Book Review: Arlene Alda's "Just Kids From The Bronx" (Includes Interview)

I introduced myself to Arlene Alda at a recent event I attended that featured her husband as guest speaker. I was interested in her and her upcoming book, "Just Kids from the Bronx: An Oral History: Telling It the Way It Was."

Arlene Alda

Abe Rosenthal. Carl Reiner. Martin Bregman. Leon Fleisher. Lawrence Saper. Mary Higgins Clark. Jules Feiffer. David Yarnell. Milton Glaser. Mildred S. Dresselhaus. Regis Philbin. George Shapiro and Howard West. Mark Cash. Arlene Alda. Michael Brescia. Emanuel Azenberg. Avery Corman. I.C. Rapoport. Colin Powell. Lloyd Ultan. Dion DiMucci. Barbara Nessim.

I was nervous. I guess partly because I've long admired Mrs.Alda for her many accomplishments. She received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship and realized her dream of becoming a professional clarinetist. She played in the Houston Symphony with Leopold Stokowski, raised three daughters and changed career paths by becoming an award-winning photographer and author.

So I was thrilled to have a chance meet her, if only for a few short moments.

To her I was a complete stranger, so I didn't know what to expect as I tapped her on her shoulder. She couldn't have been nicer, and I immediately felt at ease.

She listened with keen interest as I recited the elevator speech I'd been practicing all day, the one about my mother who was about her age and was also born in the Bronx. I told her that as a child I was more interested in hearing stories from my father about his escape from Germany than I was hearing my mother recite stories about being born in the Bronx.

Arlene Alda

Mrs. Alda's book will change all of that, Mom!

Her book of childhood recollections, including her own ("We lived in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. Mother, father, older sister, older brother, the mutt fox terrier Spotty, and me") collectively constructs a loving portrait of a borough, despite its difficulties, that bred countless residents who not only contributed to society in extraordinary ways, but who also felt a common love for their beloved Bronx.

Al Pacino. Robert F. Levine. Suzanne Braun Levine. Steve Janowitz. Margaret M. O'Brien, S.C. Joyce Hansen. Robert Klein. Julian Schlossberg. Anonymous. Rick Meyerowitz. Joel Arthur Rosenthal. Millard S. Drexler. Andy Rosenzweig. Kenneth. S. Davidson. Daniel Libeskind. Valerie Simpson. Arthur Klein. Dava Sobel. Robert F.X. Sillerman. Maira Kalman.  

Every vignette is a true gem, bringing us back to our own childhood when we'd sit on our front stoop to listen to our grandmother's childhood stories. These stories are truly American, and because the Bronx gave birth to so many creative influencers, by the end of the book you'll wish you were born there too:

Abe Rosenthal (Former Executive Editor of the New York Times) recalls his parents as "pioneers" who moved from the tenements in the Lower East Side of Manhattan to Decatur Avenue in the Bronx.

Funnyman Carl Reiner recalls his love of comedy being sparked by a family of funny people who accepted humor as an important force in life.

Boyhood friends George Shapiro and Howard West (agents, producers and personal managers) recall suffering along with the underdogs, the Brooklyn Dodgers, until the color barrier was broken by the great Jackie Robinson.

Melvin Glober (Grandmaster Melle Mel, award-winning rap artist) who narrowly escaped being on the wrong side of the law because he listened to his sage mother, his strict teacher and his own inner intelligence.

Sam Goodman. Chazz Palminteri. Daniel Hauben. Louise Sedotto. Steve Jordan. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Michael R. Kay. Melvin Glover. Jaime Rodriguez Jr. Luis A. Ubinas. Bobby Bonilla. Sotero Ortiz, Wilfredo Feliciano and Hector Nazario (members of Tats Cru). Majorca Carter. Carlos J. Serrano. Renee Hernandez. Ruben Diaz Jr. Jemina R. Bernard. Amar Ramasar. Gabrielle Salvatto. Erik Zeidler.

This book was an enjoyable read and I'd highly recommend it to every reader. It's not only a portrait of America, but it illustrates that if you hold on tight to your dreams you can make anything happen.

After reading "Just Kids from the Bronx" I had a few questions I wanted to ask Mrs. Alda. She graciously agreed to answer them:

CC: The impressive array of people who grew up in the Bronx leads me to believe there are many more stories that need to be told. Did you have to turn anyone away who wanted to be included in your book? Were there stories you wanted to acquire but were unable to?

