Books published by publisher Cypress House

When Jay Frankston was a child, Christmas felt like a big party he wasn’t invited to. Jay is Jewish, and Christmas was everyone else’s holiday. Jay felt left out: Santa came down his chimney only in dreams, so when Jay grew up and had a family of his own, he decided to give his children what he had longed for. He bought a Christmas tree, loaded it with lights and tinsel—and topped it with a Star of David! He played Santa for his kids for three years, wearing a rubberized mask and a Santa suit his wife made for him. Yet something was still missing: Jay offered his services to orphanages and children’s hospitals, but they turned him down. Then he was given access to some of the thousands of letters written to Santa Claus by kids, letters that languished on the post office floor every year. This one called out to him:Dear Santa, I hope you get my letter. I am eleven years old. I have two brothers and a baby sister. Our father died last year, and our mother is sick. I know there are many kids poorer than we are. I want nothing for myself, but could you send us a blanket to keep Mommy warm at night? SusyJay found eight more letters like Susy’s, and sent the kids a telegram:: GOT YOUR LETTER. WILL BE AT YOUR HOUSE ON CHRISTMAS DAY. SANTA. Then he went out and spent $150 on gifts. On Christmas he dressed in his Santa costume, and his wife, Monique, drove him to each of the nine destinations. Eventually, some toy manufacturers heard about what Jay was doing; they gave him lots of goodies, and before long he was Santa Claus to 120 youngsters every Christmas.Jay recalls a seven-year-old girl who was visiting a home where he was distributing gifts. She hung back in a corner, and when Jay asked her if she’d ever received anything for Christmas, she said sadly, “No.” When he offered her a doll, she whispered to him, “I’m Jewish.”“I’m Jewish too,” he whispered back, handing her the doll.

Dancing Naked...in Fuzzy Red Slippers isn't about life, but about living life. You'll visit Tobago on a warm summer evening, and Venice at twilight. It isn't a travel book in the usual sense, but does explore interesting landscapes of the mind and heart. It tells of dancing naked in the morning and being late for work. It addresses divorce and the accompanying sorrows and joys. It talks of a homeless woman named Joan and the death of a basset hound named Rufus. It speaks of a near-love experience, and gives instructions on what to do with an extra half-hour you find lying on the ground.

Dancing Naked...in Fuzzy Red Slippers isn't about life, but about living life. You'll visit Tobago on a warm summer evening, and Venice at twilight. It isn't a travel book in the usual sense, but does explore interesting landscapes of the mind and heart. It tells of dancing naked in the morning and being late for work. It addresses divorce and the accompanying sorrows and joys. It talks of a homeless woman named Joan and the death of a basset hound named Rufus. It speaks of a near-love experience, and gives instructions on what to do with an extra half-hour you find lying on the ground.

We think of heroes as extraordinary people in remarkable situations, like the firefighter who rescues the tenants from a burning building, the pilot who lands a disabled plane and saves the passengers, and the taxi driver who speeds a pregnant woman to the hospital just in time for her baby's birth. These people are certainly heroes, but there's another kind of hero, one that's rarely mentioned in the news or on the Internetthe quiet hero. All heroes share similar qualities: bravery in the face of hardship, and sacrifice for the benefit of others. Quiet heroes devote themselves to improving people's lives, often without recognition, and we depend on them just as much as we do on those who risk everything for us. What both have in common is that they ask: "What can I do to make life better?" One such hero is Charles W. Denko, biochemist, physician, researcher, husband, and father. Charles was born in poverty, and at age one was stricken with polio, which left him with a severely crippled leg. These circumstances shaped him, but couldn't keep him from becoming a respected scientist. Brilliant and caring, Charles led a life of service to his scientific field, his community, his family, and to everyone he chanced to meet. There are lessons for all of us in this story of a quiet hero who followed the best of his own advice: "Work at something importantand love it!" (Includes some photos of Charles Denko and family, courtesy of Denko Family archives.)