Brooklyn Boy: a Memoir

Ken Fischman takes us on an intoxicating romp through a childhood--his--navigating the travails of "coming of age" during a couple of turbulent decades in Brooklyn. As one of the few Jewish kids in the neighborhood, he struggles with constant bullying and the pining after the treasures and glitter of Christmas celebrations that surrounded him, but do not include him. Whether clamoring after his first pre-teen kiss from his crush, or awkwardly discovering his own awaking sexuality,...
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Ken Fischman takes us on an intoxicating romp through a childhood--his--navigating the travails of "coming of age" during a couple of turbulent decades in Brooklyn. As one of the few Jewish kids in the neighborhood, he struggles with constant bullying and the pining after the treasures and glitter of Christmas celebrations that surrounded him, but do not include him. Whether clamoring after his first pre-teen kiss from his crush, or awkwardly discovering his own awaking sexuality, Ken's rollicking writing style propels us through the 1930s and '40s as he finds his balance through the beginning of WWII, Franklin Roosevelt's death, basketball thrills at Madison Square Garden, and his years at the historic Erasmus High School. "'Shut your mouth up or I'll shut it for you.'" I looked around, perhaps in amazement to see who had said that, but no one around me had spoken. It dawned on me that voice was all too familiar. It was mine. Somewhere, in absolute rage, that voice had risen from perhaps the depths of my soul. I was as shocked by it as anyone else." Blacky turned toward me as though seeing me for the first time-ever! He slowly pointed his bony index finger at me. 'I'm going to get you after school. But good! I'll see you down at the school yard. 'There were three hours until the end of school. These were the longest three hours of my life...