AA: There are definitely many more stories to be told. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The interviewing for the book started in such a random fashion. I initially had no idea as to who should or would be in "Just Kids From the Bronx." I started by talking with the CEO of J.Crew, Millard (Mickey) Drexler, who grew up in the same building as I did in the Allerton Avenue section of the Bronx. Going back to our apartment building, the Mayflower, with Mickey was the starting point for my wanting to collect stories from other accomplished Bronxites. I started slowly and cautiously by interviewing and talking with other people I knew who were Bronxites of some prominence. After just a few interviews, I realized I was painting myself into a comfortable corner. Who were the people I didn’t know? And who were the younger people who grew up  in the Bronx…what were their stories? How were the changes in the Bronx over the years reflected in the lives of those who grew up decades after I did? Once I started those explorations, I was on my way to covering ground that rounded out a compelling story of decades of growing up in the Bronx, with all the changes those decades implied.

Most people didn’t know that I was working on "Just Kids From the Bronx," so the issue of turning people away was hardly a major one. I don’t think people were knocking on my door to be in the book. I had to go out and look for them.

A few of the prominent people I would love to have interviewed were Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Edgar Doctorow and Kerry Washington, but those interviews didn’t happen. A loss on all counts.

CC: As a busy wife, mother, grandmother, and someone who has always followed her passions, is there any advice you'd give to women on maintaining a sense of balance in their lives?

AA: From my own perspective as that of a married woman with children, I think it took me years to find my equilibrium. I was not a good juggler, so when my kids were little I spent their early years putting my own profession on the back burner. I didn’t know how to apportion time to them and a budding actor/husband and also to me. What I found out over the years is one simple truth. You can’t have everything all at once, but if you can get your priorities in order, you can have a good shot at "doing your own thing" in due time. You have to be lucky, though. Having a good supportive spouse helps a lot! The old cliche also  applies: Patience is a virtue.  There are never any guarantees for success, but maybe a warranty that lasts a few years? That’s not bad either.

CC: Many of my readers are midlife bloggers/writers. Can you offer any writing tips?

AA: I’m not sure I have writing tips, having  come to writing as a third career choice. (Music, photography and then writing.) But here goes anyway. Writing is a process. Writing is a skill. Writing is an art. It can come from your head and/or your heart. Write every day, even if it’s a sentence or a paragraph. One thought leads to another. Whenever I write anything, and that includes this email, I let it sit for awhile, and then I edit like crazy, but I don’t edit while I'm in the throes of getting it out. I let it sit. Editing comes later. A question I always ask myself when writing is, ”Why am I telling you this?”and “Am I telling it in the best way possible?”  If you can honestly answer those questions to your own satisfaction, then that’s a great start. There’s the old Shakespeare character of Polonius in Hamlet, who, in giving advice to his son, says, “...and to thine own self be true.” Even though Polonius is often described as a foolish old man, his advice seems pretty good to me.

That seems pretty good to us, too, Mrs. Alda. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

Arlene Alda's book "Just Kids from the Bronx" will be on sale beginning March 3. You can order your copy here. All author proceeds will go to several children's organizations located in the Bronx.

NOTE: I received a free copy of "Just Kids from the Bronx" from Henry Holt and Company. All opinions, as always, are solely my own.

The Relationship Between Laughter And Longevity And The Comedians Who Prove It

 

Lately I’ve been thinking that I should have been a comedian. Yes, you read that right. A comedian. Not because I am particularly funny, or because I enjoy speaking in front of a crowd.

laughter comedy

The subject of wellness has been weighing heavily on my mind. I’ve been searching for ways for all of us to find more light in case any dark clouds loom our way.  There are many reasons why it’s important to welcome joy and laughter into our lives, but here's one more:

Laughing might add a few more years to our lives.

In my search for wellness I suddenly realized that laughter might be a key to longevity.  Many of our greatest comedians have lived long and happy lives.

We recently saw Bob Newhart perform his one-man show, and he was as lively and funny as he was in his heyday during “The Bob Newhart Show” and his widely acclaimed 1960’s albums, “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart.”

Publicity photo of the cast of The Bob Newhart...

Publicity photo of the cast of The Bob Newhart Show. Standing from left: Bill Daily (Howard Borden), Marcia Wallace, (Carol Kester), Peter Bonerz (Jerry Robinson). Seated: from left: Bob Newhart (Bob Hartley), Suzanne Pleshette (Emily Hartley). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At age 84, Bob Newhart is as bright and clever as ever; his sense of timing is still impeccable, and his dry wit and stammering delivery continue to make audiences laugh. Taking great pleasure from the love he felt from our laughter, he stood grinning from ear to ear while we stood to applaud his performance.

