Newton Alderman David Kalis has an absolutely amazing story to tell and he’s about to tell it to everyone.
I first heard about this a year ago. I bumped into Alderman Kalis at Newton North High School where we were both working with students who were helping us both with web sites we were working on. He told me that he was writing a memoir about the two and a half years he spent living in Russia, just after he graduated from college. My first impression was “oh a personal memoir with some travel stories” and then he started telling me the details.
Just after graduating from Tufts, he decided to travel to Europe. He headed for a month long trip to Leningrad. On a whim he decided to head to Moscow just in time to land smack in the middle of the unraveling of the entire Soviet Union. Once there, he took his camera and waded into the middle of it all posing as a photo-journalist. As Moscow began to unravel he ended up in the center of it all standing on top of a tank in Red Square, snapping photos in the midst of the unfolding chaos.
Rather than a few weeks abroad, he got sucked into the historic drama and stayed for two and half years. Much of the plot sounds like a Graham Greene novel – run in’s with the Soviet Mafia, run-ins with the Soviet Army, traveling to remote villages in the middle of nowhere.
Check out this excerpt to start to get the flavor of it all. Aside from the story, he came home with an archive of amazing photos since he was “working” as a fictional photo-journalist. Here’s a video montage that also includes an original song written by Mr. Kalis.
The release of his book couldn’t come at a better time. With Putin, Ukraine, Crimea and the just-finished Olympics all over the news in recent weeks, it’s clear that Dave Kalis’s book is telling the first chapter of a story that’s still unfolding today.
The next time I see the mild mannered Mr Kalis sitting in the Aldermanic Chambers taking up arcane details of the city budget, I’ll have a completely different view of the guy.
Very cool. David is one talented guy.
I just fixed the link to the video. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed. I think David must have also interned in Hollywood.
@Jerry. Thanks for the heads up. David is our Clark Kent.
WOW. (No wonder David is so unfazed by anything that happens on the Board.)
You can sense a real depth to David. We’re really lucky to have him on the BOA.
I am proud to be a colleague with Alderman Kalis and a fellow Jumbo. What a hot ticket!
Jerry – thanks for posting! You are all being far too kind, but I appreciate the support. I hope you enjoy the read!
This guy’s busy. Here’s David Kalis on WGBH’s “Greater Boston” last week talking about the situation in Crimea
I just spotted David’s book in Newtonville Books this morning – featured prominently at the front window.
I, too, saw the “Greater Boston” show that Jerry references. David Kalis and Zbigniew Brzezinski are the only two people I’ve heard that seem to fully understand what’s happening there and have a measured and clear headed assessment as to what the US should and shouldn’t be doing about it.
Head down to Newtonville Books on Sunday at 2 PM for the release party for David Kalis’s book. I’m sure he’d be happy to sign a copy for you.
While you’re there you can also pick up a copy of the King’s Handbook of Newton.
I just started the book tonight and ripped through 50 pages. What a story!!
I acme across a curious detail towards the end of the book.
David mentioned in passing that in 1991, the mayor of his hometown Newton came to Moscow and brought him a case of Fig Newtons.
What was Teddy Mann doing in Moscow? How did he happen to be delivering Fig Newton’s to 23 year old Kalis?
Good catch, Jerry. Yes – he was at a conference of Mayors, I believe, in Moscow. When my parents found out he was going, they asked him to bring some Fig Newtons over, and he obliged. I’ve got a very faded picture with him, but it was such a nice thing for him to do.