Harvey Swados (October 28, 1920 – December 11, 1972) was an American social critic and author of novels, short stories, essays and journalism.
116-460: Born in Buffalo, New York , Harvey Swados was the son of Aaron Meyer Swados, a physician, and Rebecca (Bluestone) Swados, a musician and artist whose father was a pioneer Zionist. Both parents' backgrounds were European Jewish. Almost uniformly, uncles, aunts and cousins on both sides of his family were degreed professionals—doctors, dentists, lawyers—but Swados aspired from an early age to
232-643: A Hopwood Award for creative writing. "His career really began with the publication, in Contemporary , the literary quarterly at the University of Michigan, of a short story, 'The Amateurs.' Written when Swados was just 16, 'The Amateurs' was reprinted in The Best Short Stories of 1938 , where it appeared alongside stories by Robert Penn Warren , John Steinbeck , Eudora Welty , John Cheever and Mark Schorer ." Strongly influenced by
348-512: A humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfa ), and temperatures have been warming with the rest of the US. Lake-effect snow is characteristic of Buffalo winters, with snow bands (producing intense snowfall in the city and surrounding area) depending on wind direction off Lake Erie. However, Buffalo is rarely the snowiest city in the state . The Blizzard of 1977 resulted from a combination of high winds and snow which accumulated on land and on
464-633: A Dutch trader who arrived in 1789. As a result of the war, in which the Iroquois sided with the British Army , Iroquois territory was gradually reduced in the late 1700s by European settlers through successive statewide treaties which included the Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784) and the First Treaty of Buffalo Creek (1788). The Iroquois were moved onto reservations, including Buffalo Creek . By
580-593: A beating." Novels Short story collections Essays Edited works Children's literature/Translations Biography Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Erie County . It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie , at the head of the Niagara River on the Canada–United States border . With
696-500: A day (equivalent to $ 49 in 2023 ) in a six-day work week. Local inventor Joseph Dart and engineer Robert Dunbar created the grain elevator in 1843, adapting the steam-powered elevator. Dart's Elevator initially processed one thousand bushels per hour, speeding global distribution to consumers. Buffalo was the transshipment hub of the Great Lakes, and weather, maritime and political events in other Great Lakes cities had
812-419: A day", he is now so exhausted that he can barely make it up the stairs. Billy and Max talk about the apartment. While Billy is grateful for a place to live, Max bitterly grumbles about the view and the hideous furniture. When a stray comment by Max brings on the revelation that Billy and Tony were raised Catholic, the discussion transitions into a debate over the existence of God. Despite general tension between
928-830: A deal between fellow chief Cornplanter and the Dutch dummy corporation Holland Land Company . The Holland Land Purchase gave the Senecas three reservations, and the Holland Land Company received 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km ) for about thirty-three cents per acre. Permanent white settlers along the creek were prisoners captured during the Revolutionary War . Early landowners were Iroquois interpreter Captain William Johnston, former enslaved man Joseph "Black Joe" Hodges and Cornelius Winney,
1044-403: A difficult time in ways Max couldn't imagine. Max, at Billy's encouragement, leaves to reconcile with Tony. The scene shifts to a conversation between Max and an unseen doctor. Max frustratedly admits that he hasn't felt real pleasure since he stopped teaching. The conversation with the doctor reveals that Max was fired from his teaching job because the school's administration discovered that Max
1160-581: A direct impact on the city's economy. In addition to grain, Buffalo's primary imports included agricultural products from the Midwest (meat, whiskey, lumber and tobacco), and its exports included leather, ships and iron products. The mid-19th century saw the rise of new manufacturing capabilities, particularly with iron. By the 1860s, many railroads terminated in Buffalo; they included the Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh Railroad , Buffalo and Erie Railroad ,
1276-458: A dozen railway terminals, as railroads remained a significant industry. The St. Lawrence Seaway was proposed in the 19th century as a faster shipping route to Europe, and later as part of a bi-national hydroelectric project with Canada. Its combination with an expanded Welland Canal led to a grim outlook for Buffalo's economy. After its 1959 opening, the city's port and barge canal became largely irrelevant. Shipbuilding in Buffalo wound down in
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#17327980049181392-408: A low-scoring word. Max then turns from insulting Tony's word to Tony's past career as a football player, and the game of football in general. Tony leaves the room, hurt and angry. Max admits to Billy that the reason he dislikes athletics is because he was always picked last. Billy points out that Max is lashing out and being selfish; unlike Max, Tony wasn't "out" in high school and therefore probably had
1508-518: A population of 278,349 according to the 2020 census, Buffalo is the second-most populous city in New York state after New York City , and the 81st-most populous city in the U.S. Buffalo is the primary city of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area , which had an estimated population of 1.2 million in 2020, making it the 49th-largest metro area in the U.S. Before the 17th century,
1624-589: A private citizen, he visited Czechoslovakia , with Bette and Robin, to familiarize himself with individuals who had participated in the political liberalization of the Prague Spring . Swados feared for his family's safety, though. He was strongly urged by members of the reformist Alexander Dubček government to depart the country, which the family was indeed forced to do, mere hours before the arrival of invading Russian troops. In 1970, Swados and his wife left Rockland County behind, buying an old Colonial home in
1740-545: A publisher at that time, Swados set the work aside shortly after its creation in the 1940s. Its posthumous publication by the University of Illinois Press in 1995 served as a revelation into the concerns and social issues that were later to engage him throughout his working life. After giving birth to her son Dan in 1943, Felice died of cancer in 1945 at age 29. Apart from the profound impact her death had on him, Swados, driven by his deep love for Felice and for her idealism,
