On a cozy winter evening two weeks ago, a new candlelit literary salon—The Lit Salon—kicked off in Brooklyn. It was a lively affair, full of literary fans and New York enthusiasts alike, who gathered to celebrate the publishing of the new book The Bishop and the Butterfly with author Michael Wolraich and Pulitzer Prize winner Debby Applegate, the author of Madam: A Biography of Polly Adler. ” It was a fitting launch to a book The New York Times calls a “propulsive…political thriller,” set in New York City’s jazz age. Guests raved, including author, journalist, and two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Sarah Maslin Nir, who excitedly pronounced, “I’m coming to every single one ever,” as well as author and journalist Michael Cannell, who said emphatically, “This is why we live in New York.”
The event took place inside Maison Brooklyn, the townhome of Untapped New York founder Michelle Young. The velvety floral scent of Seven Miles, the home’s signature scent by Aerangis candles, and the smell of fresh flowers from Ode à la Rose, an NYC flower delivery service specializing in French-style bouquets, wafted through the air. Guests were welcomed with the Prohibition-era Bees Knees cocktail, made with Fort Hamilton Distillery’s New World Dry Gin, local honey from Salt Air Farm on the North Fork of Long Island, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
The ambiance, the cocktails, and the music were all inspired by the Roaring 20s and 1930s Jazz Age New York City—the time period of The Bishop and the Butterfly, a true crime page-turner. The Brownstone Trio, consisting of Michelle Young, Benedict Wong, and Steven Wu performed the first movement of Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Trio in D minor, with Michelle explaining to the audience how classical music was mirroring the avant-garde movement in art and architecture at the time.
Fifty people joined in-person at The Lit Salon, with another fifty streaming online, including many of our Untapped New York Insiders who attended for free. Viewers tuned in from all over New York and states across the country including California, Arizona, Virginia, South Carolina, and more. There was a great rapport between all the speakers, including Michelle Young who hosted the discussion, and laughter filled the home throughout the talk, particularly after many bits of witty commentary from Debby Applegate.
The wide-ranging discussion covered the fascinating and tragic life of Vivian Gordon, the ill-fated subject of The Bishop and the Butterfly, the underworld of the New York City mafia, and the corrupt political and policing system in the city, all of which Vivian got caught up in. Additional discussion centered around the careers women could have or built for themselves within the social constraints of the era and what Vivian, by all accounts an extremely intelligent and talented woman, might have done in the modern era.
A special moment that gave everyone the chills was the reading of the poem Twilight, found in one of Vivian’s diaries, with a final musical performance—Twilight had been set to music by Edward Elgar. A Q&A session with questions from guests in-person and online ended the programming, which was followed by a book signing and party with wine and more cocktails served. You can still purchase an autographed copy of The Bishop and the Butterfly from Maison Brooklyn (quantity limited).
Autographed Copy The Bishop & the Butterly
The Lit Salon will return tomorrow with the launch of the book Beverly Hills Spy with author Ronald Drabkin. In-person tickets are sol out, but join us virtually!
Lit Salon: Beverly Hills Spy
The latest episode of the Untapped New York podcast is an edited version of The Lit Salon event on The Bishop and the Butterfly! Enjoy!