Last Call at Coogan's:

The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar

Coogan’s Bar and Restaurant in Washington Heights became a staple of neighborhood life during its 35 years in operation—a place of safety and a bulwark against prejudice in a multi-ethnic, majority-immigrant community undergoing rapid change.

Michaud tells the story of this beloved saloon, from the high crime years to the age of gentrification. This book touches on many serious issues facing the country today, and readers will meet the bar’s owners and an array of its most colorful regulars. At its core, this is the story of one small business, the people who worked there, the customers they served, and the community they all called home.

JON MICHAUD is the Collection Management Librarian at the Millburn Free Public Library. His debut novel When Tito Loved Clara' (Algonquin) was named a best book of the year by The Barnes & Noble Review and was a finalist for the Writer’s Center First Novel Prize. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Tin House, LitHub, CrimeReads, and numerous other publications. The recipient of a 2022 fellowship from the New Jersey Council on the Arts, Michaud lives in Maplewood, NJ with his wife and two sons. An American citizen, he was nonetheless the Irish junior javelin champion in 1983.

Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing.

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