1856-595: A riveter at defense contractor Bell Aircraft , passed through a brief first marriage and, following his sister, moved to New York City, where he took another factory job at the bustling Brewster Aviation plant in Long Island City, just across the East River from Manhattan. A graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, Felice had married American historian Richard Hofstadter in 1936 and
1972-591: A small, active presence in the area, including the town of Amherst. A 2016 American Bible Society survey reported that Buffalo is the fifth-least "Bible-minded" city in the United States; 13 percent of its residents associate with the Bible . The Erie Canal was the impetus for Buffalo's economic growth as a transshipment hub for grain and other agricultural products headed east from the Midwest. Later, manufacturing of steel and automotive parts became central to
2088-553: A supermarket. Health disparities exist compared to the rest of the state : Erie County's average 2019 lifespan was three years lower (78.4 years); its 17-percent smoking and 30-percent obesity rates were slightly higher than the state average. According to the Partnership for the Public Good, educational achievement in the city is lower than in the surrounding area; city residents are almost twice as likely as adults in
2204-475: A total of thirty-five neighborhoods. Main Street divides Buffalo's east and west sides, and the west side was fully developed earlier. This division is seen in architectural styles, street names, neighborhood and district boundaries, demographics, and socioeconomic conditions; Buffalo's West Side is generally more affluent than its East Side. Several neighborhoods in Buffalo have had increased investment since
2320-474: A week; a trip from nearby Williamsville to Batavia could take over three days. British forces burned Buffalo and the northwestern village of Black Rock in 1813. The battle and subsequent fire was in response to the destruction of Niagara-on-the-Lake by American forces and other skirmishes during the War of 1812 . Rebuilding was swift, completed in 1815. As a remote outpost, village residents hoped that
2436-475: A writer's life. Simultaneous with an upper-middle-class upbringing, Swados developed an acute awareness of his social surroundings. During his childhood and early adolescent years in Buffalo during the Great Depression , he often witnessed his father treating unemployed patients without charging a fee. In 1936, at the age of 15, Swados enrolled at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he won
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#17327980049182552-576: A year to Iowa City, Iowa, where Swados was a faculty member at Paul Engle 's Iowa Writers' Workshop , and where his colleagues included Vance Bourjaily and Herbert Gold . Several years later, beginning in 1960, Swados and his family spent a year in San Francisco, when he accepted an appointment to join the English faculty at San Francisco State University . There, his English Department colleagues included S. I. Hayakawa , who several years later
2668-518: A year. No official recording of 100 °F (37.8 °C) or more has occurred to date, with a maximum temperature of 99 °F (37 °C) reached on August 27, 1948. Rainfall is moderate, typically falling at night, and cooler lake temperatures hinder storm development in July. August is usually rainier and muggier , as the warmer lake loses its temperature-controlling ability. Several hundred Seneca, Tuscarora and other Iroquois tribal peoples were
2784-589: Is all about." As he worked a night shift at Ford, Swados also spent days working on On the Line . In an enthusiastic letter to his friends Stuart and Barbara Schulberg, whom Swados and his wife had met in Cagnes-sur-Mer, he wrote, "I think when [the stories] are all done they will give an inkling of what has happened to the American dream. Even their titles are good!" In 1957, Swados and his family decamped for
2900-640: Is based at the 3,019-seat Shea's Performing Arts Center in the Buffalo Theatre District of downtown Buffalo. Shea's Performing Arts Center was designed by the well-known Chicago firm Rapp and Rapp . The opera house was modeled in the style of European operahouses and decorated in a combination of French and Spanish Baroque and Rococo styles. The interior design was designed by the world-renowned designer and artist Louis Comfort Tiffany , and many of its elements are still there today. Originally there were nearly 4,000 seats, but in
3016-688: Is important. He implores Max to strive for more than "a quiet end", and Max responds that he can no longer feel anything. Jason then caresses Max's head and asks if Max can feel his touch. Max replies that he can. The two embrace, and Max agrees to move in with Jason. The play closes with Jason reflecting upon Max's death and funeral to the Doctor. It is clear that Max lived his life to the fullest. (In order of premiere date) A Quiet End debuted on January 17, 1986 with direction by Jues Aaron, scenery by J.L. White, costumes by Cathy A. Crane, and lighting and sound by Mario Mariotta. The inaugural production of
3132-419: Is moving back to Iowa to be with his family. Max begs Billy to stay, pointing out that he will be completely alone if Billy leaves. Billy tells Max that he called Jason, and implores Max to cultivate a real relationship and let Jason take him back. Billy leaves the apartment for good. Jason arrives, and a fight commences. Jason argues that it doesn't matter that Max is dying, it is the way Max ends his life that
3248-870: Is on the Erie/Ontario Lake Plain of the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands , a narrow plain extending east to Utica, New York . The city is generally flat, except for elevation changes in the University Heights and Fruit Belt neighborhoods. The Southtowns are hillier, leading to the Cattaraugus Hills in the Appalachian Upland . Several types of shale, limestone and lagerstätten are prevalent in Buffalo and its surrounding area, lining their stream beds . According to Fox Weather , Buffalo
3364-622: Is one of the top five snowiest large cities in the country, receiving, on average, 95 inches of snow annually. Although the city has not experienced any recent or significant earthquakes , Buffalo is in the Southern Great Lakes Seismic Zone (part of the Great Lakes tectonic zone ). Buffalo has four channels within its boundaries: the Niagara River, Buffalo River (and Creek), Scajaquada Creek , and
