Trespassing In The Garden of Eden
20 Memories
ISBN - 9781491266083
Her name was Eve and she spent her long days toiling in the Garden of Eden. Actually her name was Eva, my Hungarian grandmother, and, well, she did spend her days toiling in the Garden of Eden.” So begins one of the 20 stories the author relates—a tapestry of memory that moves from the post-war 1940s to the end of the explosive 1960s. Here are accounts that touch on “Frosty the Snowman” and an ill-fated Christmas pageant, First Communion and other harrowing tales of a Catholic boyhood, anti-Commie Joe McCarthy on TV, the sensational death of Marilyn Monroe, the exotic allure of Brigitte Bardot on the movie screen, the KKK in North Carolina, the Kennedy assassination, a wedding at the National Press Club, and even the farewell tour of Diana Ross and the Supremes. Some of these tales are humorous or farcical, some sad and melancholic, some downright satirical, and some—maybe just a bit tragic. Anecdotal, colorful, speckled with contemporary observation, together these recollections depict one man’s take on the dynamic world he lived in. Through it all, he knew he was having the time of his life.
Confessions of Ricky Hitler
20 Memories
ISBN - 9781499164350
In this second collection of memories, the author relates wide-ranging episodes from three decade of his life: grad school antics at UMass at Amherst, life as a community college instructor in Connecticut, living in New York City with a bizarre and trouble roommates, the pitfalls of being a landlord, trips to Hungary and Croatia during the Communist Era in search of roots, his encounter with a house burglar, and finally his decision to move out of Hartford to a new place-and anew life. These stories move from the early 1970s to the end of the century, a collection of tales that are sometimes satirical, occasionally harrowing, and often humorous.
Talking Of Michelangelo
20 Memories
ISBN - 9781501039393
In this third volume of memories, the author depicts some of the people he’s met along the way. These anecdotal sketches illuminate some famous folks, to be sure—encounters with writers like Walter Tevis (The Hustler), Robert Penn Warren (All the King’s Men), and Richard Yates (Revolutionary Road), even sidelong glances at historical giants like Abe Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, as well as a sad tale of ill-fated Manhattan socialite Irene Silverman, who was the victim of notorious grifters Sante and Kenneth Kimes. But mostly we read of ordinary people—like the student who encountered aliens from outer space or the young man lost in a mental hospital on New Year’s Eve or the Cuban émigré who got lost in a snowstorm. There’s even a misguided account of a visit to the Soviet Union back in 1976. Some chronicles are sad stories, while others are funny, but all of them reflect the author’s fascination with the people around him.
Still Life With Collie
A Memoir
ISBN - 978-1-4626-8216-4
Still Life with Collie is the warm, engaging story of a dog and her master. From her early days as a frisky pup, through her years as a fiercely loyal companion, to her last struggling hours, Misha insisted on being a viable force in the life of the author. This book is their story, filled with spurts of humor and moments of sadness and melancholy. The author recounts her life with rich anecdote and wry observation, chronicling a dog's story and its impact on the lives of those who knew her. Misha became an emphatic presence in so many lives, a dog who demanded she always be the cynosure of local attention. It obviously worked because her owner was compelled to pen an entire book about her. Doubtless Misha would be pleased, though not surprised.
Diana's Dogs
Diana Ross and the definition of a diva
ISBN - 978-0-595-70893-2
Book of World Records calls her the best-selling female singer in history. Billboard named her the Celebrity of the Century. Diana Ross, lead singer of the most popular girl group of the 1960s and later a consummate solo artist, has been in the public eye for over four decades. From 1964—when “Where Did Our Love Go?” rose to number one on the pop charts—to the present day, she has been the ultimate diva, an artist worshiped by fanatical fans, yet pilloried in the press for her temper tantrums and untoward demands.
Ed Ifkovic delivers his own spin on this international celebrity, an idiosyncratic collection of short pieces that create a portrait of the mercurial star.
From a Detroit housing project to a Connecticut mansion—who is this woman who exacts such loyalty from her fans and such vitriol from her detractors? There are pieces on Diana’s tantrums, true, but also jottings on the homes she’s lived in, the food she eats, the cars she drives, even her role as muse for writers. There is a collection of poetic similes commentators have employed to describe her, as well as a mind-boggling catalogue of garish tabloid headlines. This off-beat book, admittedly an obsessive fan’s unembarrassed send-up—equal parts delight and censure—is a spirited yet sardonic tale that also explores the integration of black music into the white mainstream. Frankly, Diana led that noble charge. What the author delights in is the unorthodox observation and gossipy tidbit that accompanied that revolution.
Nonfiction