Michael Olesker

Front Stoops in the Fifties tells the story of some of Baltimore's most famous icons from the "decade of conformity," including Jerry Leiber, Nancy Pelosi, Thurgood Marshall, and Barry Levinson. Michael Olesker marks the end of the Fifties with the assassination of President Kennedy. Focusing on the period leading up to this major turning point in U.S. history, he looks to the individuals living through this period, Baltimoreans who would later come to prominence in the Sixties. Michael Olesker was a columnist for the Baltimore Sun for 25 years. He is the author of five previous books, including Michael Olesker's Baltimore: If You Live Here, You're Home; Journeys to the Heart of Baltimore; and The Colts' Baltimore: A City and Its Love Affair in the 1950s.Presented in partnership with Johns Hopkins University Press. Recorded On: Monday, October 21, 2013