Tribute: William Gibson

Posted on December 1, 2008 at 6:00 am

William Gibson, best known as the man who wrote The Miracle Worker, died this week at age 94.

Gibson’s sequel to “The Miracle Worker,” “Monday After the Miracle,” was not a success, but I thought it was a fine play. I also have a special fondness for Two for the Seesaw, about a mismatched couple, and for his play about the young William Shakespeare, A Cry Of Players. It does not have the scope and audacity of “Shakespeare in Love,” but it is a very appealing story of a young writer who is torn between art and love and between passion and responsibility.

I loved Gibson’s comment about the subjects of his most famous play, included in the Washington Post obituary by Adam Bernstein:

“I like to fall a little in love with my heroines, and the title — from Mark Twain, who said, ‘Helen is a miracle, and Miss Sullivan is the miracle-worker’ — was meant to show where my affections lay. This stubborn girl of 20, who six years earlier could not write her name, and in one month salvaged Helen’s soul, and lived thereafter in its shadow, seemed to me to deserve a star bow.”

Related Tags:

Great Movie Moments Tribute

Ads on Tests

Posted on November 29, 2008 at 12:00 pm

A teacher whose budget would no longer cover the expense of printing out his math tests has resorted to selling ad space on calculus quizzes and exams.
Rancho Bernardo teacher Tom Farber says that his budget for print-outs is $300 but the costs are $500. Rather than pay the difference out of his own pocket — or cut down on the number of tests — he is selling small ads to local businesses. “Brace Yourself for a Great Semester!” says one ad from a local orthodontist. Some ads are taken by parents. The ads cost $10 for an ad on a quiz, $20 to appear on a chapter test and $30 for a final exam.
I am sympathetic to the enterprising teacher and to the school administration that chose to cut expenses rather than personnel. But does anyone think that this is a good idea for the kids or the advertisers? Do the kids need the distraction of ads when they are trying to focus on a test? And do advertisers really think they will inspire warm feelings for them and their products if they are associated with the stress of crunching equations for a good grade?
Thanks to fark.com for the reference.

Related Tags:

Great Books for Kids

Posted on November 28, 2008 at 8:00 am

Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. WETA, Washington DC’s PBS Station, has worked with the U.S. Department of Education to help parents, caregivers, and teachers help children learn to read and love to read.
They’ve created a holiday gift guide with lots of great suggestions of books for kids from toddler to age 9. If you want some ideas for holiday presents that will never require batteries these choices are a wonderful place to begin. Having some reading choices that are funny and exciting and inspiring, books you can read together or let them master on their own, is a good way to make them want to be lifetime learners. And don’t forget that nothing will convey the importance (and pleasure) of reading as much as seeing you enjoying a book or magazine, so be sure to set a good example.

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

Posted on November 26, 2008 at 4:00 pm

Steve Martin plays a man trying to get home for Thanksgiving in his slapstick classic.

Related Tags:

Great Movie Moments

Inappropriate Trailer Shown Before ‘Twilight’

Posted on November 24, 2008 at 4:45 pm

Critics usually do not see trailers in our special screenings, so many thanks to the commenters who brought this problem to my attention. Some “Twilight” fans are seeing the disturbing trailer for “The Unborn” before the movie.
The choice of trailers is made by individual theater owners and managers. In general, they usually try to make sure the movie they are advertising will appeal to the same audience. It is unthinkable to me that anyone who knows what “Twilight” is about — a tender love story and the triumph of better angels over base desires — would want to show that audience a trailer for a film about a demonic spirit.
Parents should check with the theater manager to make sure this trailer will not be shown when they decide where their teenagers will be seeing “Twilight.” And I also recommend a protest to the authorities:
National Association of Theatre Owners
750 First Street, NE
Suite 1130
Washington, DC 20002
Tel. 202.962-0054
Fax: 202.962-0370
E-mail: nato@natodc.com
Office of the Chairman and CEO
Washington, DC
1600 Eye St., NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 293-1966 (main)
(202) 296-7410 (fax)