Across from the Alley Next Door to the Pool Room

This is a warm, humorous, folksy, insightful book that will evoke many nostalgic memories in anyone who grew up in an immigrant, primarily ethnic and/or religious community or who has heard tales about life in such a close-knit enclave from grandparents or parents. Booker writes about her formative years in the South Philadelphia Jewish Community; much of what she describes is similar to what life was like then and is like now in myriad Jewish, Italian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Russian, Polish and other immigrant communities. The close family ties, the holiday and special event rituals, the centrality of food at gatherings as an expression of love, the importance of religious and cultural values and heritage and so much more is similar across many of these communities. This book is a gem that will resonate with numerous Americans whose roots here began when several generations of their relatives landed on Ellis Island. Across From the Alley Next Door to the Pool Room is engaging, fun, and informative reading.

Janice L. Booker is a journalist and has had a career that spans writing, broadcasting, teaching and lecturing. She is the author of three books and many articles for newspapers and periodicals. Her talk show radio program on a Philadelphia station, “The Janice Booker Show,” introduced writers, artists, and public events to audiences over a period of 17 years. She taught journalism at Temple University and memoir writing and public speaking at the University of Pennsylvania and lectured on literary groups at many venues, including cultural institutions and adult education facilities.