Buffalo, Books and Beer...Brilliant!

Last night was the inaugural event for Buffalo, Books, and Beer, the brainchild of Matt Higgins, author of Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight and Brian Castner, author of The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life that Follows.  The idea of combining books and beer is a no brainer. Who doesn't enjoy a bottle or two with their favorite paperback?  However, combining the two in a bar, in Buffalo, New York, was nothing short of brilliant!  It's the dead of winter here in the Nickel City and cabin fever is setting in for those of us not into hockey, skiing or curling.  The promise of a good story and a pint of sponge candy stout are sure to get even the most stubborn winter recluse out of hibernation.

You may look at the last name of one of the co-founders and think this is just the talk of a proud auntie, but I can assure you that this innovative author event was a class act.  The featured speakers included local author Jeff Schober, who wrote Bike Path Rapist: A Cop's Firsthand Account of Catching the Killer Who Terrorized a Community and Kevin Maurer, author of No Easy Day: A Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden.  If you pay attention to these things, you will already know that No Easy Day ended the reign of Fifty Shades of Grey in the number one spot of the New York Times Best Seller List.  

It was a typical night in Buffalo, alternating sleet and snow, but still Resurgence Brewing Company, known for their craft beers and receptivity to innovative ideas, was packed.  We sat mesmerized in our wooden folding chairs as each author spoke of their experiences with just the right mixture of intrigue and humor. When the Q&A was over, we mingled, drank our beer and bought some books.  I'm already looking forward to next month!