Mahogany Jim and the Nightcrawlers and Other Tales

From the dank cafeteria of PS 28 in the Bronx to the sun-drenched crest of St. Regis Mountain in the Adirondacks, Ralph Maltese's memoir captures the joys and struggles of growing up in the 1950s and 60s. Added to the typical experiences of a baby boomer immersed in the post-war years, then caught up in the turmoil of the Age of Aquarius, are the particular pleasures…and sometimes challenges…of Ralph's extended Italian-American family. Readers will meet Jim and Lee, Ralph's parents and the foundation of his universe, along with his pesky little brother Jimmy and his revered older brother Raymond. Then there is Uncle Louie, the opera singing uncle who always makes Ralph smile; fastidious Cousin Ralph, who invites his relatives out on his boat and gets more than he bargained for; Bob Jones, Jim's hunting and fishing buddy, who becomes both a mentor and a nemesis to Ralph…and many more unforgettable characters.

From the dank cafeteria of PS 28 in the Bronx to the sun-drenched crest of St. Regis Mountain in the Adirondacks, Ralph Maltese's memoir captures the joys and struggles of growing up in the 1950s and 60s. Added to the typical experiences of a baby boomer immersed in the post-war years, then caught up in the turmoil of the Age of Aquarius, are the particular pleasures…and sometimes challenges…of Ralph's extended Italian-American family. Readers will meet Jim and Lee, Ralph's parents and the foundation of his universe, along with his pesky little brother Jimmy and his revered older brother Raymond. Then there is Uncle Louie, the opera singing uncle who always makes Ralph smile; fastidious Cousin Ralph, who invites his relatives out on his boat and gets more than he bargained for; Bob Jones, Jim's hunting and fishing buddy, who becomes both a mentor and a nemesis to Ralph…and many more unforgettable characters.

Autobiographical Information Ralph Maltese was born in 1946, a propitious time for experiencing postwar euphoria, Cold War angst, civil rights protests and progress, the Viet Nam war and anti-war activism, the rise of feminism, and of course, the Beatles. In short, Ralph's life represents and reflects the turmoil of a critical time in history, and his writing makes that time come alive. He was born in the Bronx, where he lived until the age of 11. He reveled in the closeness of a family living in an apartment with relatives upstairs and endured the challenges of attending a crowded, woefully underfunded public school where no one had ever heard of "anti-bullying." When Ralph was about to begin sixth grade, the family moved to the wilds of New Jersey, where Ralph discovered friendly neighborhood kids and a school with supportive, caring teachers. Throughout his childhood ups and downs, right through the typical confusion of his teenage years, the one constant in his life was "the woods," the Catskill and Adirondack magic that could make his worries disappear. Ralph left home to attend Villanova University and then ventured west to graduate school at Indiana University, where he met his wife Polley. But even as he raised his four children in suburban Philadelphia, he remained faithful to the restorative spirit of nature. Ralph taught English for 38 years in the Abington School District. In 2002 he earned Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year status; trips to the White House as well as to Space Camp were highlights of his recognition, but the most significant benefit was the opportunity to meet dedicated teachers from around the country and the world and to spread the "gospel" of quality teaching. He is the author of two books about the art of teaching, A Class Act and Project Based Learning: 25 Projects for 21st Century Learning. Now retired, the proud grandfather of four, Ralph remains devoted to his family, education, Villanova basketball and fly fishing; and he never misses an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. A lifelong reader and writer, Ralph has distilled his childhood and adolescence into a memoir, with his dad Mahogany Jim at the core of many adventures and many lessons. These stories are not always happy-go-lucky, carefree tales…but they are true and meaningful and ultimately profound.