Buffalo books (local authors/subjects)

Buffalo Noir, ed. Brigid Hughes and Ed Park (Akashic Books)--our fair city finally lands its volume in the acclaimed City Noir series from Brookyn’s Akashic Books, and it’s a dandy--twelve stories from writers born or otherwise attached here, with a stunning cover taken from a photo by area writer and chef Joe George. The stories, with settings all over the city, provide a virtual tour of what’s noir about Buffalo, and Buffalo about noir.

Classic Rock, Classic Jock: The Jim Santella Story

Jim Santella (Buffalo Heritage Press)--memoir of the father of progressive radio in Buffalo, from his days at UB, his commercial FM postings, to his work at WBFO with blues and theater talk, a half-century of Buffalo radio’s history.

Some Girls,

Janet McNally (White Pine Press)--Canisius professor’s first book of poems, winner of the White Pine Press Poetry Prize, fresh takes on classic myths and fairy tales, rich in imagery, lush in language, humorous and revelatory.

Grain Dust Dreams, David Tarbet (SUNY Press)--the story of terminal grain elevator from invention in Buffalo in the 19th Century through their current use and transformations, and status as industrial architectural icon influence and icon.

The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs, Elaine Sciolino (Norton)—Buffalo native and Canisius graduate, and former Paris Bureau chief of the New York Times brings to vivid life her neighborhood in Paris, telling of its history, its current residents, the idiosyncrasies and charms of its street life, its place in a constantly changing, globalizing world economy.

Buffalo Niagara: Diagnosis and Prescription for Change, Lawrence Brooks (RPSS Publishing)--lifelong resident of Western New York takes a look are where the region has been, what brought us there, where it is now, and what the future might bring. Are the signs of revival real? Can the city regain the place and reputation it had a century ago? Join the conversation.

Slats: The Life and Legend of Jimmy Slattery, Rich Blake (NFB Press/ No Frills Buffalo)--South Buffalo native Rich Blake tells the story of Buffalo boxing legend Jimmy Slattery, from South Buffalo upbringing through his rise to “the most talked-about boxer on the planet” to his death in near obscurity in 1960.

Longing for the Bomb: Oak Ridge and Atomic Nostalgia

Lindsey A. Freeman (University of North Carolina Press)--Buffalo State sociology professor traces the story of the first atomic city and the emergence of American atomic culture, using archival material, ethnographic interviews and personal family memories.