New York is Hell: Thinking and Drinking in the Beautiful Beast

by Benjamin De Casseres, Peggy Nadramia (Introduction), Kevin I. Slaughter (Editor)

Benjamin DeCasseres (1873-1945) was an Ironist, Critic, Poet, Epigrammist, Polemicist, God. He announced his candidacy for mayor of New York as a “Cubist Candidate” in 1913, vowing to “legalize human frailties,” among other fine ideas. He was a comrade of H.L. Mencken, Charles Fort, James Huneker, George Sterling, Don Marquis and is a distant relative of Spinoza. His writing was published in a wide range of periodicals from Benjamin Tucker’s radical anarchist Liberty , to the mainstream Life . He could be found in the pages of the New York Times, among other newspapers, and even on the radio. This is a collection of his writing solely focused on New York, but mostly about booze.
Peggy Nadramia was born in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, was the editor of the award-winning horror publication GRUE Magazine , is one of the mixologists behind Cocktail Vultures, and also the current High Priestess of the Church of Satan.

Genres: History

360 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2016

About the author

Benjamin De Casseres (April 3, 1873 – December 7, 1945) (often DeCasseres) was an American journalist, critic, essayist and poet. He was born in Philadelphia and began working at the Philadelphia Press at an early age, but spent most of his professional career in New York City, where he wrote for various newspapers including The New York Times, The Sun and The New York Herald. He was married to author Bio De Casseres, and corresponded with prominent literary figures of his time, including H. L. Mencken, Edgar Lee Masters, and Eugene O'Neill. He was a distant relative of Baruch Spinoza and was of Sephardic descent.

Reviews

[Tanner Butterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

first rate writing. something that is starting to fade from western culture and civilization. had to look up a few words in the dictionary which i rarely ever do.

the book is basically a collection of essays on new york. its a materialist and hedonist vibe. also in the vein of american exceptionalism and specifically new york exceptionalism.

its written in the jazz era where cars and mass media were still considered new and chic. as an anthropologist its interesting to consider how western civilization has changed.

i wish someone could replicate these themes but in my area california specifically orange county and long beach. but alas the nomenclature of this book is a bygone style. i will follow up this book with “the supreme city” and same era but different setting “ LA noir”

the depth of american literature is amazing and i think unfairly ignored in favor of other cultures. would highly recommend this book.