Update 2010.01.03: Corrected all links to the old Gowanus Lounge domain to the new memorial domain.
Update 2009.03.20: A memorial is planned for April 4.
Update 2009.03.14: Finally wrote my memorial post.
Update 2009.03.11: The official, authorized, and epic obituary for Bob, written lovingly by his family and friends, was published online today. Please read In Memoriam, Robert Guskind on Gowanus Lounge.
Updates 2009.03.06:
- It’s been all I can do just to keep up with the flood of online remembrances and other reports in response to Bob’s death. As of mid-day, there are over 60. Reading everyone’s posts brings back my own memories of Bob, which I hope to post over the weekend.
- Changed the link for the Brooklyn Paper.
I just learned, from Windsor Terrace Alliance and Brownstoner, that Robert “Bob” Guskind, founder of Gowanus Lounge, was found dead in his home yesterday, March 4, 2009.
He was a colleague, and a friend. I’m stunned, and can’t write anything else right now. See Links below for others’ coverage of this terrible loss.
Robert Guskind, speaking at the second Brooklyn Blogfest in May 2007.
Robert Guskind speaking at the first Brooklyn Blogade, at Vox Pop in Flatbush, in June 2007.
Related content
Links
His work and words
His last video, 2009-03-01
Bob’s videos on YouTube
Bob’s Flickr photos
A Walk Around the Blog episode featuring Bob talking about development in Carroll Gardens
Bob on the Brian Lehrer show, WNYC, 2007-09-20
Reporter Roundtable and Brooklyn Review archival footage from Brooklyn Independent Television
Bob wrote 29 stories for Underground Voices Magazine
News reports
Brooklyn Paper, 2009-03-05 (The text of this article has been edited from its original content.)
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 2009-03-05
New York Magazine (Warning: Intrusive advertising)
New York Post
Personal remembrances
One post per site. I’ve done my best to keep this list up-to-date. If I’ve overlooked your post, please let me know.
Bob and Miss Heather were good friends.
New York Sh*tty
In alphabetical order
- 1 Stop Over in Brooklyn
- 66 Square Feet
- The Albany Project
- Art in Brooklyn
- Atlantic Yards Report
- Bad Advice
- Bay Ridge Journal
- Bed-Stuy Banana
- Bed-Stuy Blog
- Best View in Brooklyn
- The Bowery Boys: New York City History
- BRIC Community Media
- Brooklyn 11211
- Brooklyn Born
- Brooklyn Heights Blog
- Brooklyn Junction
- Brooklyn Optimist
- Brooklyn Paper
- Brooklyn Ron
- Brooklyn Streets, Carroll Gardens
- Brooklynometry
- Brownstoner
- Bumpershine
- California Greening
- Carroll Gardens petition (scroll down past the petition itself)
- Clinton Hill Blog
- Cobble Hill Blog
- Crazy Stable
- Curbed (Bob worked at Curbed until this past January)
- Dalton Rooney (last paragraph)
- Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn
- Deluxa
- Destination Red Hook
- Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn
- Dope on the Slope
- Dumbo NYC
- Eat It (opening paragraph to a restaurant review)
- Englishman in New York
- Flatbush Gardener
- Flatbush Vegan
- Free Williamsburg
- Fort Greene-Clinton Hill, The Local, New York Times
- Glamorous Life of the Theatre
- Gothamist
- Green Brooklyn
- Gorilla Face
- Huffington Post
- I Love Franklin Ave.
- I’m not saying, I’m just sayin
- IMBY
- Keep Left NYC
- Kinetic Carnival
- Liberty on 10th Street
- Living the American Green
- lornagrl
- Lost City
- Lost in the Ozone
- McBrooklyn
- Make No Assumptions …
- mrjabba
- Nathan Kensinger Photography
- Neighborhood Threat
- Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG)
- No Land Grab
- Not Another F*cking Blog
- The “Not-So-Rough” Guide
- Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn
- Pardon Me For Asking
- Pistols and Popcorn
- Plasticblog
- Pretty in the City
- Queens Cr*p
- Reclaimed Home
- Self-Absorbed Boomer
- Space at my moving pace
- Street Level
- Sunset-Park.com
- Triada Samaras Art
- Vanishing New York
- Washington Square Park
[goo.gl]
Very sad.
I can’t believe the cavalier tone of the Brooklyn Paper’s obituary.
They could have covered the same facts with a good deal less cuteness.
Death isn’t cute.
It’s not an obituary. Stop over-reacting.
Anonymous coward: You’re right. It’s not an obituary. It was an editorial. My mistake on that.
“making increasingly erratic Web postings over the past few months”
They’ve already cleaned up the more egregious text:
“The NYPD offered no reports of any suicides near Guskind’s home” has been changed to deaths.
“formerly jovial journo” has dropped the “formerly”.
They made the changes. I wasn’t over-reacting.
I’m SHOCKED. Really shocked. Bob was, in my opinion, one of the hardest working bloggers I’ve ever known. He was so friendly and so supportive of bloggers from underblogged parts of Brooklyn. RIP, Bob.
Xris, thanks for being vigilant regarding the changes made on the article. I noticed them, but I didn’t have my head together enough to document it. The part that annoys me the most (and makes the BP sound like the Post) is the “jovial journo.” Ridiculous example of reporting.
I was also horrified by the Brooklyn Paper’s piece on his death. First they send out an email blast about it, then the disrespectful tone, then the editor snippily sticking up for their story on any blog that dare criticize their coverage. . . I’m disgusted.
The Brooklyn Paper also changed a sentence that claimed that Guskind had chosen to pull the Gowanus Lounge site down.
Actually, it was just a technical problem. The site may be up in a day or two.
Xris,
Thanks for your work today. Both for your kind words about a great Brooklyn advocate and journalist, and also for calling out yellow journalism for what it is.
This is a tremendous loss. Not only for his family and friends, but for anybody that cares about Brooklyn. GL was an essential resource. He will be missed by many, many people, most of whom never met him in the flesh. RIP
I’ve been lucky to work closely with Bob and help him run this website before he passed. I am certainly happy for all of us that the archives are back up!
Rest in Peace Bob, bless you for your friendship. I will miss you everyday.
I stumbled on this piece on Huffington Post this morning and wound up spending an hour or so meandering around this fine fellows life. What a tribute to blogs that this man is permanently affixed to the heart of his matter.
I spent about six weeks in Brooklyn back in the 60's, 8 th avenue & Flatbush, with a school teacher I had met in San Francisco circa Summer Of Love, she took me home and I was made welcome in the neighborhood. I didn't last long but that wasn't Brooklyns fault. Rest in Peace Robert.