You're listening to Imaginary Worlds, a show about fantasy genres,

American Malinsky.

I love to explore cities.

Like when I got to my 10-year anniversary in New York,

I realized that I had been to all the neighborhoods

at local landmarks that I wanted to visit

or was told that I should see.

It was winter time, so I knew I wasn't going to get out much.

Then I thought, well, maybe there's another way I could explore New York.

I could go back in time.

There are so many books that vividly recreate the past,

like Wintersdale, breakfast at Tiffany's,

gangs of New York, age of innocence.

After a while, I could see the ghostly layers of the old New York

on top of a current one.

Like when I walk through Madison Square Park,

I can imagine the old Madison Square garden there

on the side with the gold statue of the goddess Diana on top.

Or with a walking on the battery, I look up and I can just imagine

the elevated train that would have taken me up to Central Park.

Then I discovered a novel called The Golden in the Ginny,

which beautifully recreates New York City of 1899.

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