Charles Kuralt (1934–1997)

Decades ago, Charles Kuralt used to do this little human-interest news segment where he'd travel around the United States basically talking to random people he found interesting for one reason or another, or who lived in interesting places or did interesting -- if sometimes only mildly interesting -- things. This is a collection of those segments in text form, with black-and-while pictures. It was published in 1985, although some of these pieces seem to date back at least to the 70s.

Each show more segment is only a few pages long, usually featuring a few words of wisdom from the person in question. Most of them are old people -- now probably all dead, I suppose, which is a slightly odd, slightly sad thing to think about -- and many of them are people who once pursued, or still were pursuing, professions or ways of life that had already effectively disappeared by the 80s. Some of them are just odd characters. And quite a few are people who do nice things for others without reward.

All of which sounds very charming, so I feel kind of bad for not liking this more than I did. But the truth is, these profiles are all so short and shallow that there's not a lot to really get into here. Often there doesn't really seem to be a whole lot to be said, and much of the book, to me, reads more or less like: "Look, here's a guy from rural Kentucky who's a croquet champion. Isn't that funny? You expect only rich people to play croquet. And, hey, this old guy makes kites for kids! Isn't that nice? And now, a town with some pretty butterflies!" There's really not a lot there, and when there is, when it's clear there's some really interesting backstory and details it would be cool to hear a lot more about, that's not forthcoming, either. Which is too bad, as I really would have liked to hear more about, say, the high school class who built an airplane in wood shop. I didn't actually understand that story, to be honest -- was that actually a real, functional airplane? -- but I would have liked to.

Mostly it's all very sweet, in a folksy sort of way, but, well... I feel like a terrible, irredeemable product of 21st century cynicism saying so, but there's really only one word for the overall feel of the writing and the presentation, and that's... corny. Even by the standards of its time, it's corny. show less

I grew up with Charles Kuralt. On TV that is. My mother and I eagerly awaited each episode of CBS Sunday Morning from its debut in 1979 until I set off to find my own adventure at college in 1987. It wasn't the news I was interested in, but the human interest stories. And his voice.

Especially his voice.

Kuralt had a way of capturing the attention of my rambunctious 9-year old self with tales of the old, the new, and the slightly off-beat. I credit him with teaching me about storytelling -- show more something I am still passionate about more than 40 years later. I find myself mimicking his tone and mannerisms when I stand before groups even today.

When I read Charles Kuralt's America, I heard him in my head. It was like going home again.

The book picks up immediately after his retirement from CBS News in 1994. It follows him through a year of adventuring to his favorite places in their favorite seasons.

January - New Orleans
February - Key West
March - Charleston, South Carolina
April - The only chapter that doesn't focus on a specific location, but rather on some interesting aspects of Kuralt's life interspersed with tales of California, Daffodils, and Connecticut
May - Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina
June - Ketchikan, Alaska
July - Ely, Minnesota
August - Boothbay Harbor, Maine
September - Twin Bridges, Montana
October - Woodstock, Vermont
November - Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico
December - New York City

Many of these places are my favorite places, too. Every chapter, save one, provides a peek into culture -- a slice of vanishing Americana -- that I cherish. His tales of New Orleans, Key West, and Alaska especially resonate with me as places I've experienced first hand. Though most (if not all) of the subjects he interviewed are no longer with us and the businesses he patronized are long since closed, he makes me long for more adventure -- to get back on the road and see more of...everything. Only December's New York City failed to hold my interest, but that's because I'm not city born nor raised -- others may find it fascinating.

All in all, a great read. Highly recommended if you are looking for something offbeat. Watch some "On The Road with Charles Kuralt" segments on YouTube before reading it, and you will hear his words in your head, too. show less

Read through my 2017 eyes, the vignette collection is occasionally sweet, rarely--though not never--provocative, and always repetitive. Besides a few gestures at poverty, which is never confronted, just overcome through good will--none of the stories incorporates conflict. It's a picture of the people on the back roads of the US that is too comfortable in nostalgia and its yearning for authortative, meaningful, cohesive, harmonious pastness: The Past and The Old Ways which must be glorified show more because goshdarnit they're the good ol' guys. The book works as it's designed, in spurts of short and vivid anecdotes. But if I weren't reading it to get some genre context for a comparable current project I'm editing, I'd have had no drive to keep reading to the end. show less

Kuralt just has a way with story. There are many stories in this book. Just about half of this book is about Kuralt's life prior to his On The Road days and they are pretty interesting, South America correspondent, Anchorman, Vietnam, and radio. Just a great book.