Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich (RMA) and Greenwich Library invite you to a webinar presentation with author Thomas Dyja, who will talk about his book, New York, New York, New York on April 7 at 11 a.m.
— an announcement from Greenwich Library and the RMA
CLICK HERE to view the webinar live, on Apr 7 at 11 a.m.
In his latest work, New York, New York, New York, Dyja takes on the ever-complex, ever-riling titan: the Big Apple.
Dyja is a smooth hybrid: he has the elegant prose and spot-on character descriptions of a novelist (which he is, having penned three), yet the exacting forensic skills of a historian when dissecting the dense worlds of political bureaucracy or charting events against the broader societal forces.
New York, New York, New York is the combination of Ed Glaeser’s Triumph of the City and Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities. It’s a thrill-ride into the excesses and underbelly of New York’s high and low society, as well as a fascinating, often surprising study of how the city became what it is today — for better (the stronger economy, cleaner public spaces) or worse (gentrification, police brutality).
Dyja highlights the New Yorkers who made this city a de facto capital of the world: from Hip Hop crews to Wall Street bankers; from D.V. to Jay-Z; from Tina Brown, Andy Warhol, Woody Allen, Donald Trump, and Bloomberg, to hipsters, community organizers, immigrants, and more.
His masterful, sweeping account is for those wanting to understand the city’s metamorphosis from the 1970s to the present day (and, perhaps for some longtime residents, wax nostalgic)—and also for those asking what’s next. How did 9/11 and the AIDS crisis transform NYC? And what will be the aftermath of Covid-19 for this city and for cities in general?
In Thomas Dyja’s previous book The Third Coast (2013), he took on the city of Chicago and earned such accolades as a New York Times Notable book, One Book One Chicago selection, American Society of Landscape Architects Best Books choice, and a Heartland Prize for Non-fiction.
Urbanist Thomas Dyja is a key expert for the moment who provides us with a thoroughly researched, colorful, definitive account of an era in New York, New York, New York.
Copies of New York, New York, New York are available through Diane’s Books in Greenwich.
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Praise for New York, New York, New York:
“This opinionated, encyclopedic and wise chronicle coincides exactly with my time in the city so far, yet I learned something new on every page — and finished with a deeper appreciation of the astounding, self-loving, evolving hive New Yorkers inhabit.”—Kurt Andersen, Author of New York Times bestsellers ‘Evil Geniuses’ and ‘Fantasyland’
“Kaleidoscopic history…omnivorous curiosity…Dyja’s exhaustive knowledge of the era, dazzling prose, and all-embracing sympathy—and scorn when it’s merited—make for a stimulating study of New York’s never-ending upheaval.”—Publishers Weekly, *starred review* & Top 10 for History in Spring Preview
“A passionately knowledgeable, surprising, and gutsy chronicle of a world-shaping city and humanity itself in all its paradoxical wonder.” —Donna Seaman, Booklist, *starred review*
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Thomas Dyja worked in publishing for more than a decade before becoming a writer. Along with editing four anthologies, he’s written three novels, a biography of civil rights pioneer Walter White and The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream, a New York Times Notable Book, One Book One Chicago selection, and winner of the 2013 Heartland Prize for Non-fiction.
A Chicago native, he lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with his wife, literary agent Suzanne Gluck. For more information, visit ThomasDyja.com.
The Greenwich Retired Men’s Association offers a free Webinar program every Wednesday at 11 a.m. For additional information see GreenwichRMA.org or contact us by e-mail at info@greenwichrma.org.
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