TheOutsidersmeetsThisBoy’sLife,inthiscoming-of-agememoiraboutgrowingupintheBronxduringthe1960samongracialtension,streetviolence,andtroubleathome.Growingupinthe1960sinatroubledBronxneighborhood,thestoopoutsidetheapartmentwasagatheringplace,asafehaven,andawindowtotheworldbeyondhome.ThissmallpieceofgraniterealestateholdsmemoriesforallNewYorkersandtellsastoryfromdecadesgone.Withinthesepages,you’llseelifefromanewperspective--throughtheeyesofayoungboy--straightfromhisBronxstoop.StoriesfromtheStoopfeaturessevenunforgettabletrue-lifeadventures;storiestoldwithhumor,grit,andcandorthatwillfillyouwithhopeandremindyouthatweareallinthistogether.Theauthoraskshimself:HowcanIovercometheviolenceonthestreets?WillIeverbreakthechainsofbeingbornintomycursedandchaoticfamily?AmIalwaysgoingtobeanoutsider?ItwasSteveBernstein’sfortuitousandprofoundfriendships--manyofwhichcrossedboundariesofrace,gender,andreligion--thatenabledhimtonavigatethesetumultuousquestionsanddevelopahopefulperspectiveonlife.Withouthisdog,Wolf,Stevewouldnothavesurvivedthewrathofastreetgang.OnthedayMartinLutherKing,Jr.waskilled,itwasAnthonywhorecognizedhowdangerousitwasforSteve(theonlywhitekidonthebasketballcourtthatAprilevening)tobeoutshootinghoops.AnepicbiketripwithJoebreathedlifeintoSteve’sdreamtobefree,alifelongfriendshipthatonly9/11couldextinguish.StoriesfromtheStoopisatriumphantandtendercomingofagejourneythatwillcaptureyourheartandfeedyoursoul.Steve’svoice,spareandstreetsmart,resonatesacrossageandethnicity,toofferthepossibilitythatlifecircumstancesneednotpredictdestiny.Allyouhavetodoisfindenoughcourage,compassionandchutzpahtowinout.
