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(Photograph by author)

Library Way: Always a Surprise

While taking a break from my research at the Wertheim Study at the New York Public Library on a recent chilly Saturday afternoon, I strolled along Library Way, a public art collection celebrating world literature.

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Re-Encountering Ebenezer: A Holiday Read

This time of year, I always try to read a work by Charles Dickens. I associate his Victorian novels with chilly days and early nights. Recently, I reread A Christmas Carol, one of the more beloved and adapted pieces of English literature.

Guests, Charles Greene Bush, Princeton

Washington Irving & The Legend of Jersey City

On October 25, 2018, I participated in a Halloween event at the Apple Tree House in Jersey City, New Jersey. The program was entitled “Washington Irving & The Legend of Jersey City.” The Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs and the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy served as hosts, and the New Jersey Council for the…

Halloween is Coming! An October Event

Recently, I’ve hinted at researching Washington Irving for a hitherto unnamed event. Now, it’s official!

John Wesley Jarvis, "Portrait of Washington Irving, 1809. (Courtesy of the New York Public Library)

Washington Irving: An Autumn Rendezvous

During the past several weeks, I have been spending an usual amount of time researching and contemplating the first American writer to stand on the international stage–Washington Irving, who penned such beloved classics as “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

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When the English Fall: A Few Thoughts

While recently browsing in Little City Books, my favorite bookstore on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, I happened across When the English Fall by David Williams. The book was marked as a 2017 indie favorite. Trusting the curatorial instincts of the staff, I bought the novel. I’m happy that I did.

Mike Mignola's cover artwork for Children of Lovecraft.

Weird Fiction: Never That Far Away

My wife recently was nominated for an award for her article in Atlas Obscura. Last week, we attended the awards ceremony at the Society of Illustrators. While checking in our coats, I noticed a familiar face on the wall: Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

(Courtesy of Victoriana Magazine)

Winter Reading: A Welcomed Respite

During winter evenings, I enjoy nothing more than sitting in my cozy parlor and passing the hours with a book. The cold and the early darkness provide the perfect excuse to pull away from the workaday world and immerse myself in the written word. I always look forward to the winter.

My First Event: The Brooklyn Book Festival

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

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Art & Simplicity: Robert Lax

This last May, I had lunch with Michael N. McGregor, a fellow Fordham University Press author, and talked with him about writing, navigating the publishing process, and organizing a book tour. McGregor was thoughtful, open, and gracious. After our conversation, I purchased McGregor’s book and humbly requested his inscription. Last week, I finally began Pure…