“And New York is the most beautiful city in the world?

“It is not far from it. No urban nights are like the night there.

“I have looked down across the city from high windows. It is then that the great buildings lose reality and take on their magical powers. They are immaterial; that is to say, one sees but the lighted windows.

“Squares after squares of flame, set and cut into the Aether. Here is our poetry, for we have pulled down the stars to  our will.”  —Ezra Pound, Patria Mia (1950)

We began our evening with a quote from Ezra Pound and continued with the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca’s A Poet in New York / Poeta en Nueva York, a depiction of the city written in 1929-1930 that still resonates today. Jessica recommended a recent bilingual edition of the poems, which includes new translations by Pablo Medina and Mark Statman, inspired by 9/11. We also suggested the collection Poetry After 9/11: An Anthology of New York Poets, which offer a wide range of responses to life in New York in the aftermath of 9/11.

Jessica also recommended Alissa Torres’s moving graphic memoir, American Widow, about a woman who lost her husband in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. It was his second day at work for Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower and she was seven months pregnant with their first child. It is a story that you will read in one sitting feeling heartbroken, angry, hopeful, and full of love all at once.

After hearing Vivian Gornick speak at NYPL’s Book at Noon program, Becky sought out the author’s 2015 memoir The Odd Woman and the City. Becky told us that the language and introspection moved her and that she enjoyed the way Gornick treated New York City as a character in her narrative. She also shared that reading The Odd Woman and the City inspired her with a great desire to walk all over the city as the author does, especially to visit the Lower East Side.

Becky’s mention of walking the city called to mind several other books for the group.  In Alfred Kazin’s 1951 classic, A Walker in the City, the author describes his childhood in Brooklyn in the 1920s and his journeys to Manhattan or “the city.” In  his recent book The New York Nobody Knows: Walking 6,000 Miles in the City sociologist William Helmreich shares his observations on every corner of New York City, having walked virtually every block of all five boroughs. From walking along the streets, one reader’s thoughts went to living on the streets and Lee Stringer’s powerful memoir of being homeless in New York in the 1980s, Grand Central Winter: Stories from the Street.

Janet brought along her well-worn copy of The Portable Dorothy Parker and recounted how she would read the stories and poems as a college student in Boston, imagining that everyone in New York was as witty as Ms Parker. I hope she wasn’t too disappointed with us when she got here! Janet writes “To experience the wit of Dorothy Parker is to have a wonderful New York City time. Her stories, poems and essays are engaging, hilarious and seriously entertaining. Let her be your friend—meet her with your face in her book (an alternative to Facebook.)”

Mirsa also recalled encountering New York in fiction before moving here from the former Yugoslavia. She remembered one short story in particular, “Black Is My Favorite Color” by Bernard Malamud, originally published in the collection Idiots First and later included in anthologies of short stories for students, which is where Mirsa discovered it. She recalled how reading this story of tense interactions between a white Jewish man and African-Americans in 1960s Harlem had resonated with her in her country’s time of ethnic upheaval.

Eunsol, an English language student from Korea, is reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. She chose the book because it looked romantic and because she wants to read it before she watches the film adaptation. She writes, “I always enjoy love stories. A love story in New York where I live is a good enough [reason] to read this book.”

From witty poems and classic short stories we moved to time travel. I recommended Time and Again by Jack Finney, a book that combines science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, and a touch of romance. Commercial artist Sy Morley travels from the New York of 1970 to the New York of 1882, following the trail of a mysterious letter, and as Sy becomes enchanted with a wintry 19th century New York, so does the reader. It’s one of my favorite New York novels. There’s also a lovely audiobook version read by Campbell Scott. The mention of winter in 1880s New York and sleigh rides in Central Park called to mind Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale for one reader, as another time travel tale of New York past and present with enchanting wintry scenes.

And it’s a short leap from time travel to alternate realities. Ari recommended two books in the as yet unfinished New York: Five Books of Moses series by Arthur Nersesian. He described The Swing Voter of Staten Island as a strange, gritty tale of an alternate New York City in an alternate future seen through the haze of a protagonist who is only slowly remembering who he is and why he is there: assassination. And in The Sacrificial Circumcision of the Bronx the protagonist of The Swing Voter of Staten Island has regained his memory and finds himself in an even odder place and state of mind than before: his consciousness shifting between his present reality in an underground refugee camp full of madness, and the dreamed history of Robert Moses's younger, estranged brother. The history of Moses's impact on New York City is fascinating, especially when viewed through the eyes of a resentful sibling who wants nothing more than the destruction of his brother.

Ari described a novel that vilifies Robert Moses, and coincidentally, the second book I brought to Open Book Night was a new graphic biography, Robert Moses: The Master Builder of New York City by Pierre Christin and Olivier Balez. The book was written to introduce Moses to French readers, and the translation into English can be bit awkward  in spots. However, the art is wonderful, offering a fresh look at many familiar landmarks and neighborhoods as well as a frightening glimpse of what might have been had Moses been able to complete all of his plans.

Alison's recommendation took us a bit further back in the city’s history. She recommended one of her favorite books, When Harlem Was in Vogue by David L. Lewis, which  describes the time when Harlem was known as the Black capital of the United States but more importantly, it was the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance.

Reader, writer, artist, and activist Marie Claudine Mukabano, a Rwandan refugee and genocide survivor, feels that for many people who come here, New York is about opportunity and striving to succeed, so she recommended books that helped her accomplish her goals, including an artist’s guide to grants published by UNESCO and the classic financial self-help book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki. Marie Claudine also told us about her self-published audiobook, The Power of Social Media: Be Yourself! Change Somebody’s Life Today! 

Although we suggest a theme to inspire recommendations for Open Book Night, we’re not overly strict about it. We’re interested in hearing about any books people have read and enjoyed, learned from, or been inspired by. Here are two of those recommendations. Cecil likes reading love stories and is a big Danielle Steel fan. He’s read 78 of her books and plans to keep reading. He was invested in Stephanie, the main character in Country, and her second chance for happiness after being widowed. Donna, a reader looking for sources of enchantment for her own writing, recommended Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom as a favorite book that continues to inspire her.

What's your favorite New York book? Is there a book that captures the spirit of the city for you? Or one that taught you something new about New York? A book that made you move here? Or one that helps you stay? Is there a quintessential New York character—real or fictional—you'd recommend we read about?  Please add to this list using the Comments section below.  And check out Nancy's post The Best New York Novels by Neighborhood. Lots of readers have added their suggestions there, too.

If you’re interested in the OCCULT, please join us for our next Open Book Night on Friday, October 9! Come in equipped with a favorite book (fiction or non-fiction) that deals with the paranormal, supernatural, or just plain weird! We welcome ghost stories, haunted houses, witches, and just about any other creepy, magical, or mystical topic you can think of. We can’t wait to see the thrills and chills you come up with!

Past Open Book Nights

Click to see the list of books discussed.

• February 13, 2015 - Love
• April 10, 2015 - New Beginnings
• May 8, 2015 - Nature
• June 12, 2015 - Sports
• June 26, 2015 - Open theme
• July 10, 2015 - Open theme
• August 14, 2015 - Travel
• September 11, 2015 - New York

Upcoming Open Book Nights

• October 9, 2015 - The Occult
• November 13, 2015 - Thanksgiving
• December 11, 2015 - Food and Cooking