Frank Spano worked his way down a line of guests, welcoming the men in fedoras and women in flapper dresses to his hidden nightclub. He was tall, wore a grey suit and spoke with old-fashioned politeness. When he shook my hand and introduced himself, I shared a knowing smile with the other guests. We were all aware that Frank Spano would soon be shot dead in the narrow alleyway where we stood. We were here to find out why.
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(Rendering courtesy of Shop Architects/Two Trees Management)
With the line to get in stretching out the door, the Swinging Sixties Senior Center in Williamsburg looked more like a concert venue than the site of the first public hearing of a Uniform Land Review Process to evaluate plans to develop the Domino Sugar refinery on the East River waterfront.
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(Rendering courtesy of Shop Architects/Two Trees Management)
Williamsburg residents will have one of their last chances to weigh in on the Domino Sugar factory development tomorrow, as Two Trees Management submits its plan to Community Board 1 and kicks off the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure that will determine the project’s fate.
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When we reported in August that demolition of part of the Domino Sugar Factory had been approved, Megan Sperry told us that Williamsburgers have “gotten used to losing” to Two Trees and many now feel that the developer’s radical transformation of the waterfront is a “done deal.”
Tonight at the Newsroom, we’ll be screening Sperry’s film on the subject, The Domino Effect. The 7 p.m. screening will be followed by a discussion featuring filmmakers Brian Paul and Daniel Phelps, Colin Miles of Save Domino, and Daniel Campo, author of The Accidental Playground, a new book surveying the wilder days of the East River waterfront. (The event is free — just let us know you’re coming.)
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According to popular legend, the death knell tolled for print publishing years ago. But while industry insiders threw up their hands in defeat and the giant Borders crumbled to its knees, there were those in the shadows that refused to hear the bell’s call. Tomorrow at the Newsroom, we’ll talk to some local indie publishers who refused to go quietly into the digital night. Join us Tuesday, Oct. 22, as they speak to the challenges and opportunities facing independent print publishing. As always, the event is free — just let us know you’re coming.
Rami Shamir is the author of the acclaimed novel Train to Pokipse and a recipient of the 2013 Acker Award for fiction. He started Underground Editions in 2011 with partner Adam Void. The pair established a national distribution network of 40 independent booksellers while maintaining a total boycott of its titles from Barnes and Noble and Amazon. In addition to publishing Shamir’s novel, Underground Editions has released three other titles including the train-hopping travelogue from graffiti artists Droid 907 and AVOID, Live the Dream, learn to Die 2.
Katelan Foisy is a visual artist specializing in collage and mixed media painting. Her memoir, Blood and Pudding, was called The Best Book of 2010 by Words with Jam magazine. Knickerbocker Circus began in a Lower East Side café in 2009 and was designed to give artists more creative control over their own works and to embrace those artists overlooked by traditional genres.
Jordan McIntyre is the founding editor and sole owner of The Crumpled Press, which he began in 2004 to showcase new authors and provided a space for established writers to say something new. McIntrye has published two books of poetry including Crumpled Press’s inaugural publication, Still Leaves.
When the classic children’s book The Phantom Tollbooth celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011, laudatory articles were written about it, parents named their children Milo in record numbers, and seriously devoted fans tattooed the iconic Tock the watchdog on their bodies. But lost amidst most of the celebration was the unlikely story of the book’s creation. Lucky for us, Greenpoint-based documentary filmmaker Hannah Jayanti decided to dig a little deeper, spending two years interviewing author Norton Juster, illustrator Jules Feiffer and their multi-generational legion of fans.
The result, The Phantom Tollbooth: Beyond Expectations, premiered at the New Yorker Film Festival earlier this month. Tickets to the premier sold out in less than 10 minutes, but Bedford + Bowery is pleased to announce a special screening of the film on October 24 at 7 p.m. It will be followed by a Q&A with the director. (The event is free, just let us know you’re coming.)
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Sure, your jeans are vintage, your shirt is locally made with a custom print, but what is your living room wearing?
At their new home design shop, Brick + Mortar, Ali Arain and Greg Coccaro want to sharpen your apartment’s style. “Accessories are the jewelry for your home,” says Coccaro. So go ahead and splurge on a pillow made by a Brooklyn designer.
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