Manhattan Mayhem is the new book from legendary activist and author David Rothenberg. This collection of short stories captures the mood and heartbeat of the planet’s most pulsating plot of land. Rothenberg’s checkered life in theatre, politics and prisons, are reflected in these tales of hope, heartbreak and humour. They are as diverse and unpredictable as Times Square on a Saturday night.

The book is a must-read for anyone who loves New York, or anyone who has got the rhythm of New York coursing through their veins. A mensch with a big mouth, a big heart, and big ideas, Rothenberg’s 18 stories capture the mood and heartbeat of the planet’s most pulsating plot of land. Rothenberg shares personal urban fables reflecting on friendships, faith, family and fortune.

“I began writing these short stories during the pandemic, but most of them had been floating around in my head for years,” says Rothenberg. “The stories are, at once, a mix of fact and fiction, most of them containing a little bit of both. My first novel, read in the third grade, was Toby Tyler or 10 weeks in The Circus. Since then, I have always had a book in my hand or my back pocket. Reading books took me around the world. As a result, I have never been lonely. Novels, biographies, and political tracts have been my company. I hope the stories in this book will be your companion for a time.”

Available from Amazon

David Rothenberg is a theatre professional, radio host, activist, and author. As a theatre producer, a playwright, and a Broadway press agent, he has counted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Alvin Ailey, Tennessee Williams, Bette Davis, Peggy Lee and John Gielgud among his friends and colleagues. He founded Fortune Society, the country’s foremost prisoner’s rights organization. He witnessed the Attica Prison Uprising, observed the incarcerated persons at Rikers Island, was spat upon at a civil rights sit-in, and shot at during a Central American Civil War…but says none of this prepared him for the year worked with Lauren Bacall.

Endorsed as “The Gay White Hope,” he ran for city councilman of Manhattan and was an early proponent of AIDS awareness. He has hosted a live, weekly radio broadcast for nearly 60 years, and now he has authored a book, a collection of short fiction, inspired by his nine decades.

Prior to Manhattan Mayhem, Rothenberg authored Fortune In My Eyes: A Memoir of Broadway Glamour, Social Justice, and Political Passion (Applause Theatre Books, 2012), and co-authored and directed an Off-Broadway play, The Castle, which continues to be performed in prisons, colleges, and with civic groups. His one man play, Namedropping, also played off-Broadway and Rothenberg continues to perform the work around NYC.

David is also a subject of Broadway, Bars and Fortune, a 40-minute documentary film from Dr. Shuvendu Sen and Professor Karl Bardosh of NYU’s Tisch School of Arts. A social take on the relevance of art and theater in transforming lives of people with trauma, this documentary is a story of four formerly incarcerated-turned actors under the philosophy and mission of David Rothenberg. The film will premiere May 19, 2025 at the Cannes Film Festival, and will be screened at the Indian Consulate New York City and other Consulates, globally.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.