meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Slate Daily Feed

Gabfest Reads | The Four Years That Changed New York City Forever

Slate Daily Feed

Slate Podcasts

News, Business, Society & Culture

41.1K Ratings

🗓️ 16 August 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Political Gabfest host Emily Bazelon talks with Jonathan Mahler about his new book, The Gods of New York. They discuss the unraveling of Mayor Ed Koch’s New York City; how the city’s current mayoral race is mirroring the past; and more.   Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

It's so funny because when you look at the guys, that's never a topic of conversation. Yeah. What you look like? Yeah. Did you watch the football last night? It's never about, I'll watch your skincare routine. Whereas women walk into a room and because we've been taught to be pitted against each other. Yeah. Not always, but sometimes there's, oh my God, you know, I can't. It's a bit of a barrier. Yeah, yeah. and it shouldn't be there.

0:01.1

We should be trying to change that stereotype. always, but sometimes there's, oh my God, you know, I can't. It's a bit of a barrier. Yeah, yeah, and it shouldn't be there.

0:22.2

We should be trying to change that stereotype, believing that there is space for everybody.

0:29.7

Hello and welcome to GabFest Reeds for the month of August.

0:33.3

I'm Emily Bazelon.

0:34.6

I am here with my dear colleague, Jonathan Mahler.

0:38.4

Hey, Jonathan.

0:39.3

Hi, Emily.

0:42.2

I am so glad to be here with you to talk about your new book, The Gods of New York.

0:48.4

Just to introduce you for one second, you are a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine with me and also the author

0:55.7

of the bestselling book, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx, is Burning. So we are here to talk

1:01.1

about your new book partly because I am fascinated by New York politics right now with this

1:06.6

race for mayor looming. And I'm hoping a lot of our listeners feel the same. And so it was really a

1:13.3

treat to go back into this history that you're telling. The Gods of New York is about four years

1:19.7

that you say utterly transformed New York. This is 1986 to 1990. It's the end of the era of Mayor Ed Koch.

1:29.6

And you have a great quote about what you think happened in this period.

1:34.1

You say, the great working class city morphed into a city of entrenched poverty and extreme wealth,

1:40.4

of celebrity, audacity, individualism, learned indifference, and resentment, foreshadowing the

1:46.6

transformation of the broader nation. I love that opening, and I'm going to ask you like a big

1:51.9

sweeping question, which might be a terrible way to start, so forgive me. But what's your sort of

1:57.7

top line answer about why you picked this particular four-year period

2:01.9

for that really big sweeping thesis?

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 23 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Slate Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Slate Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.