James S. Russell (b. 1952. Seattle, WA) is an architectural writer, critic and journalist who lives and works in New York City. He is currently the architecture columnist for Bloomberg News, and from 1998 to 2005, he was an editor of Architectural Record magazine. Russell also contributes to numerous other publications, including the the New York Times, the Harvard Design Magazine, among others. A registered architect in New York, he practiced architecture with firms in New York City, Philadelphia, and Seattle before becoming a full-time writer. Russell received his Master of Architecture (MArch) at Columbia University in 1980.
Joan McClure (1914-2005) was a resident of the West Village in New York City for more than sixty years and active in many local civic and social issues. She was closely involved in the planning for the Westway highway along the Hudson River, the creation of a landscaped traffic island at Abbingdon Square, and the founding of the Village Halloween Parade.