3480-727: Is the region's largest employer. In the private sector, top employers include the Kaleida Health and Catholic Health hospital networks and M&T Bank , the sole Fortune 500 company headquartered in the city. Most have been the top employers in the region for several decades. Buffalo is home to the headquarters of Rich Products , Delaware North and New Era Cap Company ; the aerospace manufacturer Moog Inc. and toy maker Fisher-Price are based in nearby East Aurora . National Fuel Gas and Life Storage are headquartered in Williamsville, New York . Buffalo weathered
3596-564: Is today one of the leading operas in the United States and, with more than 3,000 seats, one of the largest opera houses in the world. Founded in 2004 by Valerian Ruminski , the Nickel City Opera has commissioned operas, and has staged world premieres of notable works. Matthias Manasi was music director and chief conductor of NCO from 2017 to 2021, his predecessor Michael Ching was music director and chief conductor of NCO from 2012 to 2017. The NCO collaborates with
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3712-865: The 1930s the number of seats was reduced to the current number of 3,019 seats last but not least to increase the place for the orchestra by increasing the size of the orchestra pit . The NCO also performs at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda , at the Nichols Flickinger Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, at the Artpark Mainstage Theatre and the Artpark Amphitheatre at the Earl W. Brydges Artpark State Park located on
3828-545: The Black Rock Canal , adjacent to the Niagara River. The city's Bureau of Forestry maintains a database of over seventy thousand trees. According to the United States Census Bureau , Buffalo has an area of 52.5 sq mi (136 km ); 40.38 sq mi (104.6 km ) is land, and the rest is water. The city's total area is 22.66 percent water. In 2010, its population density
3944-802: The Buffalo Central Terminal was built in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood in 1929; the Richardson Olmsted Complex , built in 1881, was an insane asylum until its closure in the 1970s. Urban renewal from the 1950s to the 1970s spawned the Brutalist -style Buffalo City Court Building and Seneca One Tower , the city's tallest building. In the city's Parkside neighborhood, the Darwin D. Martin House
4060-548: The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra , producing a wide range of operas , from 18th-century Baroque and 19th-century Bel canto to the Minimalism of the 20th century and to contemporary operas of the 20th and 21st centuries. These operas are presented in staged productions that range in style from those with elaborate traditional decors to others that feature modern conceptual designs. The NCO
4176-572: The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2009. Robin Swados A Quiet End is a 1985 play written by American author Robin Swados (born 1953). It explores the lives of three gay men, all suffering from HIV/AIDS, who share an apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. A Quiet End was one of the first plays to address the AIDS epidemic, receiving productions both in
4292-586: The Great Recession of 2006–09 well in comparison with other U.S. cities, exemplified by increased home prices during this time. The region's economy began to improve in the early 2010s, adding over 25,000 jobs from 2009 to 2017. With state aid , Tesla, Inc.'s Giga New York plant opened in South Buffalo in 2017. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States , however, increased
4408-528: The Latin Church ) has a significant presence in the region, with 161 parishes and over 570,000 adherents in the Diocese of Buffalo . Major Protestant denominations in the area include Lutheran , Baptist , and Methodist . Pentecostals are also significant, and approximately 20,000 persons are non-denominational adherents. A Jewish community began developing in the city with immigrants from
4524-691: The New York Central Railroad , and the Lehigh Valley Railroad . During this time, Buffalo controlled one-quarter of all shipping traffic on Lake Erie. After the Civil War , canal traffic began to drop as railroads expanded into Buffalo. Unionization began to take hold in the late 19th century, highlighted by the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and 1892 Buffalo switchmen's strike . At the start of
4640-546: The Niagara Gorge in Lewiston . The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra was formed in 1935 and performs at Kleinhans Music Hall , whose acoustics have been praised. Although the orchestra nearly disbanded during the late 1990s due to a lack of funding, philanthropic contributions and state aid stabilized it. Under the direction of JoAnn Falletta , the orchestra has received a number of Grammy Award nominations and won
4756-545: The Nigerian Civil War as a member of a delegation of American civilians, he visited the secessionist state of Biafra . There, he met and formed a lasting friendship with the writer Chinua Achebe , who later was to become Swados's colleague at the University of Massachusetts Amherst . That same year, Swados also reported from Jerusalem for The New York Times on the aftermath of the Six-Day War . In 1968, as
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4872-571: The Province of New York —now a U.S. state—began westward expansion, looking for arable land by following the Iroquois. New York and Massachusetts were vying for the territory which included Buffalo, and Massachusetts had the right to purchase all but a one-mile-(1600-meter)-wide portion of land. The rights to the Massachusetts territories were sold to Robert Morris in 1791. Despite objections from Seneca chief Red Jacket , Morris brokered
4988-767: The Repertory Theater of St. Louis , the American Repertory Theater (Amsterdam), Theater-off-Park (New York), as well as two revivals in Los Angeles and another in New York, according to playwright Swados. A Quiet End opens in a run-down apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where Tony and Max are playing Scrabble. While waiting for Tony to take his turn, Max complains about the dismal apartment furniture and takes his HIV/AIDS medication. Billy arrives home from grocery shopping and reminisces that while he used to run "three, maybe four miles
5104-660: The University at Buffalo , Buffalo State University , Canisius University , and D'Youville University . Buffalo is also known for its winter weather , Buffalo wings , and three major-league sports teams : the National Football League's Buffalo Bills , the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and the National Lacrosse League's Buffalo Bandits . Before the arrival of Europeans , nomadic Paleo-Indians inhabited
