Nightswimming

Preface

Paterson, NJ

Paterson is often described as physically static; a time warp rooted by a skyline of once vital mills. Some are brick and some are sandstone and all of them are vacant. Urban revitalization and other missions to lift this once great manufacturing hub, this mighty producer of silk, have been fitful. What has always anchored the city—its beating, iconic heart—are the Great Falls of the Passaic River. The falls are wonderous. They were both muse and motivation sparking Alexander Hamilton’s dream to create a national industrial center. The 77-foot plunge of raging water inspired the poetry of William Carlos Williams and the prose of Junot Diaz and served as backdrop for a memorable scene in Season One of The Sopranos.