A Me Grows in Brooklyn

Street Fight

Life on 83rd Street in Bensonhurst revolves around stickball games, neighborhood friendships, and the unwritten rules of the block. But when Victor—a feared kid from outside the neighborhood—arrives with a reputation for violence and a habit of shaking down the kids on the street, the easy rhythms of childhood are disrupted. As Victor's influence grows, twelve-year-old Jerry is drawn toward an unavoidable confrontation that will test his courage and change the way he sees himself. Funny, suspenseful, and deeply personal, Street Fight captures a time when a Brooklyn block could feel like an entire world—and one afternoon could feel like a lifetime.

Floaters

In this next installment of Jerry Connelly’s autobiography, he spends a summer at a cottage in the Hamptons with his family, where the days are filled with beaches, rituals, and memories of his relatives, especially his Uncle Tom. But beneath the surface of the vacation runs a darker current, one that leaves him with a memory that will stay with him for life.

Pet Cemetery

In this story, we return to 1970s Brooklyn for a funny, sharply observed portrait of family life, where the arrival of a new pet sets off a chain of domestic chaos. With warmth, wit, and vivid detail, the piece captures the unpredictable nature of childhood and the small, unforgettable moments that shape a household’s history.

Memories of My Father

Memories of My Father is a deeply personal memoir chapter about a boy’s changing understanding of his father’s pain, struggle, and strength. Beginning with a frightening homecoming after his father’s psychiatric hospitalization, the story traces the effects of alcoholism, depression, family trauma, and resilience across the years, while also capturing the small rituals and shared moments that kept the bond between father and son alive. Honest, moving, and ultimately full of love, it’s a portrait of a damaged man who fought his way back and of the son who came to understand him more fully over time.

A Me Grows in Brooklyn

A Me Grows in Brooklyn is a memoir chapter that follows a boy’s transformation from a child in Brooklyn public housing into a more confident student shaped by family, school, neighbors, and the vivid personalities around him. The story moves from the family’s leap into homeownership on 83rd Street to Catholic school, eccentric teachers,, and the unusual kindness of a next-door neighbor who becomes one of the author’s most cherished early influences. Told with humor, sharp detail, and emotional honesty, it captures the making of a young life in a changing Brooklyn.