Alan Balter was born in Chicago and attended the Chicago Public Schools. He entered the University of Illinois in Urbana in 1956 and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (1960) and a Master’s Degree in Special Education (1962). He taught adolescents with developmental delays at Niles Township High School West in Skokie, IL, for two years before returning to the University of Illinois and completing a Ph.D. in 1967. While completing his degree, he taught undergraduate courses at the university. He went on to enjoy a 33- year tenure at Chicago State University where he prepared teachers for children with special needs.
Dr. Balter has published two non-fiction books: Divided Apple: A Story About Teaching in Chicago (Kendall Hunt, 1994) and Learning Disabilities: A Book for Parents (Kendall Hunt, 1999). He has also published two novels: Holden and Me (Rockway Press), for which he received their international fiction award in 2006, and Different Ways of Being (Linkville Press, 2013). His essay entitled “Cruel and Unusual Endings” appeared in the op-ed section of the Chicago Tribune in June of 2000. Additionally, he has published Poetry for My Grandchildren and Everyone Else’s (Infinity Press, 2010) and Melancholia (Kelsay Press, 2020), a poetry chapbook.
Dr. Balter and wife Barbara, also a retired teacher, live in Northbrook, Illinois. They enjoy extensive travel and 14 grandchildren.
Paperback: 39 pages
Publisher: Kelsay Books (May 3, 2023)