> At a Glance
> – A new edition of The Bottom of the Harbor drops May 12
> – Josh Safdie pens the introduction; Joana Avillez adds fresh illustrations
> – Pre-orders are live now
> – Why it matters: Readers get a visually reimagined, filmmaker-endorsed look at old New York’s vanished waterfront world
Joseph Mitchell’s 1950s waterfront chronicle is sailing back into bookstores with a creative crew on board.
A Fresh Coat for a Harbor Classic
Modern Library will re-release The Bottom of the Harbor on May 12, pairing Mitchell’s timeless sketches of dock workers, fishmongers, and riverfront drifters with new artwork by illustrator Joana Avillez and a reflective introduction by Josh Safdie, director of Marty Supreme.
Safdie, who mined the book while building his film’s New York setting, calls Mitchell’s portraits “one of the greatest portraits of New York City and the lost beautiful souls who inhabit it.”
Artist Brings Her Seaport Roots Onboard
Avillez, raised near the old Fulton Fish Market, says the commission felt personal.
She explains:
> “This book is both a city book and a nature book… I could almost draw [the characters] in my mind.”
Her linework aims to resurrect the salty neighborhoods Mitchell roamed, threading today’s readers back to an era of tugboats, gin mills, and floating junkyards.
What’s Inside the New Edition
- Mitchell’s original essays, untouched
- Avillez’s full-page drawings keyed to key scenes
- Safdie’s new introduction linking past to present
Key Takeaways
- May 12 marks the on-sale date; pre-orders available everywhere books are sold
- Safdie credits the collection as creative fuel for his upcoming film
- Avillez sees the project as a bridge between old Seaport life and modern New York
The refreshed volume invites both newcomers and longtime Mitchell fans to rediscover the city’s vanished waterfront through dual lenses of prose and picture.
