Southside Kid: Chicago

by L. Curt Erler

Welcome to Chicago's Southside L. Curt Erler comes from a large, hardworking family and in his autobiography, Southside Kid; he pays homage to strong family values, a simpler time at the tail end of WWII. The author recalls his childhood growing up on Chicago's Southside. The family gathering around Mom's Philco radio listening to Glenn Miller and Frankie Laine. There's dancing and drag racing on the East Side. It's all here, baseball, movie matinees at the Avalon Theater, young love and Friday night dances with the St. Felicitas kids. Moving into the mid-50's you'll find yourself surrounded by Rock and Roll and the sounds of Chicago's jazz joints. Music always played a big part in "The Kid's" life, and he provides an unparalleled written soundtrack that is bound to provoke happy memories. Southside Kid's narrator is the only non-Catholic attending a Catholic school. Young Curt was fortunate and clever enough to make the best of this rather trying opportunity. He tells of his Yankee adventures in the South and a few altercations on Chicago's Southside streets. This book is a wonderful and wildly fun journey down a memory lane filled with laughter and high jinks that leaves its reader with a sense of longing. Everyone should have a childhood that is this much fun and a life that is this rich. In fact, for L. Curt Erler it isn't a life, it is a celebration and it is what makes this memoir alternately so touching and so hilarious.

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2006

About the author

L. Curt Erler was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. His childhood was spent with a loving family of seven siblings and a caring mother and father. Curt and his wife Kathleen have been married forty-eight years. They have three daughters and four grandchildren. The Erlers have been residents of San Diego County since 1976. As an adventurer and business executive, he has traveled extensively. Curt has had a career in Marketing Management with two major corporations plus a marketing entity of his own and is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army. Curt's interests include; record collecting - gourmet cooking - writing fiction, poetry and musical lyrics. Curt is an avid baseball fan. As of this writing Curt has had three titles published; "Southside Kid" ~ ISBN 1-4196-4352-5 "Mantilla Lady Visits Baseball's Purgatory" ~ ISBN 978-1-4196-9540-7 "Heaven Bound In The Dead Of Winter" ~ ISBN 1-432-4473-1
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Reviews

[fran teller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

The setting for the book was the same neighborhood my husband grew up in. He loved all the references . Many great memories .

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A visit back in time when the world was a very different place. It's a fascinating read straight from the southside of Chicago. Curt Erler shares his story of hard working family life,friendship,love,faith,baseball,romance,the world at war,cars and the era that gave us Rock'n'Roll. A beautiful and touching read and one that I like to re-visit.

[Southside Kid · Rating 5 out of 5]

See it here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up on the Southside of Chicago so many of the things mentioned were familiar.