5220-715: The University of Massachusetts Amherst opening celebration in 1979, on the occasion of the deposit of the Harvey Swados papers in the university archives, Irving Howe said of his late colleague, "He is a writer free of public postures, indifferent to literary fads and totally devoted to perfection of his craft." In her preface to the New York Review Books edition of Nights in the Gardens Of Brooklyn , Swados's friend and former Sarah Lawrence College office neighbor Grace Paley wrote: "Harvey
5336-499: The western New York region from the 8th millennium BCE . The Woodland period began around 1000 BC, marked by the rise of the Iroquois Confederacy and the spread of its tribes throughout the state. Seventeenth-century Jesuit missionaries were the first Europeans to visit the area. During French exploration of the region in 1620, the region was sparsely populated and occupied by the agrarian Erie people in
5452-541: The 1840s. Buffalo was a terminus of the Underground Railroad , with many free Black people crossing the Niagara River to Fort Erie, Ontario ; others remained in Buffalo. During this time, Buffalo's port continued to develop. Passenger and commercial traffic expanded, leading to the creation of feeder canals and the expansion of the city's harbor. Unloading grain in Buffalo was a laborious job, and grain handlers working on lake freighters would make $ 1.50
5568-548: The 1960s due to reduced waterfront activity, ending an industry which had been part of the city's economy since 1812. Downsizing of the steel mills was attributed to the threat of higher wages and unionization efforts. Racial tensions culminated in riots in 1967 . Suburbanization led to the selection of the town of Amherst for the new University at Buffalo campus by 1970. Unwilling to modernize its plant, Bethlehem Steel began cutting thousands of jobs in Lackawanna during
5684-614: The 1990s, beginning with the Elmwood Village . The 2002 redevelopment of the Larkin Terminal Warehouse led to the creation of Larkinville , home to several mixed-use projects and anchored by corporate offices. Downtown Buffalo and its central business district (CBD) had a 10.6-percent increase in residents from 2010 to 2017, as over 1,061 housing units became available; the Seneca One Tower
5800-490: The 20th century, Buffalo was the world's leading grain port and a national flour-milling hub. Local mills were among the first to benefit from hydroelectricity generated by the Niagara River. Buffalo hosted the 1901 Pan-American Exposition after the Spanish–American War , showcasing the nation's advances in art, architecture, and electricity. Its centerpiece was the Electric Tower, with over two million light bulbs, but some exhibits were jingoistic and racially charged. At
5916-403: The Buffalo–Niagara Falls MSA was $ 53 billion (~$ 62.3 billion in 2023). The city's cultural landmarks include the oldest urban parks system in the United States, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum , the Buffalo History Museum , the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra , Shea's Performing Arts Center , the Buffalo Museum of Science , and several annual festivals . Its educational institutions include
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#17327980049186032-417: The Catholic Church and homosexuality, Tony believes wholeheartedly in God and Billy believes "sometimes". A disgusted Max professes that he believes in nothing but his individual strength and ability to survive. Tony, after being needled and cajoled by Max and Billy, finally completes his turn in Scrabble, playing the word "punt." Both Max and Billy are incredulous that it has taken Tony so long to create such
6148-525: The Doctor that he has been keeping both his sexuality and diagnosis from his highly religious family. The Doctor encourages Billy to reach out to them for support, but Billy refuses because he doesn't want his "wrong choices" to hurt them as well as him. The Doctor asks Billy if he blames anyone besides himself for his illness, namely the person who infected him. Billy replies that he knows who it was, and that he forgives him. Tony's health has deteriorated even further. Billy finds Tony's ripped up headshots under
6264-432: The East Side, who moved to newer housing; Italian immigrant families settled throughout the city, primarily on the lower West Side. During the 1830s, Buffalo residents were generally intolerant of the small groups of Black Americans who began settling on the city's East Side. In the 20th century, wartime and manufacturing jobs attracted Black Americans from the South during the First and Second Great Migrations . In
6380-410: The International City Theatre under Shashin Desai, it set the precedent for the company's reputation of premiering new shows. Presented by Buddy Dalton at the Offstage Theatre, the London production premiered on February 4, 1986. Direction by Noel Greig, scenery and costumes by Caroline Burgess, lighting by Bob Lyons. Premiering on September 17, 1986, at the American Repertory Theatre, this production
6496-411: The Line, Nelson Lichtenstein wrote, "When Swados showed up at the Mahwah plant in February 1956, the personnel man was glad to see that he had had some blue collar work experience, but he also found his job application strangely full of blank spots. When asked what he had been doing, Swados dodged: 'Writing novels in the South of France.' This little joke seemed to satisfy, so he was promptly assigned to
6612-417: The Midwest and West Coast of the United States. Through the generosity of Rockland County friends who owned a modest villa there, Swados and his family resided, from 1955 to 1956, in the medieval Cote D'Azur village of Cagnes-sur-Mer , midway between Cannes and Nice. The semitropical setting became a much-loved second home to Swados—one to which he and his family returned for three one-year periods between
6728-420: The Tracy Roberts Theatre on February 4, 1996, with direction by Anne Hulegard, sets by Frannie Smith, lighting by Brian Mahanayo (Characters listed in order of appearance) A Quiet End productions have received mixed reviews. At its inaugural premiere in Long Beach, the actors, lighting, and scenic design received raves. Though the play was deemed "thoughtfully written", it was ultimately declared that it
6844-542: The U.S. During the 1940s and 1950s, Puerto Rican migrants arrived en masse, also seeking industrial jobs, settling on the East Side and moving westward. In the 21st century, Buffalo is classified as a majority minority city , with a plurality of residents who are Black and Latino. Buffalo has experienced effects of urban decay since the 1970s, and also saw population loss to the suburbs and Sun Belt states, and experienced job losses from deindustrialization. The city's population peaked at 580,132 in 1950, when Buffalo
