Over the past month and in the leadup to July 4th, New York experienced an unprecedented surge in illegal firework activity, dwarfing any previous year. This meant that each evening in June and early July would be accompanied by intermittent bangs, bursts and technicolor explosions. Sleeping proved difficult. I’d be lying in bed, dozing off into a delicious slumber when a blast would erupt from my street corner, like some sort of surprise cannon attack. Ear plugs became non-negotiable. Sometimes, if the fireworks were nearby, the thin band of light around my curtains would flash green or blue or purple.