David J. Goodwin
A Sense of Rootedness: Reflections on History and Preservation
In his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis commented upon the “need to protect those common areas, visual landmarks, and urban landscapes which increase our sense of belonging, of rootedness, of “feeling at home” within a city.” By preserving such spaces and visiting them, we as individuals and as a people might feel a connection…
Jersey City: The Quiet Stories of History
Recently, a local historian and lifelong Jersey City resident shared with me his joyous surprise upon discovering a cache of newspaper articles concerning a prominent late-nineteenth-century resident of his neighborhood and this resident’s failed attempt to sell his private park to the Jersey City government. This nineteenth-century gentleman was Bernard Vetterlain. Bernard Vetterlain earned his…
Words from a Master: On Writing by Stephen King
While browsing at the legendary and beloved Strand bookstore in Manhattan several weeks ago, I picked up a copy of Stephen King’s On Writing for a birthday present for my friend (and sometimes collaborator). For years, bookstore clerks have recommended this book to me, so I bought a copy for myself, too. Preparing for the…
Back Next Week … I Promise
I’m writing and editing on a tight deadline this week. Although I have hinted around my forthcoming book in past posts, I still can’t reveal any concrete details beyond its October publishing date. Sorry. I’ll post again next week. Promise. In the meantime, please enjoy my past posts. As always, I appreciate any comments. If…
The Fisherman: Hudson Valley Horror
John Langan’s The Fisherman is a complex horror novel set in the Catskills Mountains in New York. Creepy, atmospheric, and strange–a perfect read for a dark and rainy night.
Ruins Among Us: (Post) Industrial Space
A few weeks ago, my friend and I spent a Sunday morning documenting a gargantuan industrial property situated on the borderlands between Essex and Hudson Counties, New Jersey. We snapped hundreds of photographs, jotted down notes, and exchanged innumerable observations. Recently, we transformed our creative material into an article submitted to a very niche and…
Slouching Toward Bethlehem: American Barbarism
“The arts are essential to any complete national life. The State owes it to itself to sustain and encourage them … Ill fares the race which fails to salute the arts with the reverence and delight which are their due.” Thus spoke Sir Winston Churchill about the special, vital place of arts and culture in…
Jersey City and America: Will We Ever Value Culture?
This past Sunday, I drove around Jersey City with the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy to survey homes, businesses, and assorted properties redeveloped in an aesthetically- and historically-minded fashion over the past year. Jersey City’s bounty of interesting, beautiful buildings astounded me. These treasures exist well beyond the sanctioned historic districts and the increasing affluent downtown. Well…
Penning an Article, Taking (Another) Pause
At the moment, my friend and I are working on an article for a very entertaining, informative, and eclectic publication. This short-term project coupled with my book manuscript will demand all my creativity during the next few weeks. My apologies for stepping away from the blog for the second time in three months. In the…
Ghost Stories for Christmas
While browsing for a Christmas present for my wife at a local independent bookstore (Little City Books in Hoboken, New Jersey, which deserves its own review), I happened upon a counter display of tiny books published by Biblioasis, a small, independent publishing house in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The books belong to the Christmas Ghost Stories…