Saturday, September 14, at 10:30 a.m., the Tennessee State Museum (TSM) will host a program to celebrate Charles Strobel, as part of their TN Writers | TN Stories series. Katie Seigenthaler (editor), Amy Frogge (editor), and Rachel Hester, will discuss the late Nashville icon, using his book, “Charles Strobel – The Kingdom of the Poor: My Journey Home” (Vanderbilt University Press) in conversation with Kay West.
As Charles Strobel, beloved Nashville priest and advocate for the unhoused, reached the end of his life (March 12, 1943 – August 6, 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 ofhow 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. Among his numerous accolades, Father Strobel was the 2018 recipient of the Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award presented by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, as reported here in the PRIDE.
Katie Seigenthaler, the niece of Charles Strobel, is a managing partner with FINN Partners and a former journalist with the Chicago Tribune. 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.
Rachel Hester is the Executive Director of Room In The Inn, the only comprehensive site of services for those experiencing homelessness in Nashville. Throughout her 35 years of service, Rachel has brought an unparalleled passion and respect for the community she serves. Under her leadership, Room In The Inn has undergone dramatic transformation, expanding its facilities and services to offer solutions to the emergency, transitional, and permanent needs of those who call the streets of Nashville home.
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. In Nashville she served on multiple non-profit boards and was an active volunteer for Thistle Farms and Room in the Inn.
Register for free tickets to the event at: tnmuseum.org/tnwriterstnstories
