Etta Anthony Baker (December 8, 1866- January 25, 1959) was born in Cincinnati but spent the greater part of her life in Staten Island, where she pursued a successful career as a novelist and prolific short story writer for periodicals, in addition to volunteering her time with many public-spirited and philanthropic organizations. She was most … More Etta Anthony Baker 1866-1959
Paul Zindel explored the pitfalls of teenage infatuation in “The Girl Who Wanted a Boy” (1981), the story of fifteen-year-old Sibella Cametta, an awkward, science-minded Port Richmond High School sophomore who dreams of owning a Mobil gas station and is desperate to have a boyfriend. She “discovers” him in the Advance sports section when she … More The Girl Who Wanted a Boy
Louis Forgione (1896-1968) published three well-regarded novels about the Italian American experience within the space of four years during the 1920s, but then precipitously vanished from public notice. Despite his literary success, what few biographical details we have about him are mired in contradiction and confusion, with one source claiming that he was a successful … More Louis Forgione and “Reamer Lou” (1924)
“The Summer of the Paymaster” (1990) by Alfred Nielsen is an extraordinary novel about a group of Annadale boys coming of age in the unspoiled and pre-bridge Staten Island of the early 1960s and growing to manhood during the turbulence of the Vietnam War and the counterculture of the later years of the decade. The … More The Summer of the Paymaster
The Staten Island Magazine, a literary monthly, was launched in 1888 by some of our island’s most prominent citizens. George William Curtis, in its inaugural issue, acknowledged that the island had not yet inspired men of letters to use it as a fictional setting, but also proudly noted that Staten Island, with its beautiful landscape … More The Staten Island Magazine, 1888
Staten Island-based journalist John Sampson (1908-2010) had a long and storied life (https://tinyurl.com/y8hg253g) and in his retirement wrote several novels, two of which were set on Staten Island. “Up at Lighthouse Hill” (1999) is the story of the residents of a Richmondtown boarding house, which has been in the same family since the Revolution. Upon … More Up at Lighthouse Hill
Of all Staten Island novels, Paul Zindel’s “The Pigman” (1968) is surely the most famous. Dedicated to the “boys and girls of Stapleton”, the story of two teenagers who befriend an eccentric old man has been assigned reading in English classes for decades. Less well known is the book’s sequel, “The Pigman’s Legacy” (1980) in … More The Pigman
Phyllis Whitney’s “The Quicksilver Pool” (1955) is a Civil War novel which tells the story of a border state woman who marries a wounded Staten Island soldier whom she has nursed back to health after a battle. He brings her home to the island to live with him, his son and his domineering mother. This … More The Quicksilver Pool
“The Journey of Tapiola” (1938) by Robert Nathan is the story of a pampered Yorkshire Terrier from Manhattan who sets out on a heroic journey in order to impress his owner. After escaping Manhattan on a garbage scow, he and his companions get washed up on the shores of Staten Island where they participate in … More The Journey of Tapiola
“The Listener” (1953) by Theodora Dubois is a murder mystery which takes place on Todt Hill. After the death of her fiancé behind the Iron Curtain, Patricia Niall joins a Staten Island convent (neither Roman Catholic nor Episcopalian) belonging to a strict and ancient Irish order of nuns. Patricia, now known as Sister Genevieve, witnesses … More The Listener
Staten Island in Fiction 