When it comes to the screen – silver or small – Staten Island gets the short end of the stick. The number of movies that take place on Shaolin is depressingly short. When the Island does appear in an iconic ... More
THE SUMMER BEFORE I ENTERED SEVENTH GRADE, my family rented a large Victorian house on Block Island for two weeks at the end of August. This was a departure for us, as far as summer vacations went. In previous years, ... More
Matty stared out the front window of the Emerald Club, muttering curses into his coffee. On the corner opposite the bar, the Africans huddled, laughter spilling out in front of them in long, frigid plumes.
Only three this morning. The little ... More
When I write, I usually listen to something I’m aware of but that doesn’t distract me: classical music or something like Brian Eno’s Music for Airports. For some reason, if I hear lyrics or even words, my writing brain stops ... More
Fifty years ago this month, on a frigid Saturday in 1964, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, connecting Brooklyn to Staten Island, officially opened for business. Despite the cold, the mood was celebratory. Robert Moses, Mayor Wagner, Cardinal Spellman, Governor Rockefeller, and the borough presidents ... More
My first short story, Before It Hardens, appeared in Akashic Books’ noir anthology set in New York City’s forgotten borough. You can buy Staten Island Noir here.