Gotham on the Verge

"An astute collection of perspectives on New York City during a decadeslong period of acute transformation.”—Kirkus Reviews

“It is rare indeed for a collection of essays centered on a single city to capture the pulse of a nation itself as it lurched from the perils and possibilities of the 1970s to the horrors and hopes of the present day. Gotham on the Verge is a rich, powerful, and remarkably thought-provoking account of all that New York City has been, all that it is, and all that it, and thus America, might yet become.”—Heather Ann Thompson, author of Whose Detroit?: Politics, Labor and Race in a Modern American City

“Through insightful, humanistic, bottom-up narratives, this book reveals how ordinary New Yorkers—through navigating economic inequality, shifting governance, and evolving demographics—shaping the city, and how New York shaped the nation. Gotham on the Verge offers fresh insights into the city’s transformative decades, making it essential for understanding both New York and contemporary America.”—Hasan Kwame Jeffries, author of Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt

“An expertly edited volume that offers a provocative, deeply researched exploration of late twentieth-century New York City, illuminates the political, cultural, and economic forces that shaped the city, and helps readers understand its past, navigate its present, and grasp its complex history.”—Shannon King, author of The Politics of Safety: The Black Struggle for Police Accountability in La Guardia’s New York