The “Underdogs”

Despite our accumulation of black eyes, Philly has never been short on talent. And I’m not talking about boxing greats (though we surely have those). I’m talking about a list of exceptional human beings Philadelphia’s produced, across disciplines, as far back as the birth of the country itself. Oh, I could list names. But I’d rather talk about our spirit. You see, our “problem” has never been lacking ambition, innovation, or brilliance. It’s that we’ve lived like middle children in the shadows of our big-man-on-campus-over-achieving-sibling, New York City.

There’s an entrepreneurialism, anything’s-possible vibe in Philadelphia that has transcended generations, and believe it or not, precedes Rocky Balboa personifying the iconic Philly underdog. It’s steeped in the cobblestones of Elfreth’s Alley, walked upon quite literally by global gamechangers. Okay, okay, so we can’t have this conversation without at least one mention of Ben Franklin. And he’s just one, albeit a heavyweight, among thousands of renaissance men and woman, innovators and inventors, pioneers and patrons, artisans and artists, icons and idols, speakers and songsters who have and still traverse those same stones.

So, what about the hundreds of unknowns? The quiet talents easily glossed over in the scrolling credits of, say, Abbott Elementary, or Philly’s even bigger picture: its ever-producing, world-class in some cases, artistic community. There’s just so much authentic talent in this city of neighborhoods. For that matter, I believe the country’s license to create was born right here, in Philadelphia. And like other genes passed down, it’s still present in our DNA, connecting all of us regardless of ethnicity. That right there is the real brotherhood of Philly.

Law of Attraction

Around last September when my first novella, Lying Down with Dogs, was released by The Awakened Press, the Law of Attraction brought many other local authors into my orbit. Some, coincidentally, were already my friends and simultaneously writing or publishing their books unbeknownst to me . . . like my former colleague and career writer, local historian and Philly tour guide, Jim Murphy, for one. Jim’s non-fiction, Real Philly History, REAL Fast was published by Temple University Press in 2021.

Through an array of topics and characters from my own “Valerie” who sidelines at an iconic and sexy Philly restaurant where money, power and celebrity transition her from naivete, to non-fiction historic Philadelphia visionaries featured in Jim’s book, to imagined lovers from the streets of my childhood neighborhood ensnared in a hunt for a priceless painting (more on this shortly), to a Jewish grandmother taking yoga created by Temple University professor, Dr. Lisa Grunberger, these engaging stories were being crafted, personified and delightfully detailed in the pages of books that could very well be missed by many, depriving countless readers of solid entertainment and insights.

One of those authors is my good friend, Michael Caudo, who penned and published two compelling and extremely well written thrillers, Return of the Prodigal and Revenge of the Prodigal centered on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist in 1990.

Creativity: Invention’s Other Mother

One morning not too long ago, I woke up thinking there must be an interesting way to gather some of these talented writers in a public forum where book aficionados, avid readers and want-to-be writers can learn about the writing process, publishing tips, etc. So, I called Mike. We met for a cup of coffee (where else but Passyunk Avenue) to brainstorm about how we could create a stage, so to speak, to highlight Philly’s literary scene and some of these contagious local books. Our collaboration was aligned and quick-thinking —no surprise there, having grown up one block from each other and sharing a social orientation— and within a half hour, Mike and I conceptualized Book2Stage. The gestalt is always greater than its parts; Mike’s light bulb was to have excerpts from the books enacted on stage by local actors for wider appeal and entertainment value.

And in relatively no time at all, other Philly talents you may know like author of Finding Polaris, transformational coach, and podcast host of Iron Advocate Mindset—Bob Levant, actors Freddie Ganno, Gene Foschini, Michelle Marchiano, Jana Rose, Anthony Battallio and Carmine Yusko, and sound and lighting techs coalesced with Mike and me for this exciting premier production that brings, well,  books to stage . . . in a unique and audience-engaging format. Another Philly first.

Please click here to learn more about the show, and I hope you’ll join us at the premier of Book2Stage:

Wednesday & Thursday
June 7-8-2023
Theatre Exile
1340 S. 13^th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147