Top 10 Reasons Why Pittsburgh is a Literary Star
Abby Mendelson
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Well, one snooty Pop City pal harrumphed, when it comes to literature, this is not London in the 1740s. Or Paris in the 1920s.
Maybe not, but Pittsburgh has literary riches far beyond its size -- history, sure, and plenty of live-action lit worthy of a star on anyone’s map.
“It’s a mistake to be patronizing about the literary community,” avers poet/publisher Michael Simms. “It’s incredible. The writing community alone is amazingly large and diverse. It’s a mistake to think of Pittsburgh as minor league. This is where American literature is happening.”
The Pop City Top Ten, in alphabetical order:
Bookstores. What’s a literary culture without a bookstore where you can get the latest dish? In Pittsburgh, nothing’s better than Jay’s Bookstall – the kind of small, independent bookstore that’s supposed to have gone the way of phonograph needles and high-button shoes. But time itself seems incapable of defeating Jay Dantry, whose Fifth Avenue shop has been an Oakland fixture for decades. The pick of Jay’s authoritative staff: Joe Emanuele, who began as a high schooler some 40 years ago. Worth noting: The Caliban Book Shop, on nearby Craig Street, for those hard-to-find, one-of-a-kind items, first editions to leatherbound sets.
Forum. The International Poetry Forum, the shining-browed child of uber-poet Sam Hazo, was founded in 1966. Going strong after more than 40 years, this blend of speech and spectacle has brought Nobel laureates and Pulitzer winners, National Book and Oscar awardees. Chinua Achebe to W.H. Auden, Saul Bellow to Jorge Luis Borges, Robert Penn Warren to Yevgeny Yevtushenko, hundreds of world-class artists have read here. Worth noting: Since 1991, The Drue Heinz Lectures have similarly brought ‘em to the ‘Burgh. Margaret Atwood to Joan Didion, Tobias Wolff to John Irving, the brightest literateurs have spread the word, shed some light.
History. From Mary Roberts Rinehart to John Edgar Wideman, Pittsburgh has a rich history that’s produced plenty of talent – including some like Michael Chabon, who turned a Pitt degree into megabucks and a Pulitzer. Chabon, whose Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Wonder Boys are set here, is joined by Pulitzer-winner August Wilson, Jr., whose plays take place here. And Pulitzer-winner David McCullough. And Pulitzer-winner Annie Dillard, whose An American Childhood, her memoir of growing up in Pittsburgh in the ‘50s, is required reading. Worth noting: While a Viking Press editor, Pittsburgh native Malcolm Cowley accepted unknown-writer Jack Kerouac’s On The Road.
Masters. As in Hilary, as in Edgar Lee’s son, CMU professor since the mid-‘80s. One of many top-flight writer/teachers in town, Masters published his first novel some 40 years ago – and never looked back. With his memoir Last Stands hailed by the Boston Globe as “an American classic,” Masters joined his father at the apex of American letters. Joining Masters at the lectern are fellow CMU-er poet Jim Daniels, Pitt novelist Chuck Kinder and poet Lynn Emanuel. Worth noting: Michael Wurster’s poetry workshop at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts amply demonstrates that there’s no finer pedagogue on the planet.
Periodicals. Nature, we know, abhors a vacuum. So does literature. Writers of all stripe – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama – crave attention. Sadly, in many cities the local product is ignored in favor of column-inches given over to the latest celebrity send-up. Not here. As a tireless supporter of the literary world, the Post-Gazette’s Bob Hoover has done yeoman’s service giving space to and writing unbiased reviews of local output. “He’s the best literary critic in the region,” says poet/publisher Michael Simms. Worth noting: City Paper’s Bill O’Driscoll “writes intelligent criticism,” Simms adds. “He’s very sharp, fair, compassionate – and passionate about Pittsburgh.”
Plays. Of all the writing arts, theater is the most communal. Playwrights need space, support, casts – name it. While Pittsburgh boasts many theater programs, none is more supportive than City Theatre. Born 30 some years ago, City Theatre specializes in new plays. Endlessly encouraging to local talent, including high-school students, as artistic director Tracy Brigden and literary manager Carlyn Ann Aquiline “seek out new, innovative, theatrical plays that engage the intellect as well as the emotions.” Worth noting: Founded in 1974, Pitt’s Kuntu Repertory Theatre provides an arena for established and emerging African-American writers to develop dramatic skills.
Presses, I. Remarkably, Pittsburgh hosts three national poetry publishers, one independent, two institutional. Founded in 1999, by Michael and Eva Simms, Autumn House has published some two dozen books by authors who have won major American awards, plus volumes by emerging writers destined to be the next great American poets. Ably joined by poetry published by the Pitt and CMU presses, Autumn House’s beautifully designed, acid-free books are state-of-the art. Worth noting: Duquesne University Press’ hot new series, Emerging Writers in Creative Nonfiction. From the Alaskan wilderness to balloon ladies, Southern ramblings to Shanghai ladies, the cutting edge is here.
Presses, II. In teeth of the conglomerate -cum-publisher trend, bravehearts Cheryl Towers and Harold Maguire created Pittsburgh’s The Local History Company. “The area is rich in history,” Towers says, “and there are a ton of literate people around.” With titles about Oregon, Virginia, New England, and Appalachia, and subject matter ranging from art and architecture to the Civil War and civil rights, local stretches way past the three rivers. Worth noting: Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation advocates preservation and publishes books vital to the region, often by Jamie Van Trump and Walter Kidney, Pittsburgh’s best-ever writers who sang the body architectonic.
Prosody. “How many cities,” asks poet Mike James, “have a local radio show hosted by a nationally known poet that’s devoted to poets and writers?” Pittsburgh, for one: for some 20 years Jan Beatty has hosted Prosody, Tuesday night, WYEP, 91.3-FM. With guests ranging from nationally known poets to local neophytes, Beatty, James says, “is an insightful interviewer who treats her guests with respect.” Worth noting: She may not be on the radio -- not yet, anyway -- but watch Sheryl St. Germain, Chatham’s writing program director. Author of a fistful of poetry collections, she’s “a dynamo,” says Michael Simms.
Readings. As poet/editor extraordanaire Judith Robinson says, “the poetry scene rocks!” Where aren’t there literary readings every night of the week? City Books. Hemingway’s. Club Café. Chief among local sponsors is the Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange, a 30-something peer workshop. Some have made the Paris Review, some have never been published – as publisher Eva Simms says, “it’s the bridge between lay and professional poets.” Best of all: PPE is free and completely unaffiliated. Worth noting: The Gist Street readings. Begun in 2001, headed by Sherrie Flick, housed in an Uptown artist’s studio, monthly readings are strictly standing-room only – so come early.
Speaking of literary accomplishments, Abby Mendelson is the author of numerous books, including his latest, Ghost Dancer, a collection of short stories, which is available at amazon and bn.com.
Photos captionsAmerican Childhood by Annie DillardCaliban Book Store in Oakland
Bill Bryson speaking at the Drue Heinz Lectures
Books by Michael Chabon and John Edgar Wideman
Michael Simms of Autumn House Press
Kellie Mills at Gist Street Readings
All photographs copyright © Jonathan Greene
except Caliban Book Store copyright © Dave Krieger
and Bill Bryson, courtesy of Drue Heinz Lectures