The Fund for the City of New York is honored to host the official book launch of By Nightfall: A Novella in Twenty Verses by our Scholar in Residence, Noel S. Anderson, Ph.D.
By Nightfall is an evocative story of love, selfhood, and war in 1960s Paris. At its heart is Solomon Painter, a young man from St. Louis whose early life is shaped by the pulpit, the pulse of jazz, and the scars of history. Torn between the weight of heritage and the lure of independence, Solomon embarks on a quiet rebellion that spans continents. Paris becomes the backdrop where he dares to imagine a new life as both man and writer.
Paris in the 1960s was a city of artistic experimentation, political upheaval, and postwar reflection. It was also a place where many Black American artists and writers found space to create free of the racial barriers they faced at home. Against this historical backdrop, By Nightfall illuminates the personal journey of a young man navigating identity, art, and belonging.
Graceful and quietly powerful, Dr. Anderson’s work joins a long literary tradition of examining questions of home, heritage, and the pursuit of self through storytelling.
Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Time: 6:00 – 8:00PM