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Remembering Bill Helmreich and His Ethnography Lessons

Bill Helmreich, ethnographer extraordinaire, passed away due to COVID-19 complications. Walking nearly every inch of New York City and writing about his adventures in fieldnote format, he published several books in what he often referred to as “the city nobody knows” series. Bill hoped to galvanize ethnographers to gather systematic snapshots of other cities around the world and create a lasting sociological account of these places. Upon penning his last book, he made plans to steer his attention to Los Angeles. This essay is a reflection on the lessons I learned from Bill, including his “walk and chat” method.