Evan Hughes

This is somewhat less explosive after reading Empire of Pain, while at the same time being more brash and more satisfying in some ways. It's really hard to care that insurance companies are being defrauded when they are essentially defrauding all of us, but I guess that loss just gets passed to us consumers anyway. The amount of straight up lying going on here is mind-numbing. I love the idea of a pain med for breakthrough cancer pain, because morphine just isn't enough sometimes. But of show more course it has to be mismanaged to the point it can't exist. At least they get their just deserts this time around. show less

Brooklyn has a long and illustrious history as a home to writers and artists of all kinds. Evan Hughes -- a journalist and literary critic who (of course) lives and works in Brooklyn -- gives us a look at some of the biggest names in literature -- and a few less widely known, as well -- who made Brooklyn their home at some point in their careers: Walt Whitman, Henry Miller, Richard Wright, Thomas Wolfe, Marianne Moore, William Styron, Alfred Kazin, Norman Mailer, Arthur Miller, Pete Hamill show more -- the list goes on and on. Hughes also delves into the sometimes uneasy relationship between the artists and intellectuals who moved into brownstone neighborhoods like Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, and Boerum Hill at a time when many of those places were in serious decline, and the poorer and generally less white residents who were displaced when gentrification took over the neighborhoods in which they had lived all their lives.

On a literary level, Hughes' analysis of the work these Brooklyn authors produced is smart, thoughtful, and perceptive. As a guide to Brooklyn's neighborhoods and their human and urban history, he is warm, sympathetic, and engaging. The combination of the two roles he plays -- literary critic and urban historian/sociologist -- makes for a fascinating and hard-to-put-down read for anyone who takes interest in the way writers, and indeed all artists, both shape and are shaped by their physical environments. show less

Brooklyn has been a Mecca for writers of all backgrounds for decades. This non-fiction book looks deeply at the writers who have flourished in the great neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

At times the pace feels slow, but the information provided is interesting. I think it would be beneficial to read this at the same time as a few other Brooklyn based books, like The Great Bridge and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I also think it would be a great book to pick up before visiting the bourough. It’s such show more a diverse area and it’s full of bookstores. Reading this before you go would give you an even deeper appreciation for the literary city. show less

This was an interesting book, and overall, I enjoyed it. I've always found Brooklyn a fascinating place, even though I've only been there once or twice. So I found this history of its literary inhabitants very enjoyable. I have just one niggling criticism, having to do with the title: It really isn't "The Story of American City Life" as the subtitle says. Hughes does deal with city life, of course; but that title lays claim to a much broader study than this book really delivers. OK, as I show more said -- niggling. But it bothered me. Aside from that, I thought the book was a good introduction to an intriguing subject -- informative and very readable. show less