My Berlin

Christel Alexander was born and raised in Berlin, Germany, where she completed an apprenticeship in engineering design and drafting. After immigrating to the USA in 1957, she earned a B.A. degree and a Phi Beta Kappa Key from the University of California, Berkeley; as well as M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Southern California (USC) with a major in Economics. She has taught at USC; at the California State University, Los Angeles; California State College, Dominguez Hills; Rio Hondo College in California; and at Miami Dada Junior College, as well as the Miami Senior High Adult Education Center, in Florida. To continue her own liberal arts education, Christel has pursued post graduate courses in theater arts, music and voice, and participated in workshops at the Songwriters Guild of America. An avid reader since childhood, Christel Alexander loves good stories and likes to tell them. After attending a workshop by New York's performance icon Julie Wilson, she found a receptive audience among the cabaret aficionados of California. Christel has perfected her story-telling skills in theaters, clubs and private venues, including the world-famous Gardenia Supper Club in Hollywood, California. While the author follows the sage advice write about what you know, she intermingles freely her own recollections with those of friends, family and acquaintances. Hence, her stories are told from the point of view of a composite character, Lina Bhero, named after Berolina-a female statue that once stood in the center of Berlin and to this day remains an allegorical symbol of the city.