DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A trio of Brooklyn-based authors used their hometown as the nucleus of their marketing efforts Sept. 28, with an informal meet and greet and book signing to promote their newest works. 

“Brooklyn as my Muse: A Brooklyn Book Festival Bookends Event,” was held at the Brooklyn Made store in City Point from 1 to 3 p.m. and featured authors Jeff Richman, who wrote “Building the Brooklyn Bridge, 1869-1883,” Dr. Herbert Roseman who wrote “A Tzvi Grow in Brooklyn” and “The Sun Through The Leaves: The Life of Phyllis Andler Roseman,” as well as author and poet Jive Poetic, author of “Skip Tracer.”  

The spirit of being a Brooklynite

Richman’s “Bridge” delves into the extraordinary story behind what was once hailed as the Eighth Wonder of the World and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Richman spoke about how a small group of engineers and thousands of workers toiled for over a decade to construct what was then the largest suspension bridge ever built. 

Richman curated 256 19th century images, many of which have never been published.  Richman also specially created several anaglyphs, which are three-dimensional images generated from stereographs, offering the reader the sensation of being at the construction site as the towers begin to rise. 

“There’s nothing more Brooklyn and more iconic than the Brooklyn Bridge,” Richman explained. “I’ve been fascinated by it for 50-plus years, and I’ve been collecting images of the bridge. I felt it was important to gather these images and put a book together in a way that has never been seen before.” 

Richman described the Brooklyn Bridge as “spectacular and much beloved in Brooklyn, around the country and across the world.”

Asked what he thought was most unique about the borough itself, Richman didn’t miss a beat.

“It’s the spirit of the people,” Richman said. “It’s very distinct from the rest of New York City. People are so proud to be Brooklynites.”

Richman is also a full-time historian at Green-Wood Cemetery and the author of several other books, including “Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery: New York’s Buried Treasure.” 

Simpler days

Roseman’s “Tzvi” is a memoir that covers the life and struggles of an awkward boy growing up in a crowded two-bedroom apartment in Flatbush, his comical adventures in Brooklyn, his love for the Dodgers and his days at Erasmus High School. 

Roseman’s story is a nostalgic and lighthearted glimpse into Brooklyn during the simpler days of the 1940s and 1950s. The title is derived from Roseman’s Hebrew name given to him at 13 — “Tzvi,” which means male deer.

“Sun,” Roseman’s other book, is based on his wife of 61 years, who passed away in 2023. 

“She grew up in the 1940s and 1950s when women didn’t have very many opportunities,” he said. “But she was ultimately able to carve out a great life for herself, attending Bryn Mawr College, the top female school at the time, and eventually became a figure skating professional, and later in life owned a catering and restaurant business. I have to attribute that level of success to her determination and intelligence.”  

Roseman, who is 86, explained that he simply wants readers to enjoy his books.

“Everything is done lightly, and I do hope my sense of humor catches on,” he said. “I also want people to understand what it was like to grow up in Brooklyn and to get a feel for that. While Brooklyn is quite different today, it has the same charm as it did decades ago, and I believe it always will.” 

Old Brooklyn

Poetic’s “Tracer” is a memoir that intertwines poems, prose and photographs to explore the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, cultural identity, music and masculinity. 

International recognition and support for his work has come from the British Arts Council, U.S. Embassies in Australia, Brazil and Poland, as well as the Minister of Culture in Antigua and Barbuda. 

Poetic received his undergraduate degree in media studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his masters in writing and activism from Pratt Institute. 

Poetic also teaches poetry and hip-hop workshops to at-risk youth in New York City and the surrounding areas.

“I really hope people reading my book will get a sense of who I am,” Poetic said.  “Maybe it will even inspire them to document their own stories, as it’s so easy for voices and stories to get lost. If I don’t tell my story, someone else might, and they might even get it wrong; Or worse, nobody will tell it.”  

Poetic also pointed out that while Brooklyn is constantly changing, “You can still find parts of old Brooklyn if you know where to look and can get a nice glimpse of how it used to be.”