Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell

Yes, I skipped the first article and went to the second, "Mazie", before reading anything else!

Up in the Old Hotel is a collection of four previously published short novels and several articles from New Yorker by reporter Joseph Mitchell.  Imagine "The People of New York" (check it out on Facebook!) but of the 1930s and 40s.  In the introduction, David Remnick says "he was not much interested in the good and the great...he was drawn to the 'visionaries, obsessives, imposters, fanatics, lost souls, the-end-is-near street preachers, old Gyspy kings and old Gyspy queens, and out-and-out freak-show freaks'".

These are very short reads that stand alone and as a collection.  You can read just the ones that interest you, or read the entire set as a glimpse into the New York City of the past.

I am planning to donate my copy to the WHHS LMC, so look for it when we come back!

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