On the car ride home, my husband and I verbally listed comedians in their eighties and nineties who are still entertaining us, and those who, like Bob Hope and George Burns, gave us a century of laughter.

Is being a comedian the road to longevity?

Consider, if you will, this extraordinary list of people who, over the years, have brought laughter into our lives:

And those who left us:

After the recent death of legendary comedian Sid Caesar, TIME Magazine considered the relationship between comedy and longevity in their article, “Why Do Comedians Live So Long?” They came to the conclusion that the great comedians who worked in front of live audiences had to keep their minds and bodies constantly toned, with less focus on stardom, and less available drugs.

Publicity photo of Sid Caesar from his televis...

Publicity photo of Sid Caesar from his television program Caesar's Hour. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The laughter they received from the audience was instant gratification. That does a funny heart good.

I wanted to find some scientific proof on the relationship between laughter and longevity. My research lead me to a recent study done by Dr. Sven Svebak of the Medical School at Norwegian University of Science and Technology who tracked 54,000 Norwegians. He found that those who found life the funniest were the ones who were more likely to live longer than those who didn’t.

Here are 3 easy ways to add instant laughter to your life:

Laughter yoga - Being with a group of like-minded people, who are laughing for better health, less stress and anxiety, may be a key toward wellness. Click here to find a class near you.

Laughter clubs - These are popping up all around the country. In the ABC News article, “People in ‘Laughter Groups” Giggle and Guffaw for Better Health” Dr. Michael Miller of The University of Maryland said that, “laughing opens up your arteries, allowing blood to flow more freely.” He and his researchers said a few hearty laughs were as good for you as jogging up to half an hour. Click here to find a laughter club near you.

Comedy shows -  There are comedy shows everywhere, from local restaurants to regional theaters to Broadway. Give yourself the gift of laughter and go see a show! It's a guaranteed good time.

To all of the comedians who have given us hours of fun and laughter, I say a sincere thank you.  You have given us a great gift, one that might add years to our lives.  That’s the best wellness program of all.

Where do you find laughter in your life?

My Day Of Zen: Being In The Audience For The Daily Show

At the risk of sounding ridiculous and terribly insincere, yesterday was one of the most memorable days in my life because I had the chance to be part of the audience for a taping of my favorite television show, The Daily Show.

The Daily Show Zen

Along with my brother and sister-in-law I spent the day in Manhattan's Hells Kitchen where the studio is located, picking up our tickets, eating a leisurely lunch and then returning to the studio.

The Daily Show Zen

Jon Stewart has always been a favorite of mine since replacing Craig Kilborn on The Daily Show, changing its direction toward seeing the hypocrisy in journalism while also finding the emotion in key topical issues.

I continue to be impressed by how bright he is.  He has to be. Whether interviewing heads of state, renowned journalists, musicians or businessmen, Stewart always holds his own while keeping the interview entertaining and whimsical.

Yesterday I was not disappointed.

The Daily Show Ze

When I walked from the lobby into the main studio, my first steps felt as if I was walking onto hallowed ground.

Sitting in the front row, it was fun watching the crew and getting warmed up by the comedian Vince August. August engaged with the audience, using his own brand of humor to get us roaring with laughter.

NOTE: I should have thought twice before he asked me what I do for a living.  When I told him I write he asked me what I write about. When I told him disability (I should have said midlife; it's funnier) he said, "Oh, good way to bring the audience down." Then I added, "but about ability", so he made a joke (I think I must have been nervous because I don't remember what he said), and then he asked the audience to give me a round of applause.

Phew.

Jon Stewart is a regular guy, only he's so much more than regular. When he first walked onto the stage, he graciously walked a few feet in front of us, asking us for any questions, telling us some funny stories, and after the show he came back to thank us for coming.

He's a real mensch.

With his guest, Nate Silver, the statistician and writer who analyzes sports and elections (think Moneyball), Jon conducted an interview that let us in on the funny side of algorithms, while allowing us to see the human side of genius.

My one regret is that I didn't have the nerve to say something I thought would be funny but complimentary.  It would have gone something like this:

"When you helped to induct Bruce Springsteen into the Kennedy Center Honors, you said Bruce must be the illegitimate child of James Brown and Bob Dylan.  I think you must be the illegitimate child of Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks."

Do you think he would have laughed?

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