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Travels

Crossing the Empire State

Last week, a minor emergency prompted a last-minute change to an already postponed family visit to Western New York State. Not wanting to call off my long-awaited and now necessary trip, I purchased a round-trip ticket from New York to Rochester on Amtrak’s Empire Service line.

(Photograph by author)

Bromo Seltzer & Baltimore

Earlier this month, I visited an old friend in Baltimore ostensibly to lend him a hand with his cozy 1850s rowhouse. In between projects, he introduced me to a few (of the many) high points of Charm City. Knowing our shared passion for architectural, industrial, and local history, my friend prominently included a tour of…

County Theater, Doylestown, Pennsylvania (Photograph by author)

This Main Street is Alive

Recently, the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania invited Perfume Professor to give an afternoon lecture on Edward Steichen’s recently restored and showcased murals, “In Exaltation of Flowers.” (Her talk was well attended and received.) The Perfume Professor graciously asked me to accompany her on this brief adventure. I’m glad that I tagged along.

A Walk in the Woods

This past December, I shared a few days with my family in my hometown in Western New York state. Although city life lured me away nearly two decades ago, I still miss the natural beauty of this particular corner of the Empire State. I suspect that I always will.

Perfume Professor standing on Winslow Homer's second-story porch. (Photograph by author).

Winslow Homer’s Atlantic Home

This past October, my wife and I shared a wonderful vacation in Portland, Maine. Not surprising to anyone acquainted with us, we visited several historic homes. The American artist Winslow Homer lived and worked in Maine for nearly thirty years. His studio was a must-see. Coincidentally, we signed up for the final tour of the…

Winslow Homer, Wild Geese in Flight, 1897 (Courtesy of Portland Museum of Art)

A Maine Dispatch

In late October, my wife and I traveled to Portland, Maine for a much anticipated vacation. Colleagues and friends told us great things about the city. Besides, shouldn’t one visit New England in autumn? Portland’s concentration and quality of creative businesses and arts institutions delighted and impressed us. Bookstores, cafes, restaurants, quirky shops, museums–Portland has…

Great Falls, Paterson, New Jersey. (Photograph by Author)

The (Frozen) Great Falls of Paterson

During the recent cold snap, my friends invited me to join them for an afternoon trip to see the Great Falls in Paterson, New Jersey. Why might this be noteworthy? The Great Falls, the inspiration behind Alexander Hamilton’s industrial experiment, stood frozen. That’s right. Frozen.

My book cover image featured on the Fordham University Press Fall 2017 catalog.

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…

(Photograph by Author)

Snapshot: Durham’s Tobacco Warehouses

Last month, Regulator Bookshop invited me to Durham, North Carolina to present my new (and first) book, Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street, to readers in the Research Triangle. Before my reading, I walked through downtown Durham and its warehouse district to get a feel for the…

View of the Mississippi River from the Mill City Museum.

A Stop in the Twin Cities

For the final travel date of my book tour, I visited Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Magers & Quinn Booksellers invited me to introduce Left Bank of the Hudson to the literary and creative communities of the Twin Cities on November 2, 2017.