Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps [Paperback]

Michael Vitez (Author), Tom Gralish (Photographer), Sylvester Stallone (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 14, 2006

"Two extraordinarily talented journalists, Michael Vitez and Tom Gralish, have captured this uniquely American phenomenon with whimsy, poignancy, and utter charm." --John Grogan, author of Marley & Me
 
Pulitzer Prize-winners Michael Vitez and Tom Gralish of the Philadelphia Inquirer spent a year visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art to capture the stories of "Rocky runners," who come from all over the world to run up America's most famous steps--just as Sylvester Stallone did in Rocky. People make the pilgrimage to mark a new beginning, to seek inspiration, to celebrate an accomplishment, to find the perfect backdrop for romance, or simply because they love the movie. As one runner says, "It gives you the feeling that anything is possible."
 
The authors have uncovered an enduring cultural phenomenon, one that centers on Philadelphia, and yet, as Michael Vitez writes in his introduction, is a true American, and even international, rite of passage.
 
The book includes fifty-two profiles and one hundred color photographs, together with a foreword by Sylvester Stallone, and interviews with Rocky’s Academy Award-winning director John G. Avildsen, composer Bill Conti, and cameraman Garrett Brown.
 
In his foreword, Sylvester Stallone sums up his thoughts on the phenomenon: "You can’t borrow Superman's cape. You can't use the Jedi laser sword. But the steps are there. The steps are accessible. And standing up there, you kind of have a piece of the Rocky pie."
 
* * * * * * * * * * 
 
Praise for Rocky Stories:
 
"[C]harming photo essay of people who retraced Rocky's steps and felt their own exhilaration doing it."--San Francisco Chronicle

"The extent to which the Rocky myth--that of the perennial loser who proves he's 'not just another bum from the neighborhood'--has resonated is documented in this winning book."--Sports Illustrated

"I've only skimmed it, and already I'm in love with the book Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps. (It had me at the title.)...It may sound like a movie tie-in, but it's not. It's just a fascinating testament to how the words 'Rocky' and 'underdog' are still interchangeable 30 years after the film's release."--Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch column

"Rocky Stories captures the sprawling complexity of life. It's a delight." --Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down and Guests of the Ayatollah
 
"A book that is an absolute joy and an absolute blast and quintessentially American in its hopes and dreams and sweetness." --Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights and A Prayer for the City
 
"The Rocky steps have become a special place for tourists and Philadelphians alike. Virtually everyone who lives here or comes here wants to say that they ran up the Rocky steps and saw the incredible view down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. When I was Mayor, the city planned 24 hours of millennium celebrations, one each hour. Of course we had to kick it off at the Rocky steps and we did so with 2,000 people all dressed like Rocky running up the steps at the same time. It was awesome." --Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell 
  
* * * * * * * * * *
 
A sampling of the people profiled in Rocky Stories:
 

• Dave Checketts, former president of the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden
• Philip Baldino, five-year-old from South Philly
• Flavor Flav, hip-hop legend and reality TV star
• Marika Forras, an Australian woman who visited every baseball stadium in America (as her summer vacation)
• Catherine Andersen, TV news reporter from Colorado
• Joe Somerville, rugby player and lawyer for Wheel of Fortune (Vanna was there, but didn't run!)
• Michael Sessions, an Air Force pilot from Austin who proposes to his girlfriend at the Steps
• Ojon Bogorquez, professional road-bike champion from Mexico
• Sarah Nesmith, breast cancer survivor from Philadelphia
• Michele Chevlier, high-school girls’ basketball coach from California
• Jesse Galle, Temple University student and heart-transplant survivor
• Josh Blackway, punk-rock guitarist 

* * * * * * * * * *

Rocky Balboa, the sixth film in the series, is scheduled for a December 22 release.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Vitez has been a staff writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer for 20 years. In 1997, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism for his series chronicling the lives of five people as they approached the end of life. He has taught writing and journalism at the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. Tom Gralish has been at the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1983, working as both an editor and photographer. In 1986, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for his photo essay on the homeless. Since 1998, he has published a weekly photo column in which he documents everyday life in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Paul Dry Books; 1st Paul Dry Books Ed edition (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589880293
• ISBN-13: 978-1589880290
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read about a curious phenomenon, November 28, 2006

By 

Bill (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps (Paperback)

I grew up in Philadelphia and always knew that people ran up the art museum steps imitating Rocky Balboa. I saw people do it so often that I never thought much about how unique and surprising it really is. After hearing about Rocky Stories, I ordered a copy and am really impressed. The authors have compiled the most interesting personal stories from their year on the steps. The profiles are funny and moving, and the photos really capture the mood of the runners and the atmosphere on the steps. No matter what you think about the Rocky movies, it's cool that people still come to the steps and that the spirit of the movie still moves them. How many other movies, especially 30 year old ones, could you say that about? Overall a fun, quirky read about a curious phenomenon.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yo! Buy this book!, December 29, 2006

By 

Mimajeto - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps (Paperback)

You want to run up the Rocky steps, you know you do. In fact, if you've have ever had the chance, you probably already have. Nobody comes to Philadelphia without jogging to the top of the Art Museum steps, twirling around, and triumphantly pumping their fists in the air. If you've seen the movie, and ever been in Philly, you've climbed the steps. I'd bet a cheesesteak on it. If you haven't been fortunate enough to star in your own reenactment of this classic cinematic scene, this book is the next best thing. It's full of great stories and photographs of people fulfilling their dream of following in Rocky Balboa's footsteps, which, for each and every one of them, commemorates some unique goal, achievement, or special moment. It's a terrific book about humanity. Buy one for yourself and one for someone else - it's a great gift. Enjoy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Philly Publicity for once!, December 31, 2006

By 

B. Klein "philly fan" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps (Paperback)

I have always loved the Rocky Movies even though some people think they insult our intelligence. It is more than just a movie it is an inspiration and after reading this book it makes me proud to be a Philadelphian even though Philly gets a bad rap. I have ran up those steps many times and I think that Rocky has put Philly on the map in a good way. Something we need badly here. The photos are wonderful, so inspirational and the stories are so heartful. Read this book! You won't regret it.