Who says Print is Dead? Not These Clifton Storytellers.

Sports historian Jack DeVries wrote Indians Baseball: 100 Years of Memories and is shopping a book about the Doherty Silk Sox.

We’re not the only Clifton storytellers in town. In fact, we have connected with many raconteurs over the years. Here’s what a few of them are up to as we celebrate National Library Week, and The Printed Word.

Ralph Greco Jr. and fellow Cliftonite Joe Swarctz, who both attended CHS in the late 70’s, have teamed up and released 15 titles over five years in a children’s book series.

The duo behind the recently released Who Turned Out The Lights? put forth their first YA graphic novel in their series Echo City Capers. Published by the Canadian-based Grandfalloon, the 66-page “Lights” is an homage to the ‘66 Batman’ series as much as it is a silly ‘who-done-what.’ Who Turned Out The Lights? and the rest of the Echo City Capers titles can be found at echocitycapers.com.

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Contributing Writers

Ariana Puzzo, Joe Hawrylko, Irene Jarosewich, Tom Szieber, Jay Levin, Michael C. Gabriele, Jack DeVries, Patricia Alex

Editor & Publisher Tom Hawrylko, Sr.

Art Director Ken Peterson

Associate Editor & Social Media Mgr. Ariana Puzzo

Business Mgr.

Longtime Clifton Merchant writer Jack DeVries grew up in Lakeview with the likes of Dan Raymond, Paul Nydam, Gary Alu, and Boris Moczula.

DeVries is the first one to admit that he thought the stories about the Silk Sox — who played behind the old Doherty Silk Mill on Main Avenue — were false. “Danny would tell us that his grandfather Bibbs Raymond played with the Silk Sox against Babe Ruth and the Yankees,” said DeVries. “We never believed him.”

True they were. DeVries has written about the team’s history in his forthcoming book, The Doherty Silk Sox. “Not only did they play exhibitions with major league teams,” said DeVries, “they faced great Negro League clubs and dominated white independent squads.”

The Doherty Silk Sox is now being shopped to literary agents and publishers. The book examines how the team and the area coped with World War I, the Spanish Flu, and Prohibition. DeVries is also the author of Indians Baseball: One Hundred Years of Memories, the team’s official history.

Michael Gabriele also enjoys writing about history. The Clifton author will present his latest book, Colonial Taverns of New Jersey – Libations, Liberty and Revolution, on May 12 from 7-9 pm at the Nutley Museum, 65 Church St.

Gabriele’s book explores how New Jersey had myriad colonial taverns — an estimated 400 along well-traveled routes due to the demand for carriage travel between New York and Philadelphia. The book also unearths the longlost heroic tales of New Jersey from the 1600s and 1700s.

The release marks Gabriele’s fifth book focused on New Jersey history, all published by Arcadia Publishing/The History Press. A lifelong Garden State resident, he graduated in 1975 from MSU and has worked as a journalist, freelance writer, and author for more than 40 years.

Clifton Merchant has also spotlighted authors who are committed to sharing their passion with younger generations. One was David White, who in 2007 was an English teacher at Christopher Columbus Middle School. He is now a Humanities Supervisor at CHS.

We first met White when he published his first crime novel, When One Man Dies. The novel introduced the five-part, critically acclaimed Jackson Donne series. Learn more about White’s books at davewhitebooks.com.

White grew up in Clifton, attending School 3 and CCMS before graduating CHS in 1997. He was a Marching Mustang and always had a creative streak. “I wanted to write about a younger private detective,” said White in 2007. “Most of them are in their forties, so I wanted to take that P.I. genre and try to make the guy younger.”

Camille Gomera-Tavarez’s appreciation for her hometown is rooted in its diversity and ability to prepare her for life as an adult. Now, she’s using these skills and lessons as a published author.

The CHS 2015 grad’s debut book, High Spirits, published in April, 2022. The 11 short stories offer slice-of-life insights into multiple members of the fictional Belén family. The Dominican family is scattered throughout Santo Domingo, Paterson, San Juan, and Washington Heights. The book draws focus to mental health, machismo, diasporic identity, family relations, and coming-of-age themes.

As for longtime journalist Philip Read, he’s done it all — he found a way to bring Clifton history to the forefront whilst unifying generations of readers. In June of 2021, we noted the 20th anniversary of his definitive pictorial history “Clifton”, published by Arcadia. Released in 2001, it remains a treat for new arrivals in what during the 1950s was New Jersey’s fastest-growing city.

Read (CHS 1973) is now the founder of 27587 Magazine in Wake Forest, NC. He began his career at the Paterson News, then 13 years at The Star-Ledger and 10 as a Business Editor at The Record before moving south.