Truly a roller coaster of emotions,
Dark Streets, Bright Lights is sure to move anyone
who has embraced the pain of a
fellow human being.
The first vacation Frank and Steve enjoyed together was on the island of Puerto Rico during the summer of 1987. Completely imbued by this respite of tropical beauty, they returned a year later with the same expectation. That did not happen. Instead, they placed their feet upon the road of an unexpected journey which continued, without interruption, for the better part of the next thirteen years.
The charisma of the Caribbean became obscured when the utterances and urgings of their hearts began to speak louder and with increasing urgency as they came face to face with the struggles and sufferings of others with whom they became acquainted.
In this true story, F. L. Richards and Steve Brunner recount their experiences amid a group that consisted of hustlers, homeless and hopefuls who, from different perspectives, revealed what it meant to survive in a place which, ironically, is referred to as Isla Del Encanto, Enchanted Island.
With candid description and vivid imagery, the authors share recollections of twelve men and women who touched them in ways they never thought possible and profoundly affected their perceptions about life.
About the Authors: F.L. Richards was raised and educated in New York. He earned undergraduate, graduate and post graduate degrees from Queens College, Hunter College and Pace University respectively. During his twenty eight years as an educator, he taught English at the junior high school level then went on to become assistant principal and principal of an elementary school.
He is the father of two sons, one daughter and has been blessed with three granddaughters. His passions are writing and teaching. He has found a way to combine them by offering courses in creative expression to seniors in his home community.
Steve Brunner was also raised and educated in New York. Both undergraduate and graduate degrees were earned by him at Hunter College. He taught various grades at the elementary level and during the last nine of a thirty-two year career, he provided art instruction to all grade levels.
He is the father of two sons, one daughter and the proud grandfather of a granddaughter and step-grandson. His interests include reading, gardening, theater and opera. He is also an avid supporter of animal rights.
Frank and Steve have been life partners for almost twenty four years and currently live in Florida. Their journey together has been guided by a simple principle: “It is not important who you love but that you love … unconditionally.”