City of Light is the story of one of the largest cities in turn-of-the-century America, host of the Pan-American Exhibition and center of the emerging hydroelectric power industry: Buffalo, New York, the "city of light," a fountain of wealth and sophistication admired the world round. City of Light is also the story of a woman whose safe existence within Buffalo's prosperous ruling class is suddenly threatened by scandal. She has led a rare life for a single woman in her time, as headmistress and hostess for Buffalo's most affluent families. But she has secrets whose revelation would destroy all she has worked for. "What do I hide? My joy, my memories, my dreams of those I've loved and what they might have been, my mind harkening back to the time when I knew them still." --Louisa Barrett, 1909 In this issue of Bold Type, Lauren Belfer discusses how she came to write City of Light in an interview and an original essay. She also offers the first chapter and a reading from her new book.
		Photo of Lauren Belfer copyright © Marion Ettlinger Send us comments