The cover of “The Girl on the Velvet Swing” features a photograph of Evelyn Nesbit in 1900. Photo courtesy of Little, Brown and Company The publication of “The Girl on the Velvet Swing” comes at a time when sexual harassment is being taken seriously and punished in a way never seen before. Everyday women are […]
“What of the past is remembered, celebrated, and mourned is at the core of national identity — and the process of what is told and not told is often a function of power,” writes historian Jeanne Theoharis.“And the task of honoring can also be a form of stripping and silencing.” Theoharis is a distinguished professor […]
When it was rebuilt in 1883, the Domino Sugar Refinery was the largest in the world. That year, the Brooklyn Eagle described the new facility as “colossal”. At its peak, the factory processed one third of all of the sugar consumed in a year in the United States, and one eighth of all the sugar […]
If this account is true, it is most enormously wonderful. -Chapter 11, The Sun and the Moon In 1835, nine out of ten New Yorkers believed in the existence of lunar life that included unicorns, beavers who walked on their hind legs, and four-foot-tall flying man bats. This was because of a series of widely […]
Jewish immigrants transformed New York. They built its clothing industry, expanded its commercial reach, and constructed huge swaths of apartment buildings. New York Jews helped to make the city the center of the nation’s publishing industry, also shaping commercial entertainment and contributing mightily to urban musical cultures. New York Jews have influenced both the city […]
Renowned filmmaker Ken Burns has noted recently, while doing the interview circuit to promote his new documentary on Jackie Robinson, “When Jackie broke the color barrier in baseball, Martin Luther King was still a junior in college and Rosa Parks was 10 years away from taking a seat in the front of the bus … in […]
article by Andriana Zacharakos, Brooklyn Daily Eagle This week is one of literary mourning, as New York City marked the 122nd death anniversary of the nineteenth century poet and essayist, Walt Whitman this past Wednesday; but here at the Brooklyn Eagle, we have chose to celebrate his inherently “New York” literary spirit by republishing a […]
In connection with the Brooklyn Historical Society’s new exhibition, “Brooklyn Abolitionists/In Pursuit of Freedom,” BHS, in partnership with Green-Wood, will host a book talk with Frank Decker to discuss his new book about our nation’s greatest struggle. The book, titled “Brooklyn’s Plymouth Church in the Civil War Era,” explores the important role that Plymouth Church played in anti-slavery […]
According to Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn-based journalist Michael Daly has recently published “Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked-Tailed Elephant, P. T. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison” (Atlantic Monthly Press), in which he uncovers the truth surrounding the story of Topsy, a baby elephant who was smuggled into the U.S. and fraudulently named […]
St. Martin’s Press According to Brooklyn Eagle, Stephane Kirkland, a writer who splits his time between Brooklyn and Paris, will soon release his vivid and engrossing account of the greatest transformation of a major city in modern history. “Paris Reborn: Napoléon III, Baron Haussmann, andthe Quest to Build a Modern City” (St. Martin’s Press; April 2, […]
“Only a Gibson is Good Enough” was the popular guitar brand’s slogan. Coined in the 1940s, the phrase appeared prominently on the golden banners adorning the headstocks of Gibson’s World War II guitars. While the catchy motto may sound familiar, most know little about what went into producing the guitars that became known as “Banners.” […]
Last month Brooklyn BookBeat featured Brooklyn By The Book – a monthly literary series curated by Park Slope’s Community Bookstore and Congregation Beth Elohim. The two historic Park Slope institutions joined forces last fall when the organizations discovered their mutual desire to create a program devoted to serving their particular community. Just in time for Passover, […]
Brooklyn Eagle recently featured Albert Mazza’s “A Teacher Grows in Brooklyn.” Like Betty Smith’s “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Mazza’s book is a coming-of-age story that traces a young individual’s roots and life-changing encounters in Brooklyn and beyond. In his opening chapter he recalls riding the ferry from Sheepshead Bay to Breezy Point on summer […]
According to Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn author Matthew Goodman has just released his latest novel, “Eighty Days: Nelly Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World,” in which he recreates the true story of two adventurous young female reporters who set out to travel the world in 1889. The author will appear at Park Slope’s Community […]
Brooklyn Eagle recently featured Heights writer Amity Shlaes, who has just released “Coolidge,” her latest book that presents a fascinating biography of America’s thirtieth president. Known as “Silent Cal,” Coolidge’s achievements have been largely overlooked because of his passive and reticent disposition – yet Shlaes now disproves these misconceptions, revealing the president’s heroic side. Coolidge led […]
Just last week, two-time Newbery Honor-winning Patricia Reilly Giff released “Gingersnap,” a heartfelt novel depicting Brooklyn during World War II. A Brooklyn native herself, Giff reveals to young readers a life in the city dominated by the harsh implications of war. She tells the story of Jayna: a lonely orphan whose brother goes off to […]
Brooklyn Eagle has recently featured Lucas G. Rubin, director of the Sports Management program at Columbia University, whose recent book cites an Eagle article from 1892! Rubin, who has lived on Sportsmen’s Row in Park Slope since 2003, has published a book revealing the lesser known narratives of the celebrity-ridden block. Historically, this north end of Eighth […]
Brooklyn Eagle recently featured a former Brooklynite with an exciting success story. Brandon Steiner, writer and founder and CEO of Steiner Sports Marketing, grew up in our beloved borough and makes clear his affinity for the neighborhood; he tells his readers, “There’s something with the water in Brooklyn. I don’t know what it is, but growing […]
“Literary Brooklyn” author Evan Hughes will be speaking tonight, December 14, at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights. As part of the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival, Hughes will discuss his book, sharing with the audience his expertise on the borough’s literary history. Tim McLoughlin, another Brooklyn author, will also speak about the history of […]
According to Brooklyn Eagle, two of our favorite experts on Brooklyn’s literary history will be speaking this Friday in Brooklyn Heights. Partnering with the Brooklyn Film & Arts festival, St. Francis College will be hosting “Literary Brooklyn” author Evan Hughes, who will discuss his recent book. Hughes spoke to Brooklyn Eagle about his motivations for chronicling the […]