Introduction– Robert Haussmann was a German immigrant who came to New York as a young man in the early 1800s, and supported himself giving private music lessons to children of wealthy families. He understood his profession put him somewhere between the serving and privileged class. Haussmann developed a fondness for one of his gifted students, Emily… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Sidney Stark
Pulp Fiction
I can imagine your breath catching when you first saw the title of this blog post. That’s not like Sidney, critiquing the racy stuff, commenting on…well who knows what? If you were born, or just became a young adult after WW II, your reaction to the label ‘Pulp Fiction’ is predictable, and undoubtedly much the… Continue Reading
Responsive Chord
“Aha! I see that struck a responsive chord!” Madame ‘X’ often jeered at us from the blackboard, never turning around as she heard the gasps of dismay, the predictable response to most of her threats. A sudden visitor to her French classroom would have caught our wide-eyed terror as an hour of unprepared dictation loomed… Continue Reading
Identity Theft
Who are they? How can you know if you’ve never met ? Can you represent them in your fiction just by watching them from a distance? Or can you summon them realistically from your imagination? Creating believable characters people empathize with is no easy task, but it’s essential if fiction has to sing on its… Continue Reading
A Child Is Born
Why in heaven’s name would I consider self-publishing my first novel instead of giving it to someone else to grapple with? I’ve been asked that a lot recently, often by other writers but also loyal blog readers supportive of the gestation of my works of fiction. The answer came to me out of the blue,… Continue Reading
Riding the Wave
That used to be one of my mother’s favorite expressions. ‘You have to be on top of the wave,’ she’d say; ‘that is, if you really want to enjoy New York.’ Translation—you have to be really ‘up’ to succeed in New York. I thought I understood what she meant, but often wondered how she’d come… Continue Reading