White Dog Cafe - Storytelling - American Leftist’s Cold War Odyssey

Born in New York as Stephen Wechsler, Victor Grossman graduated from Harvard University in 1949, where he continued his youthful involvement in left-wing causes. Serving in the US Army in West Germany in 1952 and fearful of prosecution for his communist sympathies, he swam across the Danube River to build a new life in East Germany under the name of Victor Grossman. In his candid memoir, Crossing the River: A Memoir of the American Left, the Cold War, and Life in East Germany, Grossman, who lives in Berlin, offers a heartfelt account of his own extraordinary journey within the historical context of East Germany’s ‘socialist experiment’ & the Cold War. This is one of very few autobiographies of communist activist of 1940s generations.

Storytelling night provides the opportunity to hear the life stories of a variety of peoples and gives voice to underrepresented groups such as ex-offenders, senior citizens, gays, youth, immigrants and homeless people. They also provide a forum to exchange perspectives at a personal level on experiences such as war, civil rights marches, parenting issues, and illness.

Optional à la carte dinner at 6pm is followed by storytelling at 7:30pm. Reservations recommended (215) 386-9224. Open seating at bar for drinks, snacks or desserts. Singles welcome at group tables.