EMPIRE STATE EDITIONS
New York ReLit, a sub-imprint of Empire State Editions, publishes historical literary fiction.
"Historical fiction as well made and whole as this is not common . . . Convincing and intriguing . . . Hardly a page of this book is without some revelation."—The New York Times Book Review
"Peter Quinn’s extraordinarily fine and ingenious novel, Banished Children of Eve, shows how much we are made of history . . . Unflinching in its depiction of prejudice and, for that matter, of grace, Quinn deftly weaves the lives of his characters into an intricate web of past and present, of association and moral involvement, until I, at least, had a sense not only of this terrible time but of history itself at the fundamental level, of the individual actions that make up its fabric."—The Boston Sunday Globe
"Vividly imagined, scrupulously researched, and almost disorienting in its authenticity . . . A historical classic . . . Nothing short of splendid."—The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Exceptional . . .The author’s pungent style, refusal to romanticize, and affinity for historical details all blend to make Banished Children of Eve an achingly vibrant panorama of ethnic feuds and struggles."—Los Angeles Times
"A stunning portrayal of New York in 1863 . . . Would that all history be told as well."—Chicago Sun-Times
NEW RELEASE!
Tells the story of the building of the American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium, a story of history, politics, science, and exploration, including the roles of American presidents, New York power brokers, museum presidents, planetarium directors, polar and African explorers, and German rocket scientists.
“What the Museum has done, in different ways, through the different stages of its life, is to feed the human sense of wonder at the universe.” —Kermit Roosevelt III, from his Foreword
“An adroitly written and researched narrative.” —Gotham: A Blog for Scholars of New York City History
“One of my most cherished childhood memories as a visitor to New York was the breathtaking moment when the lights were lowered at the Hayden Planetarium and the skyline of the city and the night sky emerged. Thanks to Colin Davey’s similar experiences that led him to write this informative book, it rekindled that magical moment for me and explained in great detail the wonderful story of an institution I loved but knew so little about.” —Sara Cedar Miller, Historian Emerita, Central Park Conservancy
Left Bank of the Hudson
Fordham Conversation Host Robin Shannon talks with Author David J. Goodwin. The Assistant Director at Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture discusses his book Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street. It tells the story of a former New Jersey warehouse turned artist colony and the battle over art and development.
In part one, we discussed the history of the tobacco company turned New Jersey warehouse and its historic connection to New York City.
In part 2, the discussion starts as the Jersey City warehouse is being turned into an artist colony. We also dig deeper into the battle over art and development
Established in 2010, the Empire State Editions imprint from Fordham University Press seeks to publish high-quality books that highlight the diversity, vitality, and rich history of New York City and the Hudson Valley. Books published under the imprint tend to be oriented toward a general interest audience but scholarly content that reaches a wide audience are also part of the evolving collection. View our full list of Empire State Editions books here.
For more information see the author resources page.
Praise for Empire State Editions
“In presenting lively...case studies of what he regards as the most important unbuilt lines, Mr. Raskin encourages his readers to think about the adaptable nature of the city.”—Wall Street Journal
"Pamela Hanlon in her new book about the UN and New York City's evolving relationship. . . gives the sweeping developments surrounding the UN a particular locality and tells the story of postwar internationalism in a readable, human way."
—The Nation
“. . . Thanks to Campo's unbiased writing, this is a great book of what the city used to be.”
—Ink New York
"Minutely detailed. . . a 'case study' of the promises and drawbacks of pluralism.”—The New York Times Book Review
“In 'Walking New York', essayist Stephen Miller takes a look at the city's literary perambulators, examining the writing of Stephen Crane, Alfred Kazin and Teju Cole, among others, and offering an evolving portrait of New York through the centuries. 'Each Writer' Mr. Miller says in the book's preface, 'wanders a different city'.”
—The New York Observer
In the News
Dorothy Day: Woman and Mother
The story of Dorothy Day is a familiar one to Catholics. Dorothy Day is one of the most well-known Catholic Icons in America. Her work with the poor remains a model and standard for charity work, and in 2000 she was given the title Servant of God by the Catholic …
University Press Week 2016: Celebrate Community!
Before the Fires—A True Community Product By Professor Mark Naison The response of people in the Bronx and neighboring communities to Before the Fires: An Oral History of African American Life in the Bronx from the 1930’s to the 1960’s (Fordham University Press) has been one of the most gratifying …
Pamela Lewis discusses black empowerment in the classroom
“Instilling black pride is not a threat. It is a necessity.” In an interview with The Huffington Post, author and educator Pamela Lewis discusses the imperative of black empowerment in America’s urban schools. Pamela Lewis isn’t like most of her fellow teachers. Lewis is black. She’s from the North Bronx …
Dorothy Day's New Step Towards Canonization
On April 19th, the Archdiocese of New York released a press release regarding an update in Dorothy Day’s progress towards possible sainthood. The Catholic Worker founder, who was named a “Servant of God” back in 2000 when the Vatican opened up the canonization process, is now under consideration to be elevated from “Servant of God” to “Venerable.”
The Element of Surprise
By Pamela Lewis, author of Teaching While Black: A New Voice on Race and Education in New York City (forthcoming in March 2016) It’s a few days after Christmas. Videos of children frenziedly shucking wrapping paper, ribbon and boxes for the gifts held inside fill my Facebook and Instagram feed …