Advance praise for...

“Bob Bossin's father lived in the seamy underside of Toronto the Good between the wars – a Runyonesque milieu of bookies and baseball, horses and payoffs, right in the zone where crime buys a drink for enterprise. Bossin's memoir of Davy is fascinating, funny, dark and poignant, a vividly readable portrait of an unforgettable man in a remarkable habitat.” – Silver Donald Cameron, author of The Education of Everett Richardson and The Living Beach.

“A memoir of a childhood that is the stuff of dreams and movies. With a songwriter's ear, a performer's sense of timing and a poet's grace, Bossin brings Davy the Punk to life, spinning his tales tall and true to the circle of small time Jewish hoods in 1940s Toronto, mesmerizing them and us with his magic. – Si Kahn.

“Amid the fascinating and sometimes belly-laugh-funny anecdotes of underworld life, Davy the Punk depicts a son’s poignant search for his infinitely resourceful, elusive and wounded father. Bob Bossin has penned a witty and generous memorial to a man, we sense, he is still seeking to know.” – Gabor Maté M.D., author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and Scattered Minds.

“Damon Runyon meets Sholem Aleichem where the Orange Order calls all the shots. Davy the Punk is a touching and very funny portrait of a part of Jewish Toronto that too many people like to pretend wasn't there.” – Michael Wex, author of Born to Kvetch.

“Davy the Punk is a thoroughly enjoyable and revealing romp through the historical underside of Toronto the Good. With verve and enthusiasm, Bob Bossin brings a performer's skill to the tall but true tales in what is, ultimately, his family's story.” – Lilian Nattel, author of Web of Angels and The River Midnight.

“‘I come from a family of storytellers,' writes Bob Bossin, and he has clearly inherited the gift. A rich mix of stories about his father, his family, Jewish immigrant life, political high life and the criminal underworld. Entertaining, illuminating and, at times, touching.” – Leon Rosselson, author of Home is a Place Called Nowhere and Rosa's Singing Grandfather.

“The generation he writes about has now vanished, but the colourful, hard-talking comedy of life on the edge, comes back. Bossin is a great story-teller, and these are great stories.” – Clayton Ruby

…For Davy the Punk, the show.

“A smashing success. The capacity audience was enthralled by the colourful characters, touching anecdotes and characteristic Bossin songs. Bob’s intelligence, erudition and folksy charm combine in an intimate musical theatre experience for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.” – Eric Stein, Artistic Director, Ashkenaz Festival, Toronto.

“Our audiences loved it. Davy the Punk is a triple crown of music, wry comedy, and affecting family reunion. The songs are thoroughbred Bossin, the story is beguiling, and the reunion – between Bob and the father he knew as a softspoken booking agent but who turns out to be, well, Davy the Punk – is something to cheer about.” – Frank Moher, Artistic Producer of Western Edge Theatre.

“Sold out a month in advance.  Bossin puts his audience at ease and then zaps them with one surprise after another.” – Leslie Parrot, Artistic Director, Gabriola Theatre Festival

…For Bob Bossin

“Bossin is funny, informative and inspiring at the same time.” – Pete Seeger

“What Lou Reed would sound like if he lived on Gabriola Island.” – Jeff Goodes, CBC Radio

“Bossin is a Canadian folk hero for good reason. He has given us a glorious patchwork quilt with many riveting images and soul-revealing truths.” – Joseph Blake, The Times-Colonist.

“Only a handful of song writers have created a body of work that constitutes a portrait of our country. Stan Rogers did that. So did Gordon Lightfoot. And so does Bob Bossin." – Stuart Mclean