Nathaniel Popkin’s latest book and debut novel, Lion and Leopard, dares to portray an event previously unexplored in fiction: the mysterious death of John Lewis Krimmel, one of the first artists to capture scenes of urban street life in America. Showing the rise and tragic fall of Krimmel through the eyes of multiple characters, Popkin imagines the chaotic time at the end of Krimmel’s life when he clashed with Charles Willson Peale and Sons, the gatekeepers of Philadelphia’s budding art scene and well known to Christ Church.  Into this world come three young men from a small village, hungry for a taste of city life. Along the way, they encounter the enigmatic Krimmel, the maddening Edward Hicks, and the eminent Peales. Throughout these clashes between fathers and sons, peers and rivals, lovers and mentors, Popkin illuminates a pivotal period when American art and culture were in their infancy.

Nathaniel Popkin is a novelist, film writer, journalist, editor, and book critic. He is also the author of Song of the City (Four Walls Eight Windows/Basic Books) andThe Possible City (Camino Books). He is co-editor of the Hidden City Daily and senior writer and script editor of the Emmy-winning documentary series “Philadelphia: The Great Experiment.” The fiction review editor of Cleaver Magazine, he also writes the “Bookmarked” column for Art Attack/Philly.com and is a contributing writer at The Smart Set.