Clay Historical Association holds author meet-and-greet to boost literacy rates, preserve local history
CLAY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) -- Each month, volunteers from a small historical association tucked behind a church in Clay intertwine two subject matters they're fighting to preserve: local history and literacy.
"We're the only history that they've got," said Ruth Koch, president of the Clay Historical Society. While the crisp fall air paired with afternoon sunshine made that Sunday perfect for this month's "Meet the Author" community event, turnout remained quiet.
Diverse varieties of books sat on display in old barns, train stations, and lodges, reminding visitors of a long-forgotten 19th-century Clay. Featured books included biographies of witchcraft, Adirondack-inspired hiking adventures, and illustrated books of dreamy fantasies.
Author Avian Swansong carries a passion for writing about the spiritual backgrounds of various witches. Photo by Mason Ald.
"People don't know that we're here because we're behind the church. They see the sign, but they never pull in," Cindy Redhead, a volunteer co-hosting the meet and greet with Koch, added. She hopes that events like these, designed to appeal to a wide array of interests, will encourage people to discover that Clay's identity as a town dates back farther than Micron.
"Once they're here, it's a gem. They're all like, "Oh my goodness! I wish we'd stopped a long time ago!'"
Volunteers and guests admire the historical association's restored wagon wheel. One volunteer said the relic had previously been in rough shape before a passerby donated money to fully restore it. Photo by Mason Ald.
The Meet and Greets started when the group of volunteers wanted to spice up how to garner interest in the historical association on a whim. Literature maintained a strong place in Redhead's heart, and local author Roxanne Bocyck came on board as a volunteer as a recent coincidence.
"Because I love to read. I always wanted something to do here, but when you're working, it's very hard to do something that elaborate," Redhead, a former teachers' assistant of 32 years, noted. "So once I was retired, and she came on board, she was an author. I said, 'Let's see if we can get this to work.'"
One of several books showcased at the Sunday meet and greet. The story follows the opinionated Bella, and Nash (a nonverbal autistic boy), through their camping trip in the Adirondack Mountains. Photo by Mason Ald.
Why authors choose to gather at the historical association stems from both their fascination with local history and the challenges these meetings address.
"I love my history in general, and I love meeting people," said author Patricia Antone. She's been writing and singing books in Liverpool since her career took off. "We authors tend to circulate...and do a lot of group things together. It brings camaraderie; we enjoy each other's company."
Glenn Gomez Adams, a TK99 radio jockey out on his first book singing, felt the same. For Adams, showcasing his book at events like these is an ode to how his home shaped his 40-year-long career, with an unexpectedly positive twist.
"We've just met a lot of really fun, supportive people in the book community through the publisher that we used," he said. And then we just started hearing about these events, and we just gotta raise our hand and say, 'You know what? We'd love to be out there.'"
Posters of featured authors sit on display outside the association's Visitor Center. Photo by Mason Ald.
Adams' book, 'You're Caller Number 7, Please Try Again,' is a memoir that documents his decades running on-air radio in Syracuse as the industry shifted from analog to digital. "The title is a tip of the hat and a tribute to those who have always called radio stations and tried to win prizes and just didn't know," he noted.
Redhead pointed to how circulating positive information about these monthly events is essential: as the word then trickles out to local communities stumbling in literacy rates. According to previous NewsChannel 9 | LocalSYR coverage , Syracuse-area schools have historically struggled to show substantial improvement in student literacy via test scores.
"Getting children to read is a big because I was a TA for 32 years. You know, just to have people start reading again and going back to the library because they offer so much," she said. "We just need to get it back out there again. We hope that this is a link to that."
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