Legendary New York novelist, essayist and journalist Pete Hamill discusses the story behind his latest novel North River and writing New York in general. The book is set in the “Depression-era New York immigrant community, and about who is telling the stories of today’s immigrants.”

The two also discuss the origins of the book’s title: The North River is the old name for the southern end of the Hudson River where the Hudson River turns from south-southwest to south between the bottom of Manhattan and New Jersey.

You can hear the whole interview here.