About this Event
As Charles Strobel, beloved Nashville priest and advocate for the unhoused, reached the end of his life in 2023, he began to contemplate the last message he wanted to leave for his family, friends, and community. With the help of his niece, Katie Seigenthaler, and his colleague, Amy Frogge, Charlie began to dictate The Kingdom of the Poor. He wrote, "Mark Twain, the great American folk hero and writer, has said, 'The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.' The following pages help to explain why I was born." The "why" of Charlie Strobel's life, which was devoted to helping the homeless and disenfranchised people of Nashville, was a simple motivating belief that we are all poor and we are all worthy of love. The Kingdom of the Poor is the story of how he came to this understanding, and lived his life accordingly once he had.
Charles Strobel (1943–2023) was the founding director of Room In The Inn, a continuum of care for unhoused people living on the streets of Nashville and beyond. A Catholic priest, Strobel was known for his innovative advocacy on behalf of human rights and economic equity, his ecumenism, and his opposition to the death penalty. He is the author of Room In The Inn: Ways Your Congregation Can Help Homeless People. He played in amateur baseball leagues into his seventies and was a passionate New York Yankees fan.
Katie Seigenthaler, the niece of Charles Strobel, is the coauthor with Dr. Alex Jahangir of Hot Spot: A Doctor’s Diary from the Pandemic, published in 2022 by Vanderbilt University Press. She is a managing partner with FINN Partners and a former journalist with the Chicago Tribune.
For more than 30 years in Nashville, Kay West wrote for local, regional and national newspapers and magazines, was Nashville correspondent for People magazine, and was one of the three first writers for the Nashville Scene beginning in 1989. She was their weekly restaurant critic from 1992-2007, a column she resumed in 2022 on a guest basis, receiving the Food Writing award in 2024 from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. She has written five books including Around the Opry Table A Feast of Recipes and Stories from the Grand Ole Opry. In Nashville she served on multiple non-profit boards and was an active volunteer for Thistle Farms and Room in the Inn. She and RITI founder Charlie Strobel shared a love of stories and baseball.
Rachel Hester is the Executive Director of Room in the Inn.
Amy Frogge is a long-term volunteer for Room In The Inn. She is an attorney, grant writer, former member of the Metro Nashville school board, and current member of the Nashville Symphony Choir.
This event is part of our series. Readings and discussions take place in the Digital Learning Center at the Tennessee State Museum. Most events include an opportunity to purchase books through the Museum store and get them signed by the author. If you show your Eventbrite ticket you will receive a 10% discount on your book purchase in the Museum Store.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Tennessee State Museum, 1000 Rosa Parks Blvd, nashville, United States
USD 0.00