6960-434: The U.S. and internationally, and is widely considered "groundbreaking" for this reason. It is one of only fifteen plays that directly falls under Misplaced Pages's classification of HIV/AIDS in theatre, and one of only five to run in a Broadway/off-Broadway production. Unlike its contemporary, The Normal Heart , A Quiet End makes no mention of the politics that dominated the AIDS epidemic during this time period, particularly
7076-399: The World War II and postwar years from 1940 to 1970, the city's Black population rose by 433 percent. They replaced most of the Polish community on the East Side, who were moving out to suburbs. However, the effects of redlining , steering, social inequality , blockbusting , white flight and other racial policies resulted in the city (and region) becoming one of the most segregated in
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#17327980049187192-543: The apartment, and Billy responds that existence is fairly unfulfilling, emotionally, sexually, and physically. Max then returns to the living room, where he and Jason catch up. Jason had not contacted Max after Max was diagnosed with HIV. Jason reveals that he is still HIV-free, but Max's relief is short-lived. The two quickly revive old arguments from their relationship, including Jason's disapproval of Max's insistence on an open relationship, and accuses Max of using group therapy to jump from solution to solution without ever taking
7308-570: The arts and the professions. Perhaps the most profound of Swados's personal and professional relationships, though, was with his West Nyack, New York, neighbor, the sociologist, writer and Columbia University professor C. Wright Mills , whom Swados had met through Richard Hofstadter . Mills and Swados not only worked side by side on construction projects at one another's homes, but critiqued—sometimes passionately—one another's works in progress. Multi-hour discussions on politics and contemporary American culture characterized their relationship;
7424-536: The assembly line as a metal finisher, the same job he had mastered in the early 1940s when working in Buffalo." Several years later, Lichtenstein wrote, Swados recounted his thoughts about having returned to the factory floor, rather than to an office, to earn a living. Before a U.S. Department of Labor seminar on Manpower Policy and Program, Swados commented, "Good Lord, here they are! I have forgotten all about them. They have been here all these years, making all of these things, and here I am with them, but now I know what it
7540-421: The city became a stronghold of labor unions and the Democratic Party . During World War II , Buffalo regained its manufacturing strength as military contracts enabled the city to manufacture steel, chemicals, aircraft, trucks and ammunition. The 15th-most-populous US city in 1950 , Buffalo's economy relied almost entirely on manufacturing; eighty percent of area jobs were in the sector. The city also had over
7656-403: The city's economy. When these industries downsized in the region, Buffalo's economy became service-based. Its primary sectors include health care, business services (banking, accounting, and insurance), retail, tourism and logistics , especially with Canada. Despite the loss of large-scale manufacturing, some manufacturing of metals, chemicals, machinery, food products, and electronics remains in
7772-438: The city's summers are drier and sunnier than other cities in the northeastern United States, its vegetation receives enough precipitation to remain hydrated. Buffalo summers are characterized by abundant sunshine, with moderate humidity and temperatures; the city benefits from cool, southwestern Lake Erie summer breezes which temper warmer temperatures. Temperatures rise above 90 °F (32.2 °C) an average of three times
7888-428: The commuter train between Rockland and Weehawken, New Jersey, on his way to and from his midtown Manhattan office job, Swados often did his own work, assembling his thoughts and writing his first published novel, Out Went the Candle , which was released in 1955. Beginning in the mid-1950s, Swados's Rockland County life with Bette and his children was marked by renewed and burgeoning friendships with fellow residents from
8004-671: The couch, prompting Tony to bitterly reminisce about his lack of success in the acting business. Tony then reveals that he served in the Vietnam War before moving to New York. Billy asks if Tony has killed anyone, and after some hesitation answers yes. Tony admits to the Doctor that potentially infecting others with HIV makes him feel like a "murderer". Back at the apartment, Tony's health drastically begins to fail. He tries to prevent Billy and Max from calling an ambulance, but Max does so anyway. Before medical help arrives, Tony passes away in Billy's arms. Three days later, Billy and Max discuss Tony's funeral and death in general. Billy reveals that he
8120-540: The country's 49th-largest. Compared to other major US metropolitan areas, the number of foreign-born immigrants to Buffalo is low. New immigrants are primarily resettled refugees (especially from war- or disaster-affected nations) and refugees who had previously settled in other U.S. cities. During the early 2000s, most immigrants came from Canada and Yemen ; this shifted in the 2010s to Burmese ( Karen ) refugees and Bangladeshi immigrants. Between 2008 and 2016, Burmese, Somali , Bhutanese , and Iraqi Americans were
8236-504: The direction of Anne Hulegard and Edward Trucco's performance as Billy. New York Times reviewer Stephen Price shared similar sentiments when the play debuted Off-Broadway. While the actors, set, and lighting were once again praised, particularly Lonny Price's portrayal of Max, this time the issue was a matter of direction rather than writing. Price claimed that the play's "power is severely diminished by directorial timidity", even going so far as to assert that "a drama that ought to grab one by
8352-495: The end of the 18th century, only 338 sq mi (216,000 acres; 880 km ; 88,000 ha) of reservations remained. After the Treaty of Big Tree removed Iroquois title to lands west of the Genesee River in 1797, Joseph Ellicott surveyed land at the mouth of Buffalo Creek. In the middle of the village was an intersection of eight streets at present-day Niagara Square . Originally named New Amsterdam, its name
8468-590: The exposition, President William McKinley was assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz . When McKinley died, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in at the Wilcox Mansion in Buffalo. Attorney John Milburn and local industrialists convinced the Lackawanna Iron and Steel Company to relocate from Scranton, Pennsylvania to the town of West Seneca in 1904. Employment was competitive, with many Eastern Europeans and Scrantonians vying for jobs. From
