Panel discussion and book launch at The Museum of Modern Art

I couldn't quite believe it when the Museum of Modern Art approached me to suggest a launch event for Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor and now that the launch has happened I still can't believe it.

From the book signing queues to the wonder of seeing Downtown 81 on the big screen for the first time to the absolute pleasure of chairing a panel of downtown stars ( Ann Magnuson, Patti Astor, Fred Brathwaite/Fab 5 Freddy, Glenn O'Brien, Johnny Dynell and Michael Holman) to heading to the MoMA bar with downtowner friends and historic friends at the end of it all, the night was like a deliriously mad dream in which there's barely time to track the movement from scene to scene.

Here's a link to the panel discussion for those who couldn't be there or those who are committed enough to experience it all over again, http://bit.ly/2dcJFY9. Many thanks once again to Ron Magliozzi and Sophie Cavoulacos of MoMA for the invitation and all the hard work. I'm very happy and very lucky and I think the book is, too. 

You can also watch the video below.

New Yorker review plus other reviews, features and extracts

Reviews are coming through for Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980-83, including a pretty captivating one published yesterday by revered Sasha Frere-Jones in The New Yorker. I’m slightly lost for words, which is unusual given that L&D contains about 200,000 of them, but then again Love Saves the Day and Hold On to Your Dreams never got this kind of attention. (“Your book taught me about my own childhood,” Sasha was kind enough to write in a fact-checking email that hinted that he wasn't going to completely trash the book…)

In other developments, the autumn issue of Jocks and Nerds includes a ravishing five page feature about the book (thanks Andy Thomas, thanks J&N).

There are more great reviews by Tom Cardamone/Lambada Literary, Kris Needs/Record Collector, Jim Piechota/Bay Area Reporter, Simon Reynolds/Bookforum and Greg Wilson/Being a DJ .

For those who want more, extracts have been published by Electronic Beats and Groove; Harry Schmidt has written a piece in Mixmag Germany; and Man Parrish has sent through a cool endorsement. “What a wonderful piece of work!" writes Man. "I think this may be the definitive Bible for NYC and dance music during that era.” Thanks Man, thanks all.

Let’s see if there's anything left in the tank for when the book is officially published on 30 September…