Pete Hamill
Born
in Brooklyn, New York, The United States
June 24, 1935
Died
August 05, 2020
Website
Twitter
Genre
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Forever
27 editions
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published
2002
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Snow in August
2 editions
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published
1997
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North River
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published
2007
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A Drinking Life
17 editions
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published
1994
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Downtown: My Manhattan
14 editions
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published
2004
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Tabloid City
17 editions
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published
2011
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Why Sinatra Matters
8 editions
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published
1998
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The Gift
7 editions
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published
1973
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The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories
10 editions
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published
2012
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The Guns of Heaven
9 editions
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published
1983
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“There are 10,000 books in my library, and it will keep growing until I die. This has exasperated my daughters, amused my friends and baffled my accountant. If I had not picked up this habit in the library long ago, I would have more money in the bank today; I would not be richer.”
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“I don't ask for the meaning of the song of a bird or the rising of the sun on a misty morning. There they are, and they are beautiful.”
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“"The wanderer in Manhattan must go forth with a certain innocence, because New York is best seen with innocent eyes. It doesn't matter if you are younger or old. Reading our rich history makes the experience more layered, but it is not a substitute for walking the streets themselves. For old-timer or newcomer, it is essential to absorb the city as it is now in order to shape your own nostalgias.
That's why I always urge the newcomer to surrender to the city's magic. Forget the irritations and the occasional rudeness; they bother New Yorkers too. Instead, go down to the North River and the benches that run along the west side of Battery Park City. Watch the tides or the blocks of ice in winter; they have existed since the time when the island was empty of man. Gaze at the boats. Look across the water at the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, the place to which so many of the New York tribe came in order to truly live. Learn the tale of our tribe, because it's your tribe too, no matter where you were born. Listen to its music and its legends. Gaze at its ruins and monuments. Walk its sidewalks and run fingers upon the stone and bricks and steel of our right-angled streets. Breathe the air of the river breeze."”
― Downtown: My Manhattan
That's why I always urge the newcomer to surrender to the city's magic. Forget the irritations and the occasional rudeness; they bother New Yorkers too. Instead, go down to the North River and the benches that run along the west side of Battery Park City. Watch the tides or the blocks of ice in winter; they have existed since the time when the island was empty of man. Gaze at the boats. Look across the water at the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, the place to which so many of the New York tribe came in order to truly live. Learn the tale of our tribe, because it's your tribe too, no matter where you were born. Listen to its music and its legends. Gaze at its ruins and monuments. Walk its sidewalks and run fingers upon the stone and bricks and steel of our right-angled streets. Breathe the air of the river breeze."”
― Downtown: My Manhattan
Polls

For our December holiday reads, I'm coming up with a list of short books so we can possibly read 2 or 3 in December. Place your votes and we'll go with the top 2 or 3 with the most votes. Last day to vote is Saturday, November 12th.
The Gift
Pete Hamill

Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories
L.M. Montgomery

The Lion in the Box
Marguerite de Angeli

A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens

Kate's Choice
Louisa May Alcott

Once in the Year
Elizabeth Yates

Topics Mentioning This Author
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED!: Historical fiction set in New York City [s] | 5 | 94 | Dec 15, 2009 09:09PM | |
Glens Falls (NY) ...: What are U reading these days? (Part Five) (begun 3/12/09) | 1049 | 493 | Dec 31, 2009 10:39PM | |
Glens Falls (NY) ...:
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3 | 52 | Jan 03, 2010 09:28AM | |
The Seasonal Read...:
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2785 | 1174 | Nov 30, 2010 09:03PM | |
The Next Best Boo...: Stacey - Frequent Flyer | 15 | 53 | Dec 14, 2010 07:06AM | |
Book Nook Cafe: What I read in April 2011 | 52 | 79 | May 07, 2011 09:16AM | |
Book Nook Cafe: What I read in June 2011 | 158 | 92 | Aug 05, 2011 05:37PM | |
The Seasonal Read...: Summer Challenge 2011: Reading Plans | 44 | 301 | Aug 20, 2011 01:54PM |