Archive >> Spring 2003

Our first book, City of Light by Lauren Belfer (Dial Press, 1999), casts in fascinating historical relief contemporary issues like the impact of technology on society and vice-versa, gender and class relationships, and individual integrity.

Interviews, Reviews, Interpretation, etc.

Belfer Feature
This May 1999 feature in Boldtype an online literary magazine, v. 3.2 includes an interview with Lauren Belfer and her essay on writing City of Light. An excerpt from the first chapter is also included, as well as a recorded reading by the author.

"Power Plays"
J. Kingston Pierce's July 1999 review of City of Light. Published in January Magazine, an online magazine focused on books and authors.

Reading Guide
A November 1999 reading guide produced by the Saint Stephen's Book Group of Cohasset Massachusetts. Outline of the issues covered by the group while discussing City of Light.

Read More...

Find books in the Lehigh Libraries covering topics, people, and places found in City of Light.

Lauren Belfer uses Buffalo at the start of the 20th century for her novel's historical niche. Browse historical fiction in Linderman Library to discover more works of fiction based on historic events and places.

View the record's full details to find out which historical period the book fictionalizes. From A Lake Beyond the Wind, a novel about the Arab-Israeli conflict to The Ghost Road, set in World War I, there are many places in time and space to travel while reading these books that intermingle history and imagination.

Looking Back

"Illuminations" Exhibit
Online exhibit commemorating the 1901 Pan-American Exposition created by the University at Buffalo Libraries. The site includes exhibits, essays, online documents, and links to related resources.

Exposition Films and Stereoscopic Views of Buffalo
Movies and images accessible through the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress. The films include a number of views from the Pan-American Exposition and are part of a collection produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company in 1901. The early stereoscopic images of Buffalo, New York are from a collection in the New York Public Library.

Characters and Places & Events
Historic details of characters, places, and events in City of Light. Also a number of links to related information. Created by Charles LaChiusa, a retired City Honors School English teacher and current tour guide and speaker.