Low Life (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Luc Sante
- First Published: 1991
- Type of Work: History
- Time of Work: 1840-1919
- Setting: New York City
- Principal Characters: Phineas T. Barnum, Steve Brodie, Anthony Comstock, George Washington “Chuck” Connors, Stephen Crane, Timothy D. “Big Tim” Sullivan, William Marcy “Boss” Tweed, Walt Whitman
- Genres: Nonfiction, History, New Journalism
- Subjects: Politics, Crime or criminals, Twentieth century, Nineteenth century, New York City, Prostitution or prostitutes, 1910’s, Poverty or poor people, Violence, Lower classes, Drugs, Corruption, Diseases, 1900’s
- Locales: New York, NY
Luc Sante, who was thirty-seven when Low Life was published, was born in Verviers, Belgium. After moving to New York toward the end of the 1960’s social revolution, he lived in a dilapidated Lower-East-Side tenement building for more than ten years while struggling to survive as a free-lance writer. During this period, he became curious about the city’s past and began to delve into it by reading books, examining old photographs, and visiting the many old landmarks that had miraculously managed to survive all the demolition and construction of the twentieth century. His story...
[The entire page is 2013 words long]
Navigate
- Add Low Life to your favorites