**Nominee:
**Reuben Award for Best Graphic Novel
YALSA, Great Graphic Novels for Teens
Bringing to life turn-of-the-century New York and the scintillating
career of one of its most famous architects, as well as the vices that
cost him his life, this true-crime graphic novel tells the story of one
of the most scandalous murders of the times. Stanford White was one of
New York's most famous architects, having designed many mansions and the
first Madison Square Garden; his influence on New York's look at the
turn of the century was pervasive. As he became popular and in demand,
he also became quite self-indulgent: he had a taste for budding young
showgirls on Broadway, even setting up a private apartment to entertain
them in, including a room with a red velvet swing. When he met Evelyn
Nesbit--an exquisite young nymph, cover girl, showgirl, inspiration for
Charles Dana Gibson's drawing The Eternal Question and later for the
movie The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing--he knew he was on to something
special. However, Evelyn eventually married a young Pittsburgh decadent
heir with a dark side who developed a deep hatred for White and what he
may or may not have done to her.