Author Talks: Ian Frazier: Paradise Bronx - The Life & Times of New York's Greatest Borough

Take a tour through Bronx history with Ian Frazier, author of Paradise Bronx.

There's no place in the world like the Bronx. Over the past 15 years, author Ian Frazier has been walking the Bronx, speaking to and learning from the people who live here. His new book, Paradise Bronx, is part history book, part love letter to "New York's Greatest Borough." Join us for an author event at Bronx Library Center on Bronx history.

Ian Frazier will lead a special history talk with official Bronx historian Angel Hernandez, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

To join the event in person | Please register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For in-person events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house.

Please arrive early to avoid disappointment; we will do our best to accommodate everyone. Booked seats that have not been claimed will be released shortly before start time, and seats may become available then. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

For the past 15 years, Ian Frazier has been walking the Bronx. Paradise Bronx reveals the rich history of the borough. From Jonas Bronck, who bought land from the local Native Americans, to the South Bronx that gave birth to hip-hop, Frazier takes us on a history tour like no other.

The history of the Bronx is as unique as the people that live here. During the American Revolution, when the Bronx was unclaimed territory known as the Neutral Ground, George Washington's troops fought some of some of the war’s most important battles. Plus, Gouverneur Morris, one of the most colorful Founding Fathers, owned a huge swath of the Bronx; Morris lived in the Bronx when he was not in Paris during the French Revolution or helping write the US Constitution.

After exploring the Revolution, Frazier shows us how the coming of the railroads and the subways drove waves of immigration— Irish, Italian, Jewish, African American, Caribbean, Puerto Rican, to name a few. This made the borough what it is today—a home to people around the world.

The romance of the Yankees, the disaster of the Cross Bronx Expressway, the invention of rap and hip-hop, the Bronx of today—these are all part of Ian Frazier's Paradise Bronx.

GET THE BOOK

If you have a NYPL library card—or live in New York state and want to apply for one now—you can borrow the author's book for free with our e-reader app SimplyE, available for iOS and Android devices.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian Frazier is the author of Travels in Siberia, Great Plains, On the Rez, Lamentations of the Father and Coyote V. Acme, among other works. He graduated from Harvard University. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, he lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Angel Hernandez is a native of The Bronx, with a passion to unearth and share historic information on his hometown. He enjoys educating people of the borough about its rich history and ever-changing demographics. He works closely with educational institutions in an effort to teach local and neighborhood history to students – a subject rarely taught in the classroom. In May 2023, Angel was appointed official borough historian by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, making him the youngest and the first person of color. He currently works at The New York Botanical Garden as Director of Government Relations.