Feb 17, 2026 - Culture

Popular "The Paris of Appalachia" book returns

Ryan Deto

Book cover titled "The Paris of Appalachia" with a painting of Pittsburgh's skyline showing buildings and autumn trees under a cloudy sky; author Brian O'Neill. — Let's restart the regional debate. Image: Courtesy of Carnegie Mellon University Press

The debate about Pittsburgh's regional identity is ongoing, and the reissue of former Post-Gazette columnist Brian O'Neill's popular book "The Paris of Appalachia" will add some points to Pittsburgh's Appalachian bona fides.

Why it matters: Let's face it: We're obsessed with ourselves. We might as well delve deeper into what makes us special.

Driving the news: Originally published in 2009, Carnegie Mellon University Press reissued "The Paris of Appalachia" this month, with a new foreword from O'Neill.

What they're saying: Michael Keaton, our most famous living yinzer, lauded the book in a press release, saying O'Neill "truly appreciates what this city is, scars and all."

Peter Leo, a former longtime humor columnist with the Post-Gazette, wrote: "Every city needs a loving interpreter who tells the stories that go to its heart and soul."
O'Neill "revels in city life and is alert to the city's maddening insecurities," Leo added.

The bottom line: "This city is not Midwestern. It's not East Coast. It's just Pittsburgh, and there's no place like it," said O'Neill in a press release.

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Popular "The Paris of Appalachia" book returns

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