When asked about the inspiration behind the novel (beyond the callbacks to his personal life), Banks broke it down into two parts: writing it and getting it published. He didn\u2019t start putting pen to paper until after 2013, when he hosted Sloane reunions in Midtown Manhattan.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the Amtrak, on the way home, I would always think to myself, I should write down some of those stories before they\u2019re forgotten,\u201d Banks shared. Ultimately, it was his wife who encouraged him to turn those pages and stories into a book.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s those memories and feelings of a shared community that really made Sloane a compelling read. The building, located close to Penn Station on 34th Street at the time, housed art school students, elderly people, NYC locals, transients, and many others, and Banks made it feel like a character rather than just a setting. He specifically described it as a \u201cbuffet of personalities,\u201d noting how special the experience was because, regardless of generation, \u201cyou can shut off your phone, but you can\u2019t shut off New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/KBANKS.jpg\")
\u201cSloane\u201d author, Kevin Banks.Photo courtesy of the author.<\/p>\n
Speaking of the city, the universality that Banks writes about stands the test of time, even if you\u2019re just discovering those stories or the city as a whole. One passage near the end of the book especially captures that spirit: \u201cNew York in the \u201880s is a perfect storm of social whiplash and cultural combustion, a city still reeling from the anarchic hangover of the \u201870s, now doubling down on its own dysfunction.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s far from the only moment that feels strikingly relatable, even for readers who never set foot in NYC in the \u201880s. The way Banks describes certain institutions, such as Penn Station, Times Square, and other New York landmarks, could just as easily be about something witnessed yesterday, a decade ago, or 40 years earlier. Yes, New York City has transformed over the years, but its overall essence and the sense of community woven through it remain intact.<\/p>\n
What Banks does so well throughout the book is give readers little glimpses into Sloane. The chapters are short, each feeling almost like an episode or snapshot without overstaying its welcome. The characters are clearly distinguished: Evan as the narrator, and Ryan and Jack as his two best friends, always along for the shenanigans. Plus, the timeline follows them from freshman year through graduation, though it isn\u2019t fully realized until the end.<\/p>\n
Some moments in the book felt darker, while others were less serious (think dorm life rather than class time). I really could picture what life at Sloane was like then. From the smells and sights to the sense of shared human experience, Banks effortlessly captured the unique qualities that make NYC so special.<\/p>\n
Many Long Islanders who lived in the Sloane House dormitory while attending college in NYC, or NYC transplants who came from far-flung places and eventually settled on Long Island, will read this fictionalized memoir with fondness.<\/p>\n
As a Jersey girl who has loved NYC since I was little, I felt this was a love letter to one of my favorite places, which, after speaking with Banks, was exactly one of his goals.<\/p>\n
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