"Kauffman uses the residents of his beloved but beleaguered town of Batavia, New York, to assess the endangered state of small-town life in these big-city times.".

"Kauffman, a self-proclaimed "placeist" who believes all things urban to be homogeneous and loathsome, returned to his Batavian roots after a bumpy ride on the D.C. fast track. Rarely has he ventured forth since.

Now he illuminates the place he loves above all others, ranging from tales of the mystics and madmen who created its somewhat eccentric history to the hard-headed, yet big-hearted, population of faded aristocrats, townie-rowdies, and recovered rock stars who constitute its definitely checkered present.".

"A Batavia not previously imagined will rise in the eyes of readers as Kauffman squires us from the city's rustic vistas, through its glorious new mall and internationally known school for the blind, and down into the tawdry seams of its grimy semi-industrial pockets.

We learn of Batavia's efforts to devastate its most stunning landmarks through Dresden-inspired urban renewal; the multi-ethnic complexities simmering behind its frequently clogged political machinery; the alarming lack of spirit at Kauffman's high-school reunion; and the sagging fortunes of its minor-league baseball heroes (the lauded Muckdogs)."--BOOK JACKET.