Pittsburgh Author Promotes The Steel City
By Sean Armstrong
Pittsburgh has had various icons such as Andy Warhol, Honus Wagner and Mac Miller over the years, but not many outside of the 412 area code are aware of how special this city can be.
A common occurrence for Pittsburghers who travel to places with people not familiar with the city of bridges is for the sites, scenes and history of this city to go missing. Often, the people who originated here are held above the city, the sports franchises that have seen so much success rarely offer a national view of what the city is about and the films that come here only showcase small parts that make the area what it is. Frequently, the fact that someone renowned is from here is an afterthought not one of the first things to come to mind.
However, one Pittsburgh-based author is doing more than simply publishing from here. Nicole Spindler is the author of two books set in Pittsburgh. Her first was a memoir titled “Beyond Life’s Moments,” and the second, a newer work of fiction, is called “The Reason Why”. Both works share a setting and author, but the commonalities end there.
Spindler is originally from Pittsburgh and aside from a few years at John Carrol University in Ohio, has always resided here. In fact, Spindler notes that, “Pittsburgh has had a tremendous positive impact on me.”
Most prominently, Spindler credits the happenstance of Pittsburgh’s many medical institutions with being a major force behind her appreciation for what this city can offer.
“My dad was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer. To the point that, one, it was very unheard of and there was only one doctor, at the time, that was willing to perform the surgery. It happened to be at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.”
Spindler’s work goes beyond the tropes associated with this city. It is not all about The Fort Pitt Tunnel or the three rivers geography that are both unique visual hallmarks. Instead, Spindler wanted to showcase a variety of moments and places with her latest novel, “The Reason Why”.
One of the reasons behind this was to, “bring Pittsburgh to life.” This meant that as much as Spindler was acting as a sort of “tour guide” for readers, she was also a tourist herself. Prior to writing this book she had never been to Frick Park or Schenley Park. Perhaps more incredolously, Spindler mentions, “I haven’t been to a Steeler’s game.”
Yet, Spindler took the opportunity presented while writing her novel to acquaint herself with more places through simple acts like inviting friends to check out a new spot. She even revealed, “I went to Frick Park by myself.”
While Pittsburgh seems to be an integral piece of the puzzle that makes up Nicole Spindler’s author brand, what exactly is “The Reason Why” about?
Books like The Perks of Beings a Wallflower and shows like Gilmore Girls might sum her work up best. Both operate on the line between realistic fiction and dramatic narrartives about difficult subject matters.
As anyone can probably testify, the last few years have seen plenty of hard moments for Americans, let alone Pittsburghers. Spindler’s story tries to capture that too, “It is set during the pandemic, but it is not in literary terms the main villain or the driving plot point of the story.”
Still, the central theme of the book is not about tragedy, but something with a much higher emotional return on investment, “It is about trying to find love in all places.”
While that might sound vague at first, Spindler drills down on the topic more, “My book really does explore this idea that before you can love all the relationships in your life…” Spindler continues, “You have to love yourself first.”
You can find Spindler’s work “The Reason Why” as well as her debut memoir “Beyond Life’s Moments” here.
