Could You Be Startin' From Somewhere Else?: Sketches From Buffalo And Beyond

Could You Be Startin’ From Somewhere Else? is a nostalgic journey back to my hometown of Buffalo, NY to discover how my childhood shaped the person I became. Focusing on parents, siblings, friends, education, finally leaving Buffalo and growing into adulthood, this memoir examines the profound meaning of “home” in a complex nation of immigrants. 

“Many of the stories are told from a distance of years, uncolored by the immediacy of sensory detail as he narrates the experiences rather than re-creates them. Still, the nostalgic detail and Shurgot’s own honesty hit home. When, decades later at a Seattle party, the author mentions he’s from Buffalo, a well-heeled wag responds, ‘I’m so sorry.’ ‘I’m not,’ he huffs; readers won’t be, either. An enjoyable memoir of life upstate” (Kirkus Review).