Contemplation
Winter Reading: A Welcomed Respite
During winter evenings, I enjoy nothing more than sitting in my cozy parlor and passing the hours with a book. The cold and the early darkness provide the perfect excuse to pull away from the workaday world and immerse myself in the written word. I always look forward to the winter.
Left Bank of the Hudson: Year-End Reflections
On October 3, 2017, nearly three months ago, my first book, Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street, was published by Fordham University Press. The publication marked the conclusion of a five-year effort and an achievement of a lifelong dream of becoming an author. You could say it…
Valiant Ambition: Rethinking the American Revolution
During my early adulthood, I lived in Philadelphia and spent a majority of my leisure time visiting historic sites, cemeteries, and museums. I loved learning about colonial and early America. I loved living in a place where I could see, hear, and even touch history. Although I no longer call Philadelphia home, I still enjoy…
A Walk Through Journal Square (or Journal Squared)
While walking through the Journal Square section of Jersey City on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, I stopped and snapped a few pictures of the advertisements for the recently opened and the planned high-rise developments in the neighborhood.
The World in a Grain of Sand
Last week, I visited my hometown, Olean, New York, to attend my younger sister’s wedding. As I walked through the streets and returned to my old haunts, I found myself looking at them in a new light. Robert Lax was born in Olean and he died in Olean.
Reflections on an American Holiday
Many Americans celebrate July 4th with cookouts, parades, and fireworks with family and friends. For most, the holiday offers a needed respite from work and a hard-earned opportunity to indulge in food and drink. The day marks our break from the British Empire and our declaration of independence.
Chasing the Writer’s Life
In past posts, I have announced various writing and editing deadlines and alluded to the October publication of my forthcoming book, Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street. Attentive readers might have noticed the recent additions of “Book” and “Events” pages to this site. Fordham University Press will…
Riding the Model Train in Binghamton
On Memorial Day weekend, I woke at the crack of dawn and boarded a bus destined for Binghamton, New York to see an old friend for the first time in five years. To me, that city meant little more than name on a highway sign. My friend was visiting his family in Western New York. …
A Saturday Visit to the Public Library
On May 1, 2017, the main branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library reopened literally after years of renovations. As I’ve feverishly worked on my book manuscript for the last eight months, I found myself unable to consult a needed book for an obscure fact or flip through a bulging vertical file to search…
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…