Articles

Recently Published Magazine Articles

(reprinted with kind permission)

Three Slovak Women Samples

Chapter 8 (PDF 57kb)
Audio interview sample (MP3 3.1MB)
Transcript of audio interview (PDF 2419kb)

Reviews

Three Slovak Women (PDF 313kb)
"Literary Inspiration: Lisa A. Alzo" Ithaca Journal, Saturday March 15th 2008 (PDF 406kb)

Published Books

Sports Memories of Western Pennsylvania (Arcadia Publishing, August 2007)

Since the late 1800s, sports have played a key role in shaping the very character of western Pennsylvania. The area's largest city, Pittsburgh, boasts well-known professional sports teams in baseball, football, and hockey. In fact, no other city of comparable size has had such success in sports at the professional level, earning bragging rights and the nickname “City of Champions.” Sports Memories of Western Pennsylvania is a salute to the athletes, coaches, announcers, and fans, both professional and amateur, who together created a rich sports history for western Pennsylvania.

ISBN: 073855037X
# of Pages: 128
Retail Price: $19.99
e-Book: The Desperate Genealogist's Idea Book: Creative Ways to Outsmart Your Elusive Ancestors
Slovak Pittsburgh (Arcadia Publishing, December 2006)

No other city in the United States is home to more Slovaks than Pittsburgh. It is estimated that close to 100,000 Slovak immigrants came to the area in the 1890s looking for work and the chance for a better life. The hills and valleys of this new land reminded newcomers of the farms, forests, and mountains they left behind. They lived in neighborhoods close to their work, forming numerous cluster communities in such places as Braddock, Duquesne, Homestead, Munhall, the North Side, Rankin, and Swissvale. Once settled, Slovak immigrants founded their own churches, schools, fraternal benefit societies, and social clubs. Many of these organizations still enjoy an active presence in Pittsburgh today, serving to pass on the customs and traditions of the Slovak people. Through nearly 200 photographs, Slovak Pittsburgh celebrates the lives of those Slovaks who settled in Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania, and the rich heritage that is their legacy.

ISBN: 0738549088
# of Pages: 128
Retail Price: $19.99

Pittsburgh's Immigrants (Arcadia Publishing, May 2006)
Since the mid-1700s, Pittsburgh has welcomed generations of immigrants. This region in southwestern Pennsylvania was once a magnet for European immigrants who carved out livings in steel, iron, glass, and other factories along its famous three rivers. Those immigrants built the city's ethnic neighborhoods: the Irish North Side, the Polish South Side, the Italian Bloomfield, as well as other immigrant enclaves in smaller cities and towns in the surrounding areas. The diversity of Pittsburgh's neighborhoods symbolizes a city truly rich in history and culture. Many notable Pittsburghers in business, the arts and entertainment, and sports were either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants. Pittsburgh's Immigrants pays tribute to the hardworking men and women who made significant contributions to the growth and development of western Pennsylvania and left a legacy of rich and vibrant ethnic culture that endures to the present day.
 
Three Slovak Women (Gateway Press, 2001)  

Order an autographed copy
$26.00
Three Slovak Women is a nonfiction account of three generations of Slovak women in the steel-producing town of Duquesne , Pennsylvania and the love and sense of family binding them together. The book opens with Verona Straka, who immigrated to the United States from the tiny village of Milpos , Slovakia in 1922. The first section unfolds with Verona 's journey from her homeland, and then chronicles her arranged marriage to János Figlyar, a hardworking, but stern coal miner/steelworker, whose fondness for alcohol led him to the often violent outbursts of which she was the target. The story then follows Verona 's first-born, her daughter Anna, as she grows up as a first-generation American, fearful of her father and devoted to her mother, and how this influenced the choices she made for her own life. Finally, the book concludes with Verona 's granddaughter, Lisa, showing how the opportunities presented to her differed from those afforded her mother and grandmother, with reflection on family values and traditions of the Slovak culture-honoring those that have been passed down from the previous two generations, while lamenting what has been lost.
Baba's Kitchen: Slovak & Rusyn Family Recipes and Traditions (Gateway Press, 2005)

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$20.00

Some of my fondest memories from childhood are the times spent in my Baba' s kitchen. The aromas of fresh bread baking in the oven and chicken soup simmering on the stove, the blending together of voices young and old, and my grandmother in her apron and babushka, provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere for her family.

The kitchen served as the center of the home and as the place where some of life's most important lessons were taught and learned. Simple principles of generosity, honesty and love. It was also in this kitchen I learned to eat the foods and celebrate the traditions that were central to my Slovak and Rusyn heritage. Paska bread at Easter, Bobalky at Christmas and Halushki every Friday night.

Baba's Kitchen is a collection of recipes and traditions passed down through the generations in my family. I share them as a tribute to my grandmothers and to Rusyn and Slovak women everywhere who continue to preserve and share their cooking, rituals and traditions.
Finding Your Slovak Ancestors (Heritage Productions, 2005)

A vast number of Slovaks settled in North America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, countless numbers of descendants of these early Slovak immigrants are searching for their Slovak roots.

This book lists both traditional and online resources necessary for researching Slovak ancestors, and shows how to document and preserve your findings for future generations.

© 2007 Lisa Alzo All Rights Reserved