Reading Buffalo
I love reading stories set in Buffalo. There is something intriguing about pitting what you know about a familiar place against your imagination of that place as generated by the written word. Reality and the mysterious power of the mind's eye combine to form a richly textured reading experience when you have first hand knowledge of the subject or setting. In the last 150 years or so there have been many fiction and non fiction books written about Buffalo. Buffalo librarian and writer Cynthia Van Ness has compiled an extensive list of fictional writing which is either set in whole or in part in Buffalo. She has also included books that have the slightest mention of Buffalo. She notes that even Moby Dick makes mention of a character's origin being Buffalo:
chapter 54 of Moby Dick contains a wonderful 'tale within a tale' of a Buffalonian named Steelkilt. While almost everyone knows the essential story of Moby Dick, surprisingly few know of this dream-like, tangential digression. I bet Melville included it just because it was such a good yarn."
Cynthia also offers up her list of 10 essential Buffalo books and a link to a very extensive list of Buffalo related literature and movies. This site is a wonderful resource for your Buffalo research and a great place to find a Buffalo read to curl up next to the fireplace with. I have not begun to scratch the surface of this list but I do have a few favorites.
"City of Light" by Lauren Belfer is of course very well known, perhaps the best known Book set in Buffalo. Its rich description of Buffalo at the height of its power kept my attention until I could not fight off the necessity of sleep any longer. The book is filled with intricate descriptions of Buffalo and gives clues to the city's eventual decline even as its power seemed unlimited. having grown up among the old Delaware Avenue estates and mansions this book had a haunting appeal to me. I could clearly picture the elite lives of the people who built Buffalo. I often wonder how different my reaction to this book would have been if I grew up in another part of the region or perhaps had no connection to Buffalo at all.
Another book set close to home for me was recently published " The First Desire" by Nancy Reisman. This book was set mainly on the street I grew up on, Lancaster Avenue in the Elmwood Village. I could not wait to get my hands on this one. Truth be told I was a bit disappointed in this read. The book had little if any description of Buffalo and to me it could have been set anyplace without changing the story. The characters were all a bit grim as well making the book a bit of a downer.
Tim Russert's recent " Big Russ and Me" also hit very close to home as much of the book describes his time as a student at Canisius High School my alma mater. It was so much fun to read the memories of a major celebrity that were so closely aligned with my own experiences.
The first book I ever encountered with a Buffalo setting was "Hide in Plain Sight" . This book was also made into a movie directed by and staring James Caan. I remember the opening of the movie at the (then) recently saved Shea's Theater. People shrieked with delight as a character carried a Bocci pizza up a set of stairs. The book was a true story about a father who lost his child when his ex-wife was put into the federal witness protection program. From what I understand this was the first use of the witness protection program and they had not worked out all the kinks. I liked the book and the movie. Both are pretty much impossible to find these days.
A fun read for me was " Killing Time In Buffalo" By Deidre S. Laiken. This book with the double entendre title is set mainly on Days Park in Allentown during the hight of the drug induced sixties. It is a mystery story described best here from the book jacket:
"....a chilling, hallucinogenic story of suspense and research for self that sets an increasingly mysterious and menacing series of events against the hazy, hypnotic background of America in 1967..."
My favorite Buffalo book by far was Verlyn Klinkenborg's "The Last Fine Time". In fact this may be my favorite book of all that I have read. It is a bittersweet true story about an east side family, their family run restaurant / bar, and the neighborhood that surrounds it. The story follows the family through many eras ending with the bar's eventual closing. This Book is Buffalo. It is also America. It is the biography of a nation in transition as it leaves a more simple time. Just as City of Light explores the elite of Buffalo this Book explores the lives of everyday people in Buffalo. It is both a romantic as well as simple book. After reading this one you will know Buffalo to its soul.
Wow, thanks, Steel. In the interests of proper attribution, Peter Hassett supplied the great quote about the Buffalonian in "Moby Dick." I confess that I have yet to read every title I've found for this page, including Moby Dick.
I welcome plot summaries and reviews from those who find and read these novels and short stories. If you send a short, pithy description, I'll quote you by name or anonymously, whichever you prefer.
Steel,
Very nice post. Cynthia's work and expanding collection is an extraordinary tool for researching, un-locking and knowing Buffalo's past. One of my favorite spots on her site is Buffalo Full Text - an awesome collection of links to the City's rich cultural and economic history, that are often overlooked. Good stuff.
Steel: great post and I'd add that "The Last Fine Time" is at the top of my list, too. Everytime I pass the intersection of Sycamore & Herman, I look at that empty lot that once held so much life.