Dear Brother Archons and Friends of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
The challenges and anxieties of being a Greek immigrant in America are familiar to so many of us, and now Archon Dr. George Zimmar has given us a moving memoir of his own adventures in adjusting to America while growing up in a very Greek household.
Archon Zimmar, an Adjunct Senior Professor of Psychology at Pace University, has just published Go With the Fat Cats: A Greek American Youth in Pursuit of Identity and Love, his compelling story of growing up in 1950’s Chicago. As the teenage son of Greek immigrants, young George struggles to deal with the ambivalence and challenges of his ethnic identity. Is he Greek or American? He wants to honor his glorious Greek heritage and strict Greek father, but the pull of the American way of life is strong to ignore. His college mentor gives him succinct and memorable advice: “Go with the fat cats,” but initially, the young man is bewildered as to how that will help him reach his goals, and wonders, “Who are the fat cats, anyway?”
Go With the Fat Cats allows you to follow George on his fascinating journey from a soda jerk to a respected university professor in his home, America. In this loving and respectful nod to both aspects of his identity, Archon Zimmar details how he found his place in life, love, and acceptance of who he is. His stories will entertain and inspire you to contemplate the experiences and choices that have shaped your own life.
Archon Dr. George Zimmar is the author of many articles in peer-referenced journals and edited volumes. He was Director and Publisher at publishing companies that included Rowman and Littlefield and Routledge Press. He holds a doctorate from the University at Buffalo and a post-doctoral fellowship at MIT, and he chaired the Psychology Departments at Grinnell and Briarcliff Colleges. Archon Zimmar also served on the Parish Council of the Church of Our Saviour, Rye, New York, for fifty years. Married to the elegant and gracious Doulie Pappas Zimmar, they are parents of two adult children and grandparents of five. Dr. George Zimmar, Ph.D. was invested as an Archon on October 23, 2005 and conferred with the offikion Prostatis Ton Grammaton.
Order Go With the Fat Cats: A Greek American Youth in Pursuit of Identity and Love from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
In the Service of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
Anthony J. Limberakis, MD
Archon Megas Aktouarios
National Commander