8584-460: The four largest ethnic immigrant groups in Erie County. A 2008 report noted that although food deserts were seen in larger cities and not in Buffalo, the city's neighborhoods of color have access only to smaller grocery stores and lack the supermarkets more typical of newer, white neighborhoods. A 2018 report noted that over fifty city blocks on Buffalo's East Side lacked adequate access to
8700-532: The frozen Lake Erie . Although snow does not typically impair the city's operation, it can cause significant damage in autumn (as the October 2006 storm did). In November 2014 (called " Snowvember "), the region had a record-breaking storm which produced over 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 ft (66 in; 170 cm) of snow. Buffalo's lowest recorded temperature was −20 °F (−29 °C), which occurred twice: on February 9, 1934, and February 2, 1961. Although
8816-569: The integrated community of Rochdale Village , in the New York City borough of Queens, as a paradigm of American brotherhood, idealism and economic self-interest. (Although the Rochdale example was short-lived, its history has been documented by former resident, author and editor Peter Eisenstadt.) In an article published on April 23, 1967, Swados profiled the maverick and unpredictable CBS News executive Fred Friendly . In 1967, reporting on
8932-696: The lack of government response and funding in New York City. The script goes so far as to omit the words "HIV" or "AIDS", though the disease is heavily implied throughout. The play premiered as the inaugural production of the International City Theater in Long Beach, California , and made its international debut four weeks later at the Offstage Theater in London. A Quiet End has been produced at numerous theaters including
9048-435: The late 19th century to the 1920s, mergers and acquisitions led to distant ownership of local companies; this had a negative effect on the city's economy. Examples include the acquisition of Lackawanna Steel by Bethlehem Steel and, later, the relocation of Curtiss-Wright in the 1940s. The Great Depression saw severe unemployment, especially among the working class. New Deal relief programs operated in full force, and
9164-407: The local unemployment rate to 7.5 percent by December 2020. The local unemployment rate had been 4.2 percent in 2019, higher than the national average of 3.5 percent. Buffalo is home to over 20 theater companies, with many centered in the downtown Theatre District . Shea's Performing Arts Center is the city's largest theater. Designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and built in 1926,
9280-586: The metropolitan area to lack a high-school diploma. During the early 19th century, Presbyterian missionaries tried to convert the Seneca people on the Buffalo Creek Reservation to Christianity. Initially resistant, some tribal members set aside their traditions and practices to form their own sect. Later, European immigrants added other faiths. Christianity is the predominant religion in Buffalo and Western New York. Catholicism (primarily
9396-505: The mid-1800s; about one thousand German and Lithuanian Jews settled in Buffalo before 1880. Buffalo's first synagogue , Temple Beth El, was established in 1847. The city's Temple Beth Zion is the region's largest synagogue. With changing demographics and an increased number of refugees from other areas on the city's East Side, Islam and Buddhism have expanded their presence. In this area, new residents have converted empty churches into mosques and Buddhist temples. Hinduism maintains
9512-486: The mid-1950s and the late 1960s. Returning to Rockland County from France in 1956, and unwilling to return to his marketing and public relations paychecks, Swados opted for a job at the newly constructed Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Mahwah, New Jersey. His experiences there formed the basis of his 1957 book of related short stories, On the Line . In his introduction to the University of Illinois Press edition of On
9628-494: The mid-1970s before closing it in 1983. The region lost at least 70,000 jobs between 1970 and 1984. Like much of the Rust Belt , Buffalo has focused on recovering from the effects of late-20th-century deindustrialization . Buffalo is on the eastern end of Lake Erie opposite Fort Erie, Ontario . It is at the head of the Niagara River, which flows north over Niagara Falls into Lake Ontario . The Buffalo metropolitan area
9744-455: The mid-19th century, Buffalo transitioned to manufacturing, which came to be dominated by steel production. Later, deindustrialization and the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway saw the city's economy decline and diversify. It developed its service industries , such as health care, retail, tourism, logistics, and education, while retaining some manufacturing. In 2019, the gross domestic product of
9860-465: The nascent State of Israel . He found the office work frustrating, though, drawing as it did on many of the working hours and on many of the skills Swados wished to apply toward his own writing. By the early 1950s, Swados and his family had moved from Brooklyn Heights to Greenwich Village in Manhattan, finally buying a home in then-rural Rockland County , New York, 25 miles north of New York City. On
9976-794: The political and social convictions of his sister Felice Swados (who had many discussions at the Hunter Colony run by Margaret Lefranc ), and while still an undergraduate, Swados also initiated during this period what was to become a lengthy relationship with the anti-Stalinist American Left and, by the late 1930s, had affiliated himself with the Leon Trotsky –inspired and Max Shachtman –led Workers Party (U.S.) , whose adherents included novelist James T. Farrell and democratic socialist theorist, literary critic and social historian Irving Howe . Following his university graduation in 1940, Swados returned to Buffalo, where he worked as
10092-616: The power to put even animals and plants to sleep, which could affect the harvest. At the conclusion, audience members typically offered gifts, such as tobacco, to the storyteller as a sign of appreciation. During the Beaver Wars in the mid-17th century the Senecas conquered the Erie and Neutrals in the region. Native Americans did not settle along Buffalo Creek permanently until 1780, when displaced Senecas were relocated from Fort Niagara . Louis Hennepin and Sieur de La Salle explored
