Brooklyn writer Thomas Hynes has written a love letter to the surprising ecological diversity of New York in Wild City, an illustrated guide to 40 of the most well-known, notorious, mythical, and sublime non-human citizens of the five boroughs. You’ll learn surprising new facts in these pages, and you’ll revisit some animals you’re all too familiar with, such as the viral sensation “pizza rat” and the Mandarin Duck of Central Park. An unconventional wildlife guide, a concise environmental history, and a celebration of some of the city’s most surprising residents, Wild City is an enchanting and humorous illustrated volume about the infamous and legendary creatures who are as much New Yorkers as their human counterparts — and just what New Yorkers need right now.
Tonight at 7:30 PM, join Hynes in virtual conversation is Michelle Young, founder of Untapped New York in the virtual launch of the book Wild City with Greenlight Bookstores. Hynes first started publishing articles about New York City’s idiosyncratic wildlife for Untapped New York in 2015, starting with the uncovering of the sewer alligator legend. He wrote about the monk parrots in Greenwood Cemetery, the beavers of the Bronx River, the Inwood Mastadon, and New York City’s oysters, all of whom appear in Wild City. Most recently, he shared the story of Alice the Elephant who allegedly swam from Coney Island to Staten Island.
The virtual launch event is free, register here. Use coupon code WILDCITY to get $5 off purchase Wild City from greenlightbookstore.com before June 3 or purchase the book on Amazon.