David J. Goodwin
The Need for Small Cities
Recently, a documentary which I co-created was an official selection at the Albany Film Festival, and I traveled to New York’s state capital to represent the film and partake in a refreshing change of scene. My time in the Capital District, that is, the Albany metropolitan area, followed the cliched pattern of a New York…
They Came for the Neighborhood
Although the long-term impact of the ongoing pandemic upon cities remains uncertain, one reality remains constant: housing costs continue to tick upward in desirable urban areas. This raises the twin specters of gentrification and displacement. The causes and connections of these processes have been hotly discussed and debated over the past several decades in both…
The 100th Episode
Recently, I made my fourth consecutive annual appearance on We Need Some Milk, a podcast exploring local politics and urban policy. This episode was the 100th for the program. I was excited and honored to be a part of this milestone. The hosts and I chatted about pandemic-era cities, mass transit, gerrymandering, and my forthcoming…
H. P. Lovecraft and the Winter Blues
Weird fiction author H. P. Lovecraft moved to New York City to marry the stylish milliner Sonia H. Greene and chase after the writer’s life in March 1924. Greene rented a spacious apartment (four rooms!) in the fashionable Brooklyn neighborhood of Flatbush. Lovecraft fancied himself landing a plum writing or editorial position. By January 1925,…
Winter Spirits and Solitude
Edith Wharton’s Ghosts demonstrate that the solitude of a winter night might still evoke dread and and wonder.
A Christmas Star
With the emergence of a worrisome new COVID-19 variant, nightmarish climate forecasts, and the full embrace of unscientific and undemocratic thinking by a substantive percentage of the American voting public, this Christmas season feels more emotionally challenging than last year. “Normal” life resembles a distant memory more than an object just in sight. For that…
Providence: Walking with H. P. Lovecraft
A research trip to Providence, Rhode Island allows this biographer to immerse himself in the the world of his subject — weird fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft
Small Green Spaces
A visit to Greenwich Village’s Jefferson Market Garden underscores the importance of small green spaces.
H. P. Lovecraft’s Summer in the City
Share some summertime fun with author H. P. Lovecraft as he makes the most of New York City’s public treasures — its parks, beaches, and libraries.
A Summer Break
Since I’m fully immersed in finishing a rough draft of my second book, a biography of iconic horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his time in New York City, I’ll be stepping away from the blog for several weeks. In the meantime, I hope that you’ll check out some past pieces and enjoy the beginning…