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cover art for Episode 152: LIVE from Love Velma with David Goodwillie

Across the Margin: The Podcast

Episode 152: LIVE from Love Velma with David Goodwillie

This episode of Across The Margin : The Podcast presents an interview with novelist David Goodwillie about his book Kings County. Goodwillie is also the author of the novel American Subversive, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and the memoir Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. Goodwillie has written for the New York TimesNew York MagazineNewsweek, and Popular Science, among other publications. He has also been drafted to play professional baseball, worked as a private investigator, and was an expert at Sotheby’s auction house. In this episode host Michael Shields, who describes Kings County as a "love letter to Brooklyn," discusses with Goodwillie his relationship to the borough and to all the musicians and artists featured in the story. They discuss the characters in the book and themes that propel the book revolving around change. They explore how Goodwillie brought to life the big reveal of the book in a deeply-affecting letter, how a minor character ended up having one of the bigger moments in Kings County, the origins behind a gay cat named Richard, and so much more.


Learn more about Love Velma: Love Velma is a private 100 capacity jazz venue and nightclub located on the ground floor of The Mod House of Ellenville, a mid-century modern lodge and social club in Ellenville, NY — just ninety minutes north of New York City. A proper speakeasy with incredible sound, Velma’s monthly shows are packed with smartly dressed music and art obsessives. Run by drummer and music industry veteran Nick Gordon, artists are encouraged to come early and soak up The Mod House’s three acres of secluded land. 

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