotely, his focus remains the same: how people create meaningful lives within the environments they inhabit.
A recurring theme throughout his work is the search for places that feel genuinely human. Places where community remains visible, where daily life unfolds at a slower rhythm, and where technology serves as a tool rather than an obligation.
Much of the modern world rewards constant connection. Yet many of the freedoms people ultimately seek are surprisingly simple: the freedom to walk without urgency, to read without interruption, to spend time with friends, to sit by the sea, to travel slowly, and to choose when to participate in the digital world rather than being permanently tethered to it.
His work is shaped by a paradox of contemporary life. The internet, global communications, and increasingly interconnected systems have made it possible to live and work across borders in ways that would have seemed unimaginable only a generation ago. At the same time, those same forces have made uninterrupted time, physical community, and genuine presence increasingly valuable.
Perhaps the greatest luxury today is not access to more information, more devices, or more notifications. It is the ability to step away from them when desired. To remain connected to the world while preserving the freedom to experience it directly.
Across different countries, cultures, and stages of life, his writing explores the ongoing search for that balance.
Returning to Ground Zero Over the Years
A personal account of returning to Lower Manhattan across the years following September 11, exploring memory, place, grief, and the evolving relationship between a city and those who continue to carry its history.
Built around journal entries written by David Tengelin while working on the 100th floor of the North Tower months before September 11, this memorial essay preserves the observations, humor, and everyday moments of a young man whose New York story was cut short.
A literary memoir examining the connection between a young newcomer, the New York Public Library, Bryant Park, and a memorial chair that continues to honor David Tengelin more than two decades after September 11.
Sourcebook Project (In Progress)
An ongoing archival project dedicated to preserving the life, writings, photographs, correspondence, and personal history of David Tengelin. Drawing on journals, family records, historical research, and firsthand accounts, the project seeks to create a lasting resource for future generations while documenting one individual's journey through New York, international travel, and the events that shaped his life and legacy.
Oral History Project (Planned)
Following completion of the Sourcebook Project, I intend to record a comprehensive oral history based upon my own memories and experiences. Drawing upon decades of research, family records, photographs, correspondence, journals, and archival material, the project will serve as a detailed first-person account of David’s life, our family, and the years surrounding his time in New York. The purpose is not only to preserve memories, but to leave behind a permanent historical record for future generations after those with firsthand knowledge are no longer here to tell the story themselves.
Cinema: A Trilogy Spanning Decades
A series of essays exploring the experience of watching films from the 1980s to the present day—from living rooms and school auditoriums to multiplexes, outdoor screenings, and aircraft cabins at 40,000 feet. These essays examine not only cinema itself, but the places, technologies, and cultures surrounding it.
Living and Working Remotely in Georgia
A personal memoir of life in Georgia during the pandemic years, exploring how global mobility evolved from a distant aspiration into a practical reality for a new generation of location-independent professionals.
Working Remotely from Barbados
A memoir of life under the Barbados Welcome Stamp program, reflecting on community, cultural adaptation, and the everyday experiences that transformed a temporary stay into a lasting memory.
Drawing on years of international living, this essay examines the realities of location-independent life, the search for belonging, and the practical challenge of finding places that remain enjoyable long after the novelty has disappeared.