| PRESS, PRESS, PULL... |
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| Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz Proclaims George and Ira "the Official Cats of Brooklyn!" Wednesday, September 19, 2007 |
| "Kudos to our pal Nate Chura; his comic book felines, George and Ira have been named “Official Cats of Brooklyn” by Borough President Markowitz..." |
| Click Below to See the Video |
Starring Park Slope
By Ben Muessig
The Brooklyn Paper (9-03-09)
The Park Slope-centric novel “On Prospect Park West” might be the newest book to
pontificate on the hyper-liberal family neighborhood, but it’s hardly the first time the
community has starred in a work of fiction.
Dozens of scribes have detailed Park Slope — which isn’t surprising, considering that it is one
of the literary capitols of the borough, if not the world.
But no other Park Slope book has had the buzz that currently surrounds former sex
columnist Amy Sohn’s eagerly anticipated novel.
Only time will tell where “On Prospect Park West” ranks in Park Slope’s artistic canon, which
already boasts favorites including:
The Brooklyn Follies
Paul Auster
Though protagonist Nathan Glass moves to Park Slope in search of a “quiet place to die,” the
neighborhood turns out providing plenty of excitement in Paul Auster’s 2006 masterwork.
In a story detailing a fractured family reconnecting in Park Slope, Auster deftly describes
neighborhood restaurants like La Bagel Delight, personalities including a character deemed
the “Beautiful Perfect Mother,” and happenings including the closure of a fictionalized
Seventh Avenue bookstore — a scenario that turned out to be all to real.
The Squid and the Whale
Noah Baumbach
Brooklyn born director Noah Baumbach’s “The Squid and the Whale” takes on a number of
Park Slope stereotypes like pretentious writers, tenuous lessons at the Prospect Park Tennis
Center, and the difficulty of finding a parking spot. The film features an all-star cast
including Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Anna Paquin, and even a Baldwin, who act out the
collapse of a literary family. In a word, this eminently quotable film is “Kafka-esque.”
George and Ira of Prospect Park West: A Tale of Two Cats
Nathanael Chura
In this children’s book, Nathanael Chura helps Park Slope kids deal with a common Park
Slope problem — the arrival of younger siblings. The cutely and simply drawn sketches tell
the story of George and Ira, a pair of Brooklyn cats who live “in a modest corner brownstone
on Prospect Park West.” The duo is the center of attention for their owners — and even the
cleaning lady Rosa — until Baby Emily comes along. Borough President Markowitz gave his
blessing to the picture book and its stars, who he said “represent Brooklynites in the cat
world, and the human world as well.”
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
Mo Willems
Though children’s book legend Mo Willems abandoned Park Slope for Massachusetts last
year, the beloved writer’s work will always belong to the neighborhood. And none of his
books pertains to Park Slope more than “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale,” which tells the
story of a toddler losing her beloved stuffed animal inside a Laundromat at the corner of
Sixth Avenue and Fifth Street. Drawn in vivid colors over a backdrop of muted photos,
Willems’ book is so appealing to Park Slope kids that it has actually turned a washing
machine into a tourist destination for tykes.
By Ben Muessig
The Brooklyn Paper (9-03-09)
The Park Slope-centric novel “On Prospect Park West” might be the newest book to
pontificate on the hyper-liberal family neighborhood, but it’s hardly the first time the
community has starred in a work of fiction.
Dozens of scribes have detailed Park Slope — which isn’t surprising, considering that it is one
of the literary capitols of the borough, if not the world.
But no other Park Slope book has had the buzz that currently surrounds former sex
columnist Amy Sohn’s eagerly anticipated novel.
Only time will tell where “On Prospect Park West” ranks in Park Slope’s artistic canon, which
already boasts favorites including:
The Brooklyn Follies
Paul Auster
Though protagonist Nathan Glass moves to Park Slope in search of a “quiet place to die,” the
neighborhood turns out providing plenty of excitement in Paul Auster’s 2006 masterwork.
In a story detailing a fractured family reconnecting in Park Slope, Auster deftly describes
neighborhood restaurants like La Bagel Delight, personalities including a character deemed
the “Beautiful Perfect Mother,” and happenings including the closure of a fictionalized
Seventh Avenue bookstore — a scenario that turned out to be all to real.
The Squid and the Whale
Noah Baumbach
Brooklyn born director Noah Baumbach’s “The Squid and the Whale” takes on a number of
Park Slope stereotypes like pretentious writers, tenuous lessons at the Prospect Park Tennis
Center, and the difficulty of finding a parking spot. The film features an all-star cast
including Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Anna Paquin, and even a Baldwin, who act out the
collapse of a literary family. In a word, this eminently quotable film is “Kafka-esque.”
George and Ira of Prospect Park West: A Tale of Two Cats
Nathanael Chura
In this children’s book, Nathanael Chura helps Park Slope kids deal with a common Park
Slope problem — the arrival of younger siblings. The cutely and simply drawn sketches tell
the story of George and Ira, a pair of Brooklyn cats who live “in a modest corner brownstone
on Prospect Park West.” The duo is the center of attention for their owners — and even the
cleaning lady Rosa — until Baby Emily comes along. Borough President Markowitz gave his
blessing to the picture book and its stars, who he said “represent Brooklynites in the cat
world, and the human world as well.”
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
Mo Willems
Though children’s book legend Mo Willems abandoned Park Slope for Massachusetts last
year, the beloved writer’s work will always belong to the neighborhood. And none of his
books pertains to Park Slope more than “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale,” which tells the
story of a toddler losing her beloved stuffed animal inside a Laundromat at the corner of
Sixth Avenue and Fifth Street. Drawn in vivid colors over a backdrop of muted photos,
Willems’ book is so appealing to Park Slope kids that it has actually turned a washing
machine into a tourist destination for tykes.