It’s been three months of the Read New York Challenge, encouraging readers to explore stories of life in New York State by local and regional authors. March’s selection was “The Soul of Central New York: Syracuse Stories” by Sean Kirst. The book, collecting columns from Kirst’s time as a writer at the Syracuse Post-Standard, explores Syracuse through extraordinary stories of everyday life in the city. These stories, which cover more than 25 years of writing, paint a vivid portrait of Syracuse history and life, all while looking for hope in community.
The book was received extraordinarily well locally. The book featured a blurb by then-mayor Stephanie A. Miner, who said, “Sean elegantly and accurately captures the spirit, resilience, and aspirations characterizing the souls of Upstate New York.” The book was featured on Syracuse.com as well, citing: “One of the best summations of the intentions of the book is a simple two lines from Kirst’s acknowledgment section, ‘I was lucky, so lucky, I came to Syracuse. This book is the best tribute I can offer to this community.'” The Leader likewise highlighted Kirst’s focus on communal experiences, writing, “Kirst reminds readers of their shared experiences riding the rollercoaster that is life. Through narratives of average citizens, his columns provide a sense of communion to unite the community.” Kirst was also interviewed for Spectrum News about the book and his writing on Syracuse.
We reached out to Kirst to get his thoughts on the book since publication and the response the book has garnered since 2016.
It’s been a decade now since the release of ‘The Soul of Central New York.’ It took a while to shape and put together, since my purpose at the time was to do in book form what I hoped my columns had done over the years: I wanted to create an intertwined narrative of many stories that spoke to a sense of place – while also putting those tales under one roof as a means of gratitude for generations of readers.
Ten years later, I remain moved and deeply appreciative at the way the book continues to be received. Many revered elders whose reflections on triumph or struggle are featured in ‘Soul’ are gone now, and I am glad they had the chance to see those accounts within its pages. That we’re looking at 10 years feels like a surprise, but also underlines an imperative.
I’ve talked for too long about another column book, essentially ‘The Soul of Upstate,’ that would knit together tales of the many regional communities where I have written columns, from Syracuse to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. This anniversary arrives, more than anything, as both an impetus and reminder:
The years go too fast. Time to get it done.
Interested in signing up for the Read New York Challenge? Find out how you can get a year worth of free e-books and more here and prepare for April’s selection, “Wild Forest Lands: Finding History and Meaning in the Adirondacks” by Phil Terrie.