Star spangled road trip

FALLS VILLAGE — Ryan Bernsten, author of “50 States of Mind: A Journey to Rediscover American Democracy” said Americans are not nearly as divided as media accounts have it. He spoke at the David M. Hunt Library Tuesday, May 7.

The affable and inquisitive Bernsten spent almost as much time asking the audience about Falls Village as he did in recounting his experiences in visiting all 50 states.

Of his book promotion appearances, he said he does not like “talking at people.”

“I want to talk with people about their communities.”

Of “50 States of Mind,” he said “the book is the reason to come together and talk about democracy” minus the familiar talking points.

He prefers to concentrate on individuals’ stories.

“There’s not enough storytelling.”

During his trip, he and a couple of friends found themselves in a bar and grill in Cleveland called Skeets.

The clientele was, he discovered, predominantly black sheet metal workers.

The visit was a little awkward at first, but once Bernsten started asking about the neighborhood — and listening attentively to the replies — the atmosphere warmed up.

The customers and the bartender, a woman named Denise, described their community, warts and all.

They told him about a recent incident in the neighborhood, in which a 14-year-old girl was kidnapped and murdered. They talked about what it’s like to live with economic and social uncertainty.

“It’s about right now,” one person said.

Bernsten said this episode was one of his favorites “because it shows all sides of a community.”

The book began life as a thesis project at Oxford University, where Bernsten was in graduate school.

Bernsten said he was taken aback when his casually pitched idea of visiting all 50 states, primarily traveling by car and staying with people, not in hotels, was endorsed by the university.

“I didn’t even have a car!”

He used social media to find people willing to host him.

“In two weeks I had places to stay in 42 states.”

After this odyssey, Bernsten drew some conclusions.

One was that the words “politics” or “’democracy’ often mask what is really important to Americans.

“It’s really about their stories being heard.”

And one thing that unites Americans of all stripes?

“People wanted me to see the best of their communities.”