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My Book Tour: The First Week

This past Saturday, I returned home after a week on the road promoting Left Bank of the Hudson. I started in my native region with events in Olean and Buffalo, New York and then headed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Everyone whom I met expressed genuine interest in the topics of cities, gentrification, artists, and historic preservation.…

Terrence McDonald and I discuss my book and talk with Jersey City readers.

WORD: My First Jersey City Crowd

On Saturday, October 7, 2017, WORD Bookstore hosted the Jersey City launch for Left Bank of the Hudson. Terrence McDonald, a talented and sharp journalist from the Jersey Journal, joined me for a lively and fun conversation. This marked my first discussion with my (adopted) hometown crowd. Jersey City did not disappoint. A terrific afternoon…

That's my book! In a bookstore! (Courtesy of Perfume Professor)

Book Culture: My Book Tour Begins

On October 3, 2017, Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street, my first book, was published. Officially, I became an author. Book Culture, a great Manhattan bookstore and a dangerous place for any book lover, hosted the New York release party. I read a passage from my book,…

Left Bank of the Hudson: A Short Reflection

My first book, Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street, will be released by Fordham University Press on October 3, 2017. Next week.

My First Event: The Brooklyn Book Festival

This past Sunday, I attended the Brooklyn Book Festival as an author. Yes, a professional, published writer.

vanishing new york

Vanishing New York: The Book & The Event

Last week, I attended the book release party for Vanishing New York by the pseudonymous blogger, Jeremiah Moss, at the Housing Works Bookstore in SoHo–itself a vanished arts community–in Manhattan. 

Lax Photo

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.

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…

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…

Catskills

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.