Tenement Talks in October
Jane Addams: Spirit in Action
Louise Knight
in conversation with Vivian Gornick
Monday, October 4 at 6:30 PM
On the 150th anniversary of her birth, celebrate Jane Addams: rebel, iconoclast, advocate, pacifist, statesperson, founder of Hull House, and first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Louise Knight is also the author of Citizen: Jane Addams and the Struggle for Democracy.
Vivian Gornick is an essayist, critic, and memoirist.
Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York City
With William Grimes
Tuesday, October 5 at 6:30 PM
The former New York Times restaurant critic returns for a second course on the best food city in the world. Grimes charts New York’s transformation from a scene of oyster bars and simple chop houses to the culinary capital it is today.
William Grimes was the restaurant critic for The New York Times from 1999 to 2003.
Historical Atlas of New York City:
A Visual Celebration of Nearly 400 Years of New York City’s History
With Eric Homberger
Wednesday, October 6 at 6:30 PM
Looking at the city through maps, charts, and photographs, Homberger illuminates the pivotal moments in New York’s historical development. A must for history buffs and novices alike.
Eric Homberger, the author of Mrs. Astor’s New York and Scenes from the Life of a City, is a professor of American studies at the University of East Anglia.
The Deeds of My Fathers: How My Grandfather and Father Built New York and Created the Tabloid World of Today
Paul David Pope
in conversation with Rachel Sklar
Tuesday, October 12 at 6:30 PM
This true story of The National Enquirer reads like The Godfather crossed with Citizen Kane. An extraordinary history of one Italian-American family and the Sturm und Drang that accompanied them.
“Crowded with presidents, celebrities, and mobsters, this bio of ambitious alpha males, in a dysfunctional clan worthy of a soap opera, is among the best portraits of Italian-American life to appear in some time.” — Publishers Weekly
Monk Eastman: The Gangster Who Became a War Hero
With Neil Hanson
Tuesday, October 19 at 6:30 PM
The life and times of old New York’s most infamous gangster-cum-soldier as he made his way from the sooty streets and dingy saloons of the Lower East Side to the battlefields of the Western Front.
Neil Hanson is the author of The Confident Hope of a Miracle, The Custom of the Sea, and The Great Fire of London.
Ed Koch and the Rebuilding of New York City
With Jonathan Soffer and Ed Koch
Introduced by Sam Roberts
Tuesday, October 26 at 6:30 PM
*Purchase a copy of the book for guaranteed admission
Was Ed Koch one of the greatest mayors of our city? Tonight we’ll hear from the mayor himself and the biographer who has “elevated Koch to Olympian heights.” Don’t miss the chance to meet the legend in person.
*Fifty seats are available for this intimate evening. Reserve a copy of Mr. Soffer’s book for guaranteed admission. Call 212-431-0233 x259.
Jonathan Soffer is associate professor of history at New York University’s Polytechnic Institute, specializing in twentieth-century American urban and political history.
Ed Koch was the Mayor of New York City from January 1, 1978 to December 30, 1989.
Sam Roberts writes for the New York Times and is the author of Only in New York and Who We Are Now.
Chinatown Noir
With Henry Chang and Ed Lin
Wednesday, October 27 at 6:30 PM
Two master storytellers pull us into Chinatown’s darkest recesses in their newest mysteries, which teem with snakeheads, urban terrorists, and corrupt cops. Signed copies of Red Jade (Chang) and Snakes Can’t Run (Lin) will be available.
Henry Chang is the author of Chinatown Beat and Year of the Dog, the first two books in the Detective Jack Yu series.
Ed Lin is the author of Waylaid and This is a Bust.
Events take place at 108 Orchard Street, SE corner of Delancey, unless otherwise noted.
- RSVPs help us gauge attendance but do not guarantee a seat. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- To reserve a signed copy of any book featured in our series, or to ask a question about an event, email [email protected].
- Tenements Talks aims to illuminate the story of New York: its culture, history and people.
- Tenement Talks are made possible through the generous support of Con Edison and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.