Sean Kirst

Renowned throughout Upstate New York and across the nation for a lifelong career in journalism, Kirst has created an enduring legacy by telling the stories of everyday people who withstand the depths and achieve the heights of human experience. Through his journalism and storytelling, Kirst captures the richness, diversity and complexity of Upstate New York and its urban and rural communities.

Kirst began his career in journalism in 1974 as a reporter for the Dunkirk Evening Observer. Among other outlets, he has written for the City Newspaper in Rochester, the Syracuse Post-Standard and most recently the Buffalo News, the paper he read while growing up. His book publications include The Soul of Central New York and Moonfixer: The Basketball Journey of Earl Lloyd.

Kirst has received a number of accolades, including the Ernie Pyle Award for human interest writing, the Sigma Delta Chi national award for distinguished column writing, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Voices in Action Media award, and four of the last five statewide New York News Publishers Association awards for column writing. Recipient of a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Le Moyne College in 2018, Kirst frequently gives talks to journalism and writing students. He also received an honorary degree in 2016 from Onondaga Community College.

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