I do love a listy post. I was contemplating doing one of my archive ‘Five Feat‘ posts about Brooklyn, one of NYC’s five boroughs, but when I started looking for posts, I found there were just tons of them!
What is it about Brooklyn?
A few facts: It’s the most populous part of NYC, and is situated at the western end of Long Island. It was originally a separate city, and would now be the 4th most populous one in the US after Manhattan, LA and Chicago. It was named after a Dutch town in the 17thC, and was annexed to become part of NYC in 1898. It has become a crossroads for immigration from all over the world, being very cosmopolitan. It is a cultural centre for the arts, which perhaps explains why so many writers live or were born there. You can find out more about Brooklyn on the Wikipedia page. There’s even a page for Brooklyn writers with over 200 listed – but ironically it doesn’t feature the late Paul Auster (although his wife Siri Hustvedt is there).
An A-Z of Brooklyn-born or based authors I’ve read
Here’s an A-Z list of the Brooklyn-born or -based authors that I’ve read and may have featured on my blog with links to some books reviewed-
- Paul Auster (1947-2024) Born Newark, NJ, moved to Brooklyn in 1981 when he married Siri Hustvedt. Iconic Brooklyn work – The Brooklyn Follies (2005)
- Jennifer Egan – (born Chicago, lives in Brooklyn) – A Visit from the Goon Squad
- Siri Hustvedt (born Minnesota, moved to Brooklyn in 1981 when she met Paul Auster). The Blindfold (1992) her NYC debut. Her memoir of life with Paul was brilliant – Ghost Stories (review coming).
- Jean Kwok (born Hong Kong, immigrated to Brooklyn aged 5) her 2010 debut Girl in Translation
- Erik Larson (born Brooklyn, 1954) – non-fiction author. Work includes The Devil in the White City
- Jonathem Lethem (Brooklyn born). Iconic Brooklyn work Motherless Brooklyn (2000)- (read pre-blog)
- Robert Silverberg (born Brooklyn, 1935) – wonderful SF author who I’ve been meaning to re-read some of for ages. Chris at Calmgrove read his Majipoor Chronicles last year, but I didn’t manage to join in. See #ReadingMajipoor
- Emma Straub (born NYC 1980, lives Brooklyn) – Classic NYC novel This Time Tomorrow (2022)
- Adrian Tomine (born Sacramento, lives Brooklyn) – The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist (review coming)
- Ned Vizzini (born Brooklyn 1981, d. 2013) – Iconic Brooklyn book – It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2006) superb YA novel about a teenager suffering from depression. Tragically Vizzini committed suicide in 2013.
- Donald E Westlake (aka Richard Stark, born Brooklyn 1933, d. 2008) – iconic NYC novel – Point Blank – the first Parker book (1962)
- Robert Anton Wilson (born Brooklyn 1932, d. 2007) – Co-author of the totally bonkers Illuminati Trilogy (1975, with Robert Shea) – read pre-blog, but oft-referred to.
- Meg Wolitzer (Brooklyn born) – Author of The Wife which I’ve yet to read, and Belzhar – A YA novel with Plath’s Bell Jar as a catalyst.
- Nicola Yoon (Jamaican-American who lives in Brooklyn) Everything Everything – 2015 YA novel about a girl allergic to everything.
Brooklyn Based Novels I’ve read by other authors
- Lawrence Block – The Matt Scudder books incl A Walk Among the Tombstones – I’ve read most of these pre-blog – my favourite Block character.
- John Brownlow – Assassin 18 – Hitman thriller partially set in Williamsburg.
- Michael Chabon – The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – epic!
- Jean Hannah Edelstein – This Really Isn’t About You – superb memoir about her father’s cancer and her return to the USA, living in Brooklyn.
- Alice Hoffman – The Museum of Extraordinary Things – I’m sure I’ve read more set on Coney Island, but this is the only one I found.
- Emily St John Mandel – The Singer’s Gun – early scene in Williamsburg.
- Kimberley McCreight – Reconstructing Amelia – YA novel with a Brooklyn high school.
- William Norwich – Learning to Drive – a comedy about a driving test in Brooklyn.
- Tom Rachman – The Rise & Fall of Great Powers – one timeline set in Brooklyn.
I’m sure there are ones I’ve missed. And before you all mention it, Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn was a non-starter for me (although I enjoyed the film). Talking of films, I shall leave you with my photo of the view in the poster for Once Upon A Time in America, taken during my last trip to the USA, and a day out in Brooklyn.
Do share your Brooklyn reads, so I can add to my list!
- Header pic by Peter Fitzgerald – Own work by uploader, based on content from OpenStreet Map, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7334362
