A prayer for the city : a true story of triumph and tragedy

In 1990, Buzz Bissinger's Friday Night Lights became an acclaimed bestseller and national sensation, igniting immediate debate about the role of high school football in small-town Texas. Now, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist does for big cities what he did for small towns in this epic story of one remarkable politician's efforts to save a dying American City. Mayor Edward Rendell will do almost anything for Philadelphia. He will clean the bathrooms in City Hall, endure a joint appearance with Mickey Mouse, and personally lobby President Clinton to keep jobs in the city. He is that rare politician who is larger than life in his ambitions, compassion, and flaws--a man wise enough to see the comic absurdity of his job, yet crazy enough to think he can actually revive his declining city. To succeed, Rendell must negotiate a tough new contract with city workers who are threatening to strike and wreak havoc on the city. He must allay African-American... Current Affairs/Urban Studies

"An extraordinary book, an insider's account of the daily workings of a big-city administration."
--Witold Rybczynski, The New York Review of Books

A Prayer for the City is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Buzz Bissinger's true epic of Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell, an utterly unique, unorthodox, and idiosyncratic leader who will do anything to save his city: take unions head on, personally lobby President Clinton to save 10,000 defense jobs, or wrestle Smiley the Pig on Hot Dog Day--all the while bearing in mind the eternal fickleness of constituents whose favor may hinge on a missed garbage pick-up or an overzealous meter maid. It is also the story of citizens in crisis: a woman fighting ceaselessly to give her great-grandchildren a better life, a father of six who may lose his job at the Navy Shipyard, and a policy analyst whose experiences as a crime victim tempt her to abandon her job and ideals. Heart-wrenching and hilarious, alive with detail and insight, A Prayer for the City describes a city on its knees and the rare combination of political courage and optimism that may be the only hope for America's urban centers.

"A Prayer for the City gives a unique insider account. . . . [It] is a superb book. . . . Bissinger's writing, sparse and urgent, always shines . . . and his narrative crackles with descriptive force." --The Miami Herald

"A full-scale portrait of a struggling American metropolis that brings to mind such classics of urban reportage and analysis as J. Anthony Lukas's Common Ground and Nicholas Lemann's Promised Land."
--The New York Times Book Review

"What we see through Bissinger's unique lens is profoundly touching and inspiring, poignant and sad. . . . If you really want to feel the heartbeat of the American city--and find a source of hope for its revival--you will find it here." --The Philadelphia Inquirer

Mayor Edward Rendell Will Do Almost Anything For Philadelphia. He Will Clean The Bathrooms In City Hall, Endure A Joint Appearance With Mickey Mouse, And Personally Lobby President Clinton To Keep Jobs In The City. He Is That Rare Politician Who Is Larger Than Life In His Ambitions, Compassion, And Flaws - A Man Wise Enough To See The Comic Absurdity Of His Job, Yet Crazy Enough To Think He Can Actually Revive His Declining City. To Succeed, Rendell Must Negotiate A Tough New Contract With City Workers Who Are Threatening To Strike And Wreak Havoc On The City. He Must Allay African-american Leaders Engaged In A Zero-sum Game Of Racial Politics. He Must Combat The Loss Of Tens Of Thousands Of Jobs That Have Brought The Workshop Of The World To Its Knees. As Rendell And His Brilliant Chief Of Staff, David Cohen, Fight These Political Battles, Four Citizens Of Philadelphia Engage In Their Own Personal Struggles, Each One Connected To Events At City Hall. At Turns Heart-wrenching And Hilarious, A Prayer For The City Dramatically Illustrates High-pressure Politics And The Threat Of Economic Decline Facing So Many Cities. Buzz Bissinger ; Photographs By Robert Clark. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 396-399) And Index. From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Friday Night Lights , the heart-wrenching and hilarious true story of an American city on its knees and a man who will do anything to save it. A Prayer for the City is acclaimed journalist Buzz Bissinger's true epic of Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell, an utterly unique, unorthodox, and idiosyncratic leader willing to go to any length for the sake of his city: take unions head on, personally lobby President Clinton to save 10,000 defense jobs, or wrestle Smiley the Pig on Hot Dog Day—all the while bearing in mind the eternal fickleness of constituents whose favor may hinge on a missed garbage pick-up or an overzealous meter maid. It is also the story of citizens in crisis: a woman fighting ceaselessly to give her great-grandchildren a better life, a father of six who may lose his job at the Navy Shipyard, and a policy analyst whose experiences as a crime victim tempt her to abandon her job and ideals. "Fascinating, humane" ( The New Yorker ) and alive with detail and insight, A Prayer for the City describes the rare combination of political courage and optimism that may be the only hope for America's urban centers. Less than twenty-four hours before the new job became his and the grace of speculation gave way to crisis, David L. Cohen was ensconced in a suite of offices on the second floor of City Hall doing what he always seemed to be doing: sorting out the mess that had been unceremoniously handed to him by someone else. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist offers the epic and fascinating story Philadelphia's Mayor Rendell, who will do anything to save a city on the brink of collapse. 21 photos