BRONX WEEKLY S www.BXTimes.com eptember 22, 2019 16
Booklover’s Guide to NY showcases Bronx literary landmarks
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A soon to be released book will
highlight some of the Bronx’s hidden
literary locales.
Scheduled for release in October,
‘A Booklover’s Guide to New York’
written by Cleo Le-Tan and illustrated
by her father, famous French
painter Pierre Le-Tan, is a neighborhood
by neighborhood expedition
through ‘The Big Apple’ exploring
its many innovative bookstores, secret
literary landmarks and writers’
favorite watering holes and meeting
with the authors, librarians, collectors
and bibliophiles who reside
there.
The 216 page guide features a six
page section dedicated to the Bronx’s
literary landmarks and one of its
most prominent authors.
“The Bronx is different from
Manhattan and Brooklyn,” Le-Tan
explained. “While it lacks the selection
of bookshops they have, it makes
up for it with its history.”
She added that the Bronx has
been home to journalism and storytelling
legends Don DeLillo, Edgar
Allan Poe, Mary Higgins Clark and
Stan Lee.
“You have some of the greatest
American writers who have ever
lived come out of the Bronx,” she expressed.
Le-Tan added that throughout
the decades the Bronx has served as
the setting for many seminal books
such as the novel, ‘Billy Bategate’ by
E.L. Doctorow.
The Rizzoli-published guide explores
such Boogie Down Bronx
literary landmarks as the historic
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage and The
Lit. Bar, the borough’s only bookstore.
Poe Cottage, located at 2640 Grand
Concourse, was the fi nal home of the
Father of Horror and Mystery and is
his only surviving residence.
Le-Tan cited Poe Cottage as her
favorite Bronx literary landmark to
visit while working on the guide.
“I’m fascinated by his life, which
included so much tragedy, romance
and madness,” she said.
Founded by lifelong Bronxite
Noëlle Santos, The Lit. Bar, located
at 131 Alexander Avenue, became
the Bronx’s only bookstore following
the closure of the borough’s Barnes
& Noble bookstore at Bay Plaza in
2016.A
n all-in-one bookstore, wine bar
and community events space, The
Lit. Bar houses a wide array of fi ction,
nonfi ction and poetry most of
which are written by local authors.
A seldom-known Bronx literary
oasis featured in the guide is
the New York Botanical Garden
Shop which sells home gardening
guides, academic volumes on plant
science, coffee-table books of landscape
and garden photography and
cookbooks for readers interested
in exercising their green thumbs
and broadening their culinary horizons.
Aside from literary locales, the
guide also includes an insightful interview
with best-selling novelist and
screenwriter Richard Price, a Bronx
native who spent his childhood residing
at the Parkside Houses.
Le-Tan decided to interview Price
for the guide as he widely considered
a ‘quintessential New Yorker’ who
has managed to create worlds and
characters refl ecting ‘old school’
New York.
Price drew inspiration from his
hometown for his fi rst novel, ‘The
Wanderers,’ a coming of age story set
in the Bronx in 1962, which he wrote
at 24-years-old.
The story is set at a Bronx housing
development similar to the Parkside
Houses.
A Booklover’s Guide to New York
will be available via Rizzoli New
York’s website, Barnes & Noble and
Amazon.
To purchase a copy, visit www.rizzoliusa.
com/book/9780847863662/.
Cleo Le-Tan’s ‘A Booklover’s Guide to New York’ explores the Bronx’s literary
landmarks. Photo courtesy of Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Herald Square is getting
a rather large glimpse of
the Bronx and it’s coming
to the iconic Macy’s windows
on West 34th Street.
Windows of Hip Hop collaborated
with the department
store, Bulova and artist
Nicholai Khan to design
an iconic Bronx display
window for all Manhattan
passersby to see for Macy’s
special ‘Back to School Season.’
The designed window
celebrates the two elements
of hip-hop and education,
featuring two portraits
etched onto chalkboards in
addition to Bulova watch
sculptures atop student
desks along with other
street art and of course
a tagged ‘Hip Hop Boulevard’
street sign beneath a
large ‘Back to School’ spray
painted print.
“I want everyone to
come down to Macy’s Herald
Square and get a small
taste of what we cooked
up with Mr. Khan and Bulova,”
said legendary Bronx
rapper Grandmaster Caz, a
founder of WoHH.
Part of his mission is
constructing a music studio
at C.S. 55 school in
Claremont, which is referenced
in one of the decorated
chalkboards.
“The school is honored
to have Bulova support the
vision of its educators as
well as the creation of the
new music studio,” said
C.S. 55 principal, Luis Torres
.“
We are happy to announce
that C.S. 55 was
chosen by Bulova and Macy’s
for a window display
dedicated to the school,
“the elementary school
principal added.
WoHH will continue
the festivities with a event
featuring special hip hop
workshops and open mic
for kids at the Mall at Bay
Plaza Macy’s from 2 to 4
p.m. on Saturday, September
21.
Windows of Hip Hop designs
Macy’s Herald Square display
Grandmaster Caz (r) takes a selfi e with grandmaster Melle Mel outside
of the Bronx window at Macy’s Herald Square.
The Bronx winodw at Macy’s in Herald Square. Windows of Hip Hop Windows of Hip Hop
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