Home /

Reflections

Springtime in the City

Every season brings particular pleasures and rituals. During the early days of spring, I always enjoy strolling through my neighborhood and observing buildings and streets waking from winter. Gardeners clean up their flower beds. Homeowners tidy their front stoops. Friends chat on park benches. You can feel the energy and expectancy in the air.

(Photograph by author)

Nature Creeps In

Recently, I looked up from writing at my desk and spotted a cardinal pecking at the dirt in my yard–a bold movement of color on the dark mulch and earth. The site captivated me.

(Courtesy of New York Public Library)

Happy Easter!

Wishing a happy and healthy Easter to you and your families. Although the COVID-19 pandemic might curtail your normal holiday traditions, I hope that you’re observing them in different and creative ways. 

The Metropole: New Writing

The Metropole, the official blog of the Urban History Association, recently published a post by me. The blog features scholars and writers approaching urban history from a variety of disciplines and viewpoints. My piece details how I first learned about the former 111 1st Street arts community in Jersey City, New Jersey and how I…

Fig

A Spring Ritual

In recent past posts, I’ve reflected upon nature and the arrival of spring. This season of renewal has captured my private thoughts as well. The physical, imaginative, and spiritual worlds seem refreshed and expectant. 

(Photograph by author)

The Passing of Winter

On the first day of spring last week, I stood in my small urban backyard and listened to hidden birds sing. Daffodil shoots peaked from beneath the soil. Yet, the wind still carried a chill touch.

UWS

Small Discoveries of Wonder

While sitting outside a tiny coffee shop in the Upper West Side in Manhattan on a recent afternoon, I looked across the street and noticed the architectural details of a seemingly nondescript building (ground floor business with several stories of apartments). The building’s artistic flourishes surprised and delighted me.

Half Moon

The Sad State of Henry Hudson

Deep into several research projects, including one exploring early Jersey City history, I’ve been leafing through books and jotting down notes at the New York Public Library or the Jersey City Free Public Library on many evenings and weekend afternoons.

Art & Imagination: Paintings from the Whitney Museum

During the past several months, I’ve made a concerted effort to take full advantage of the rich, world-class, and often free cultural amenities in the New York metropolitan region. Recently, I continued this resolution by visiting the Whitney Museum of American Art.

(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.