Tag Archives: To Kill a Mockingbird

Banned Book Week’s 30th Birthday

Posted on September 30, 2012 by

It’s the season pumpkins and apples, Octoberfests and harvests,  bonfires and hayrides.  And it’s Banned Book Week. What’s more, it’s the  American Library Association’s 30th Anniversary of celebrating not so much the freedom to read as the  perils of censorship. There’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, celebrations, Education, Reading, teaching, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Behind the Scenes: Auditions & Acting

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Getting off the elevator and entering the rehearsal studio, a maze of small, pastel-painted,  mirrored rooms, complete with ballet barres,  and  seeing the young actors primping and pacing, perusing scripts and listening to music on their iPods, I was happy … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, interviews, New York City, parenting, Reading, teaching, Theater, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Actor Ray Fisher: Being Tom Robinson

Posted on November 21, 2011 by

Ray Fisher’s best friend bet him he’d get into acting school. The stakes? The loser would have to shave his head.  Sure enough, Fisher’s head was bald shortly after receiving his acceptance letter to the American Musical & Dramatic Academy … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, interviews, Shakespeare, teaching, teenagers, Theater, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mary Badham: “Looking Back with Scout”

Posted on November 9, 2011 by

Nearly 50 years after appearing as “Scout” in the 1962 film To Kill A Mockingbird,  Mary Badham continues to bring the movie’s messages about equality, compassion and tolerance around the world. Badham shared her memories of making the movie, her … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, interviews, Movies & TV, Reading, teaching, Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

My Glimpse into the Green Room: To Kill A Mockingbird

Posted on November 7, 2011 by

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re at half hour.” The stage manager reminded the cast and crew over the intercom. Sitting before my mirror in the dressing room, I joined the professional actors as we completed our final preparations: applying make-up, repinning … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, Reading, teaching, Theater | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Banned Book Week: Huck, Jem, Harry, & Tango

Posted on September 25, 2011 by

What do Huck Finn, Jem Finch, and Harry Potter have in common? They’re three teenage boys in books that have been banned or challenged. It’s Banned Book Week, the American Library Association’s annual recognition of censorship of printed material, particularly … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, celebrations, commentary, Education, Family, New York City, Reading, teaching, teenagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments