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Journalist Ted Reinstein has met a lot of colorful characters in his more than 25 years of reporting across New England for the TV show “Chronicle.” His new book collects and retells some of their stories.
“Travels Through the Heart and Soul of New England” explores the narratives of people Reinstein interviewed over the past quarter century. He will discuss the book Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m. at the Medford Public Library, 111 High St.
Tickets are free and can be reserved through the library’s online calendar.
“I really wanted to simply share some of the extraordinary stories I had covered over my nearly 30 years of reporting around every corner of New England,” said Reinstein, 68, who has been a reporter for WCVB-TV’s “Chronicle,” America’s longest-running locally produced television newsmagazine, since 1997. “But in particular, it was in some way to also honor the most memorable people I’ve met in my travels.”
The 45 stories range from a dedicated surfer braving the cold New Hampshire waters year-round to Maine’s “Slim” Andrews, co-founder of the Maine Country Hall of Fame. Reinstein chronicles the story of a person who constructs unique treehouses in Vermont, a couple in Massachusetts who founded the James Weldon Johnson Foundation after buying his former house and a cartoonist in Rhode Island who started the local tradition “Good Night Lights.”
Reinstein said one of his most memorable stories was in Gloucester with Captain Joe Sanfilippo, who started fishing at 12 but had to give it up because of financial struggles. Several men walked by as they stood on a decaying dock, and Sanfilippo told Reinstein they were former fishermen.
“It hit me just how widespread the decline of fishing has been in Gloucester, and how deep the loss is on a human level,” Reinstein said.
Reinstein is often out in the field, finding stories all over New England. He regularly contributes to WCVB’s political roundtable show, “On the Record,” and has served on the station’s editorial board since 2010. He also hosted specials for the Discovery Channel and HGTV.
Aside from reporting, Reinstein is the author of five books, including “A New England Notebook: One Reporter, Six States, Uncommon Stories,” “Wicked Pissed: New England’s Most Famous Feuds” and “Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier.” He co-authored “New England’s General Stores: Exploring an American Classic” with his wife, Anne-Marie Dorning.
With his latest book, “Travels Through the Heart and Soul of New England,” Reinstein aimed to tell the stories of impressive New England residents and how they’ve impacted their communities.
“I just hope readers will have a better understanding, a deeper and more nuanced understanding of this place we call home, New England,” Reinstein said. “The sites we love—the mountains, the water, the inns, the beaches, the little shops and eateries—are all
wonderful. But ultimately it’s the region’s people, and their stories, that make it the endlessly colorful and memorable place that it is.”
This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford, Winchester News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
