An Advanced Memoir Writing Class

An Advanced Memoir Writing Class BOCA RATON, FL 1995 On Sundays, I decided to play softball at a Boca Raton Community Center. Maybe that would relieve the horrific loss of my son, David. During warm-ups for our weekly game, the Community Center’s building loomed large in the background. I wondered what went on inside. The… Continue reading An Advanced Memoir Writing Class

Don’t Play With Him

Danny, Don’t Play With Him Uijonbu, Korea July, 1952 Charley Kauneckis was the volunteer point man on every patrol or raid for Company L, 3rd Infantry Division, 2nd platoon. Prior to this, he was a paratrooper for the 187 Regimental Combat Team that made two jumps in Korea, then they were distributed to the combat… Continue reading Don’t Play With Him

Will I Ever Walk On Asphalt Again?

Will I Ever Walk On Asphalt Again? Chorwon Valley, Korea March 1952 The sun had just dipped below a cragged chain of mountains to the west. A bumpy ten-minute ride from battalion headquarters brought us to Company L’s position on the MLR (front line). The rain let up. My body, warming my wet fatigues, itched… Continue reading Will I Ever Walk On Asphalt Again?

Was Anyone Called By Their Given Name (1939)?

Was Anyone Called By Their Given Name? The Bronx 1943 Sholem Aleichem, in his humorous stories of the shtetl made us aware that a given name came with a title e.g. Tevyeh the Milkman, The Butcher Lazer Wolff, The Tailor Muttle Chemzoil , Yisroel the Shammas, or Berel the Redhead. This was probably engraved into… Continue reading Was Anyone Called By Their Given Name (1939)?

Two Oranges

A Tale of Two Oranges The Bronx August 1946 The bright August sunlight awoke two hibernating regulars in Pop’s poolroom at the corner of Boston Rd. and Southern Blvd. Their greenish-yellow complexions announced that they hadn’t had a gulp of fresh air in months. They removed a topcoat from a nearby pool table then sped… Continue reading Two Oranges

Tar Beach

Tar Beach The Bronx August 1943 Seated on a granite stoop near Adoff’s drug store, the boys were searching for relief from August’s heat and humidity. “It’s broiling hot. I nearly burned my ass when I sat down on this stoop. Let’s go to Orchard Beach.” “Naah, it’s no fun. The last time I went… Continue reading Tar Beach

The Order

The Order The Bronx April 1938  A faded green housedress and flannel slippers was her dress uniform for the day. For pennies cheaper she bought yesterday’s vegetables. To save fifteen cents, she flikt (plucked ) the chicken she bought at Jennings Street Market. “Do you want hamburger meat, Mrs. Wolfe?” asked Brodsky the butcher. ”Who knows… Continue reading The Order

I Was Hired Without a Resume

I Was Hired Without A Resume Ellenville, NY July 1948 For a Jewish teenager in the Bronx, working as a busboy in a Catskill Mountain hotel was a rite of passage. The tips were quite good, girls were available, but I didn’t know what to do with them. The hangout, our candy store, which was a… Continue reading I Was Hired Without a Resume