10208-519: The primary residents of the Buffalo area before 1800, concentrated along Buffalo Creek. After the Revolutionary War, settlers from New England and eastern New York began to move into the area. From the 1830s to the 1850s, they were joined by Irish and German immigrants from Europe, both peasants and working class, who settled in enclaves on the city's south and east sides. At the turn of the 20th century, Polish immigrants replaced Germans on
10324-404: The proposed Erie Canal would bring prosperity to the area. To accomplish this, Buffalo's harbor was expanded with the help of Samuel Wilkeson ; it was selected as the canal's terminus over the rival Black Rock. It opened in 1825, ushering in commerce, manufacturing and hydropower . By the following year, the 130 sq mi (340 km ) Buffalo Creek Reservation (at the western border of
10440-884: The radical hopes of the late 1930s to a kind of acquiescent liberalism in the 1950s and 1960s." Serving as a radio operator, Swados joined the United States Merchant Marine in 1943. "His wartime service took him to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the North Atlantic, the South Pacific and to various ports of call on five continents." Those peripatetic experiences formed the basis for his first novel, The Unknown Constellations . Dissatisfied with its reception among friends and colleagues whose opinions he valued, and unable to place it with
10556-579: The region was inhabited by nomadic Paleo-Indians who were succeeded by the Neutral , Erie , and Iroquois nations. In the early 17th century, the French began to explore the region. In the 18th century, Iroquois land surrounding Buffalo Creek was ceded through the Holland Land Purchase , and a small village was established at its headwaters. In 1825, after its harbor was improved, Buffalo
10672-557: The region. Advanced manufacturing has increased, with an emphasis on research and development (R&D) and automation . In 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis valued the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls MSA at $ 53 billion (~$ 62.3 billion in 2023). The civic sector is a major source of employment in the Buffalo area, and includes public, non-profit, healthcare and educational institutions. New York State, with over 19,000 employees,
10788-477: The revolutionary expectations of his youth, much that would remain central to Swados's worldview was formed in these politically charged years of factory employment in the early 1940s." Experiences and friendships with the political group's adherents "he would later describe in Standing Fast , his 1970 novel that sympathetically recorded the exhilaration and despair of his political generation as it moved from
10904-567: The search to live and do his work in a commercial world and maintain his commitment as an artist." Beginning in the late 1950s, in addition to his literary and journalistic work, Swados began teaching at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, where writer Grace Paley was among his colleagues. The family's residency in Rockland was punctuated by sojourns to the South of France and
11020-890: The south and the Neutral Nation in the north, with a relatively small tribe, the Wenrohronon , between and the Senecas , an Iroquois tribe, occupying the land just east of the region. The Neutral grew tobacco and hemp to trade with the Iroquois, who traded furs with the French for European goods. The tribes used animal- and war paths to travel and move goods across what today is New York State. (Centuries later, these same paths were gradually improved, then paved, then developed into major modern roads.) Traditional Seneca oral legends, as recounted by professional storytellers known as Hagéotâ, were highly participatory. These tales were told only during winter, as they were believed to have
11136-500: The theater presents Broadway musicals and concerts. Shakespeare in Delaware Park has been held outdoors every summer since 1976. Stand-up comedy can be found throughout the city and is anchored by Helium Comedy Club, which hosts both local talent and national touring acts. The Nickel City Opera (known as NC Opera Buffalo and NCO ) is an American opera company based at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo and
11252-417: The throat has been staged as mild-mannered, almost soothing AIDS soap opera." A Quiet End has been published as a single volume by Samuel French. It also is featured in the anthology Gay and Lesbian Plays Today The Best Men's Stage Monologues of 1990, and The Best Stage Scenes for Men From the 1980s (Smith and Kraus, 1990). A Quiet End was also the focus of a chapter of Robert Vorlicky's Act Like
11368-427: The time to truly analyze himself. Max responds that he felt that everyone, particularly Jason, was more perfect than he was. Jason begs for Max to take him back, but Max refuses, telling Jason that his future is outside the apartment. The two kiss passionately, and Jason leaves. The second act opens with a conversation between Billy and the Doctor. Billy recounts his memories of his father's death and funeral, and tells
11484-600: The two frequently disagreed politically, most notably on the nature of the Castro revolution in Cuba. Their mutual friend, writer Dan Wakefield , observed that Swados's short stories "dramatized concerns such as Mills addressed in White Collar , like the threat to individual freedom from new technology and corporate conformity. . . . More than any other writer I knew, C. Wright Mills's friend and neighbor Harvey Swados embodied
11600-523: The upper Niagara and Ontario regions in the late 1670s. In 1679, La Salle's ship, Le Griffon , became the first to sail above Niagara Falls near Cayuga Creek . Baron de Lahontan visited the site of Buffalo in 1687. A small French settlement along Buffalo Creek lasted for only a year (1758). After the French and Indian War , the region was ruled by Britain. After the American Revolution ,
11716-479: The village of Chesterfield, Massachusetts. He had decided to accept an appointment as Professor in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst . In what was to be one of the final public acts of his political life, Swados traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1972 and volunteered his writing services to the presidential campaign of George McGovern and his running mate Sargent Shriver . Swados
11832-478: The village) was transferred to Buffalo. Buffalo was incorporated as a city in 1832. During the 1830s, businessman Benjamin Rathbun significantly expanded its business district. The city doubled in size from 1845 to 1855. Almost two-thirds of the city's population was foreign-born, largely a mix of unskilled (or educated) Irish and German Catholics . Fugitive slaves made their way north to Buffalo during
