?Few cities,? writes Phillip Lopate in his introduction to this historic anthology, ?have inspired as much great writing as New York.? Here Lopate and The Library of America present a sweeping literary portrait of the city as seen through the eyes of over a hundred writers. Residents and tourists, novelists and poets, architects, politicians, social reformers, naturalists, humorists?in unexpected and dazzling ways the writers in this volume take on the challenge of capturing New York?s enduring spirit, its constantly changing public spectacle, its gossip, amusements, hard-luck stories, and tragedies. This paperback edition includes an expanded introduction and additional selections be Don DeLillo, Colson Whitehead, and Vijay Seshadri, bringing the story up to the present.

Lopate presents an unprecedented literary portrait of New York as seen through the eyes of more than 100 writers. Residents and tourists, novelists and poets, architects, naturalists, and humorists take on the challenge of capturing the citys enduring spirit.