The Diner Under the El

About the Book

  Many people think that the "baby boomers" all became successful and wealthy. Raanan Geberer´s New York-based "The Diner Under the El," however, shines the spotlight on people usually ignored in fiction. These are people who are somewhat shy, or don´t have the type of outgoing self-confidence idealized by American society, and are often made to suffer for it.

  "The Diner Under the El" takes place from 1987 to 1991, and focuses on three young Jewish men in their mid-thirties from the Pelham Parkway neighborhood of the north Bronx, N.Y.  Every week, they go to singles events, and afterward, they meet at the "diner under the el" to commiserate. Change inevitably comes to their lives.

  One loses himself in ultra-right-wing conspiracy theories and sadistic sexual fantasies; the second, a would-be rock musician, sees his paste-up job becoming rapidly obsolete; and the third finds salvation with an off-beat woman who introduces him to poetry, New Age mysticism and pop psychology, with hilarious results.

  Author Raanan Geberer describes "The Diner Under the El" as something like "Seinfeld," but with a tragi-comic twist. Enjoy!

About the Author

Raanan Geberer was born in the Bronx, N.Y., attended local schools, the State University of New York at Binghamton, and Boston University. After working for several years in management for the New York City Housing Authority, he began working in journalism in 1981, and has worked for several newspapers and magazines, although he is contemplating a career change to teaching. He also gives walking tours as a hobby, has played in several musical groups, and has participated in two archaeological digs in Israel. He has lived, at various times, in the Bronx, San Francisco, Manhattan, Indianapolis, Brooklyn, and is now back in Manhattan, where he lives with his wife, the former Rhea Lewin. His main interests are rock and jazz music, politics, religion, and local history.