The Rochester I Know; 119; Curt Gerling

Oh. Oh. Woman. WXXI presents the Rochester I know. A series of interviews with notable residents of the county and contributors to this area's rich history. Your host is William Pierce. Hello and welcome to the Rochester I know I'm Bill Pierce. Today it is our great privilege to have as our guest one of Rochester's most colorful flamboyant and truly fascinating citizens.

Kurt Elling is perhaps best known for his 1957 book smug town USA. Larry is tongue in cheek exposé of Rochester customs and institutions that has become a Rochester classic. And perhaps the most widely read book to be written by a Rochester author. But there is much more than that to Mr. girling in addition to having written two other books after smug town Kurt for many years published the Rochester sun semi weekly paper and he currently publishes and writes for The Empire State weekly newspapers. Kurt is also a seasoned world traveler and even at 82 still has an eye for the ladies. Kurt Welcome to the Rochester I know. Well thanks very much for joining us. Those of you just tuned in I

heard recently under well I guess it's been a few years now underwent a lare injected me and show you're going to have to listen closely so pay attention because Kurt is an authority on so many things in this community. You don't want to miss anything. Kurt you're as I mentioned in your introduction you're most famous for smug Town us a smug town referring to Rochester. And I mention that because I do know there are thousands of people watching who may not have heard of your book and I hope this doesn't hurt book sales today but smug town USA was was I guess quite what notorious at the time where were you notorious when it was published. Why do you think this inherent complacency came about or was it always there.

Devious means right here in River City and and Rochester I can't believe that. That was the WC TEELE I think. You mean a little high Packer see existed in the community

with. Them. But so there was a lot of dyspepsia going around is that it was probably a dyspepsia plague at the time so everybody required what a little hundred proof to help settle the dyspepsia.

You published smug town USA in nineteen fifty seven. And you point out that you were you were aware of this complacency that existed in the community and that's why you you published it now and the book is out on the street. I don't recall reading who published dead but what kind of an impact did it have then in 1957. Thank you. Can you name some of those millionaires that you did you. What what did you do if you could you didn't hold them up to ridicule really you just kind of what made a few puns about them.

Thank you. Really.

Is that still the Bluebook of the Rochester smug town USA of the Rochester never had a blue book I guess or whatever they called them. So do you think your smug town USA was Rochester's Blue Book. Now if you were left out of smog down USA were you harassed by people who wanted to get into your next book. You said that the book was an instant sensation in 1957 and. I don't want to picture Rochester as kind of a sleepy little town in 1957 but pretty big city. And was that the first sensational thing to hit in your memory that kind of exposed the society and that that was taking. Place.

In 1957 who ran the town in 1957 your estimation. Of Nixon had grave Devon's and oil.

So about four or five people in your estimation were kind of running everything. What was wrong with that. You think it's changed what changed it. Thank

you thank you. Thank. Good day.

Well you are. You were born in this town on Brown Street. Your father and your grandfather were part of the what the German establishment I mean by You were part of the establishment. Did you like it. Yes. Kurt. You must have had an interesting childhood. You told me that you grew up just a few blocks actually from where we are here 280 State Street over on Brown Street but I guess Brown Street ran ran all way up to

bull's head through Dutch town. We still call it the Dutch town and matter of fact when they continued 490 out there I guess we still refer to that as the Dutch town expressway because sort of runs through Dutch towns. You grew up on Brown Street. You must have had an interesting boyhood to become as mischievous as you have over the years only mischievous by the you did a lot of things besides create mischief. But that's a side of you I think anyone would would come to that conclusion if they read your books and read a lot of the tongue in cheek things that you that you did. How did you come about your own temperament or your own ideas about people and things. What do you think influenced you the most. There.

Is no hope for those people. How could you be a Republican and be so nice. So her up brigade of Virginia was

strictly democratic. I want to ask you what your party affiliation over the years was curt unless you want to reveal that maybe you didn't have to do it. Your grandfather was a pretty interesting man. I wonder if you could tell us about your grandfather Jake a little bit where he came from and what he did and what he was called. That's amazing I never know where the cook Opera House come from but he Jake

girling Bill can cook up a. Girlie sounds like quite a character of the day. Did he take care of all the other girl NGs. Grandpa took care of Ali.

Tell an interesting story about one of the relatives who was a little girl who always sat in Grampa's lap and always managed to get 50 cents out of them. And then and then her mother would come and take the 50 cents away from her over the years when she collected about a thousand years. Oh yes. Clifford is a name that that sounds familiar. Could you get anything out of Grandpa Jake. So Curt smug town USA

published in 1957 was in kind of an immediate sensation. But then sales kept up over the years and the book is still selling today I think if you go down to just random as I think you can get it all although it's no longer being published. Oh yes. So how many were sold 25000 copies. But for a local book about about Rochester. But during the course of the years you must have had some interesting comments by people where they were passing through town are people coming to town later on such as it is people like me who pick the book up for the first time and wondered why anyone ever wrote a book about their own home calendar would be like you know dirtying your own nest a little bit. Look for us. Johnny come lately so you can fit.

But what did the did that reputation change over the years are good people. People reading it today reflect on it differently than they did in 1957 either for the same people reading it and still calling you names for writing it. You wrote some follow up books or subsequently additional books but you also launched another newspaper The Sun which I'm not sure was designed to compete with the good that papers or other papers or

whatever when if you take a minute or two and tell us why you decided to publish your own newspaper how long it lasted and why you got out of the business. What year was this. Thirty five. She bought the paper for fifteen hundred bucks.

I did get the money. I wouldn't get that. Take that advertising. No beer advertising. It was a policy that changed sense. Than that. OK let's leave it at that. She's

got to apply to used by publishing daily to your state twice a week. So. But now you stayed in the newspaper business you began publishing.

I guess even before the sun but the Empire State papers put it up there. Kurt you've watched the city of Rochester Obviously with it. But the scientists I guess kept it under a microscope for many years this is Rochester sesquicentennial years only 150 years a pretty young city I guess by some standards but you've looked at the city baby of for almost half its life. You've been part of it for more than half its life. And you've seen changes I'm sure you you know over your life you can say you can look back on changes that you never would have predicted. No I don't think anyone ever could. But

what do you see. What did what city did you see growing up and reporting on it and what city do you see now as a different city altogether. Are the people all that different. I think. Oh. It's. OK. OK.

You have hope for the future of Rochester. What do they do next. What haven't you tried. Oh. Way. OK. Did you always like it here Kurt. When when did you change. It has to do with

this. But they didn't know you had left right. Did that make you feel secure. Yes. So that's why you like it here even today. We hope you come back and see the same faces here to see you. Our guest today is Ben and Curt girling fight for five pages of background on this fabulous person from 19 0 3 right there about 18 84. Kurt is 82 and he's tried just about everything in the world and I hope that he continues to try new things. And you come back and report that we're going to look at some of the books.

Small town USA 1057 these are on the on your receiver now just because you can't read them or read them all for you good enough for Grandpa 1958 never a dull moment 1974. Where could you get these books. OK. That's Grantham's and they're all in the public library aren't they. But you're great to come by today and you're wonderful. So long I'm Bill Pierce see you next time on the Rochester I know. For a VHS copy of those programs and 1995 plus three dollars and fifty cents shipping

and handling to the Rochester are no table for Post Office Box 21 Rochester New York 1 4 6 0 1. Include a note with the name of our guest and the program number shown at the bottom of the screen.