David is the published author of several books, notably the only two written exclusively about Boston's erstwhile entertainment district, Scollay Square. He is also the co-author, with his father Louis, of Presidential Landmarks (Hippocrene Press, 1992) and Building Route 128 (Arcadia Publishing, 2003) with Yanni Tsipis. In 2022 DX Varos published his novel, INSEPARABLE, which is based on the 1962 escape of three men from Alcatraz in a homemade raft.
His writing has appeared in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, History Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Boston Magazine and elsewhere. A published and produced playwright, his musical about the Boston Red Sox (The Curse of the Bambino) premiered at Boston's Lyric Stage in 2001. He is currently juggling two projects; a new novel set in pre-war Detroit. David is also engaged in researching and writing (with co-author Tina Drzal) a real-life Boston mystery about a baby boy who was abandoned on the Common in VJ Day, and the decades-long search for his mother.
More on David's Scollay Square books
David become interested in the Square after hearing a story from his uncle, a former sailor and doctor serving during World War II who found himself with "liberty time" in Boston and subsequently sampled the wares in the Square.
Always Something Doing was published by Faber and Faber in 1990 which sold out its first printing in a month. After two more printings Northeastern University Press picked up the book in 1999 with a new chapter on the efforts to redevelop City Hall Plaza. In 2004, Arcadia Publishing released Scollay Square, a brand new book filled with 180 images, including many never before published views in the Old Howard, Casino, and other places in the Square.
Media appearances
David, as the resident expert on Scollay Square, is often on by media outlets to provide commentary on the Square and its personalities. TV interviews include Matt Lauer on Channel 7 (with the wonderful Ann Corio), several appearances on Channel 5's Chronicle, and New England Cable News. His radio appearances include "The Jerry Williams Show" on WRKO, "The David Brudnoy Show" on WBZ, and "Here and Now" on WBUR. (See pictures from the promotional radio tour here.) A number of documentary film makers have called David to be a "talking head" and he has also been heard on, of all things, a cell phone tour of Boston. (Without a doubt the most fun thing about was David being introduced by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. You can listen to us both here.)
David being interviewed by Ted Reinstein for the Channel 5 program Good Day in 1990.