Daniel R. Schwarz - Broadway Boogie Woogie: Damon Runyon and the Making of New York City Culture

"…thought-provoking examination of Runyon and his historical context…"–T.D. Beal, Choice
"…shows how Runyon captured–and in some ways created–the sights and sounds of New York City…"–Frank Herron, Syracuse Post-Standard
"If you love anything to do with the history of New York City, Dan Schwarz has written just the book for you."–Union College
"…'Runyonese,' evoke[s] a perhaps mythical Manhattan occupied by amusing, sometimes violent or greedy perps."–James Boylan, Columbia Journalism Review
"Runyon exerted influence far beyond writing a story and had an enormous impact on popular culture in America. Recommended…"–Katherine E. Merrill, Library Journal
"In the vagaries of literary reputation, Damon Runyon survives today more as a byword and a legend than as an author. He is best remembered for his flashy or shady characters, his half-mythical Broadway terrain, and most of all the indelible adaptations of his work, especially Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls. Daniel Schwarz's book makes a lively case for Runyon as a vernacular poet, a quirky character in his own right, and, with Walter Winchell, a great reporter-impresario of New York's midtown demimonde during its golden years." –Morris Dickstein, CUNY Graduate Center, author of Gates of Eden and Leopards in the Temple
"This fascinating and comprehensive study of Damon Runyon at last gives us a scholarly study that places him in company like Aaron Copeland and other major cultural figures that would have surprised him but probably, secretly, delighted him too. Bravo!" –William R. Taylor, author of In Pursuit of Gotham and editor of Inventing Times Square