Philly Tales

I was a bit stunned, but both of us were okay. The car, however, was not. We pushed the car to the side and decided to hitch a ride. You have to understand, we had been on the road for three days with no bath, were unshaven, and dressed in our Air Force winter fatigue jackets

I was dumbstruck and couldn’t speak. My mom walked over to me and said, “Didn’t you hear me?” She felt my head like she always did when trying to determine if I had a fever.

In 1951, we lived in a small row home on Wishart Street in the section of Philadelphia known as Kensington.

I read somewhere that the most desired toy for Christmas was the $1,000 iPhone 11. I say toy because it is kids that wanted it. Electronic game con...

I've started a collection (digital) of what might be cool Philly oriented products and also books about Philadelphia and especially Kensington. ...

My first memory was when I was just three or four years old. It was when the family got a puppy. Her name was Bonnie, and she was a funny little re...

One cannot fully comprehend how the synapses of the human brain work, but the result is often magical. It certainly was for me on this day.

One Thanksgiving I will never forget! My grandmother and mother were both great cooks. Year after year the made the best holiday dinners. One Thank...

Li'l Abner comic strip had a mystical creature called a Schmoo. He got pretty famous and they began to sell Schmoo toys. I got one for Christmas w...

My mom used to burn a Bayberry candle on Christmas Eve. It was supposed to bring you good luck if it burned all night. One year my grandfather put ...

I just returned from a fantastic journey, a journey so far away. I can’t explain it in terms of miles or kilometers. It was strange, very strange, but also exciting and so enjoyable.

(A fictitious account of Gerry Amato, the main character in Mercy Row Retribution based on author Harry Hallman's experiences) My first recollectio...