11948-482: Was "too quiet for its own good" because it didn't deal with the political ramifications of the AIDS crisis. In the 1996 Los Angeles revival The Variety similarly accused Swados' script of having "little plot development", and claimed that "the responsibility for its success lies squarely on the talents of the director and actors". That being said, The Variety heaped praise upon the latter, however, particularly highlighting
12064-695: Was 6,470.6 per square mile. Buffalo's architecture is diverse, with a collection of 19th- and 20th-century buildings. Downtown Buffalo landmarks include Louis Sullivan 's Guaranty Building , an early skyscraper; the Ellicott Square Building , once one of the largest of its kind in the world; the Art Deco Buffalo City Hall and the McKinley Monument , and the Electric Tower . Beyond downtown,
12180-402: Was HIV-positive after Max was discovered having distributed HIV treatment resources to an infected student. Back in the apartment, Max's ex-boyfriend Jason shows up and introduces himself to Billy. Billy divulges that he was fired from his job as a pianist because the man with whom he shared the piano became increasingly paranoid that Billy would pass the disease to him. Jason asks about life at
12296-460: Was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in his Prairie School style. Since 2016, Washington DC real estate developer Douglas Jemal has been acquiring, and redeveloping, iconic properties throughout the city. According to Mark Goldman, the city has a "tradition of separate and independent settlements". The boundaries of Buffalo's neighborhoods have changed over time. The city is divided into five districts , each containing several neighborhoods, for
12412-473: Was interested in good or almost good women and men more than most writers—and readers. By good people I don't mean saints or angels, but people who, for all their complexity, want to do the right thing. Luckily he was unsentimental. He had too much integrity to allow for the soft lies of sentiment. At some point in the stories in this collection the world is going to pick up his characters and drop them down. Their innocence—and ours—is going to take
12528-421: Was more than ever determined to make his way as a writer. In 1946, as he continued to launch his writing career, Swados married Bette Beller, with whom he had three children—son Marco in 1947, daughter Felice in 1949, who was named after Swados's late sister, and son Robin in 1953. During this period, Swados worked in several public relations jobs often having to do with fundraising initiatives on behalf of
12644-770: Was presented by Raphael Brandow, with direction by Swados himself, scenery and costumes by Ries Fess, and lighting by Nick Snaas. Opening on October 30, 1987 at the St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Steven Woolf presented A Quiet End with direction by Sam Blackwell, scenery by Mel Dickerson, costumes by Jim Buff, and lighting by Mark Wilson. Premiering May 29, 1990 at the Theatre Off Park and produced by Albert Harris in arrangement with Richard Norton and Ted Snowdon, A Quiet End made its Off-Broadway run with direction by Tony Giordano, scenery by Philipp Jung, costumes by David Murin, sound by Tony Meola, and music by Swados. Premiered at
12760-452: Was putting the finishing touches on his final published work, the novel Celebration , when he was stricken by a cerebral aneurysm. His death occurred on December 11, 1972. In a 1973 memorial tribute, the critic Hilton Kramer lauded his friend's "attention to all those aspects of our history and our feelings that our stylish literature, then in the high tide of its so-called radical phase, had either conveniently forgotten or never knew." At
12876-613: Was redeveloped in 2020. Other revitalized areas include Chandler Street, in the Grant-Amherst neighborhood, and Hertel Avenue in Parkside. The Buffalo Common Council adopted its Green Code in 2017, replacing zoning regulations which were over sixty years old. Its emphasis on regulations promoting pedestrian safety and mixed land use received an award at the 2019 Congress for the New Urbanism conference. Buffalo has
12992-538: Was selected as the terminus of the Erie Canal , which led to its incorporation in 1832. The canal stimulated its growth as the primary inland port between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Transshipment made Buffalo the world's largest grain port of that era. After the coming of railroads greatly reduced the canal's importance, the city became the second-largest railway hub (after Chicago ). During
13108-588: Was soon changed to Buffalo. The village of Buffalo was named for Buffalo Creek . British military engineer John Montresor referred to "Buffalo Creek" in his 1764 journal, the earliest recorded appearance of the name. A road to Pennsylvania from Buffalo was built in 1802 for migrants traveling to the Connecticut Western Reserve in Ohio. Before an east–west turnpike across the state was completed, traveling from Albany to Buffalo would take
13224-509: Was the 15th-largest city in the United States ;– down from the eighth-largest city in 1900, after its growth rate slowed during the 1920s. Buffalo finally saw a population gain of 6.5% in the 2020 census, reversing a decades long trend of population decline. The city has 278,349 residents as of the 2020 census, making it the 76th-largest city in the United States. Its metropolitan area had 1.1 million residents in 2020,
13340-1009: Was to become the university's controversial president. In Rockland and elsewhere, while Swados's work on his novels and short stories formed the core of his creative life during the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, he and his wife also spent many months abroad—in the Middle East, in Africa and in Central Europe—;where Swados developed and filed stories, reviews and articles for publications ranging from The New Leader and Dissent to Esquire ; from The Nation and New Politics to Playboy and The New York Times . As examples of Swados's voluminous journalism, two pieces written for The New York Times Sunday Magazine in many ways typify his wide-ranging social curiosity. In an article published on November 13, 1966, "When Black and White Live Together," Swados presented
13456-509: Was working as an editor at Time magazine by 1940. House of Fury , a novel by Felice Swados, was published in 1941. Though he had already begun distancing himself from the Trotskyist organization by the beginning of the 1940s, Swados remained committed to principles of democratic socialism—exclusive of any party structure—and thought of himself as an independent radical for the rest of his life. "Despite his own drift away from
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