For kids growing up in the 1960s, the East Village was always the hip place to go in New York, a remote almost mystical place where the most cutting-edge artists came together with the some of the most powerfully political radicals. Teeny boppers always wandered to the West Village and Washington Square, while those truly in the know went across Broadway to St. Mark’s Place, the Bowery, and Thompson Square Park, where everybody from Abbie Hoffman to Alan Ginsberg lived for a time.
Following in the footsteps of “Tales of Beatnik Glory” by Beat poet Ed Sanders, whose work depicts the rise of the Beat Movement in the East Village in the 1940s, author Tim Murphy will bring to the Jersey City Library an updated vision of that legendary part of the city.
Like Sanders, Murphy presents his tales as fiction, but set in more contemporary times. His novel “Christodora” spans four decades, reflecting some of the community’s massive changes.
Murphy will read from his book at Jersey City’s Main Library on Dec. 5 starting at 6:30 p.m., and will follow up with a question and answer discussion about the novel.
“Christodora,” published by Grove Press and designated an Amazon Best Book of August 2016, is Murphy’s first novel. At nearly 500 pages, it provides a panoramic portrait of the East Village community, its changing stature from housing some of the most downtrodden to the uber-rich. Even movie superstars like Daniel Craig have found residence in the Alphabet City east of Avenue A.
His book deals with some of the most significant issues of the era, include the struggles of the LGBTQ community that has always had a significant presence in the neighborhood and the fearful era of AIDS that created a panic in late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.
For many, the East Village became the social battle ground against AIDS in the 1980s as activists, gay and straight, struggled to deal with the impacts and the changes the disease forced on that community.
With Tim Murphy’s book, you get to experience four decades – going against the tide of opinion and action, whether it’s being gay, dealing with the devastation of HIV/AIDS, being an activist, being a drug addict, being in recovery, and the impacts of hyper-gentrification – all done, through the prism of time and space, of life in an apartment building named Christodora in the East Village in New York City, and recently written about extensively in The New York Times.
The novel is being considered for possible adaption to a miniseries, similar to the series inspired by Armistead Maupin whose work is set in a mythic apartment house in San Francisco.
Library has more events planned
Those interested in obtaining the book ahead of time can purchase it at Word Bookstore, 123 Newark Ave., or at the library the night of the reading, when the author will be available to autograph it.
“The Main Library is delighted to host author Tim Murphy,” said Library Director Priscilla Gardner. “Once Phase II of the Main Library is completed, we look forward to hosting similar events in its auditorium to foster community engagement.”
“My college friend, Tim Murphy, has written an epic novel, one that chronicles and documents a 40-year period of major significance for the LGBTQ community.” – Library Board President Curt Harris.
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“My college friend, Tim Murphy, has written an epic novel, one that chronicles and documents a 40-year period of major significance for the LGBTQ community,” said Library Board President Curt Harris. “We are so proud to present this book in such a gay-welcoming and inclusionary city as Jersey City. We hope to replicate this across other constituencies.”
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As of Monday, Oct. 17, the Jersey City Free Public Library had 208,828 valid card members.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.