When Darryl Zanuck was considering making Laura Z. Hobson’s 1947 best-seller about “genteel” anti-Semitism, Gentleman’s Agreement, he faced a common dilemma: At the time, there were significant number of powerful Jews in Hollywood.
As studio heads, they were reluctant to plead for Jewish causes. They even avoided the topic of what had happened with the genocide of European Jews, before, during, and just after the war. Serious social issues were generally avoided because they weren’t good box office business. In tough times, especially, audiences wanted an escape. Read More→
Gentleman’s Agreement, the classic 1947 film, was based on the novel of the same name by Laura Z. Hobson, which was published the same year. Hobson doubted any publisher would want to take it on, let alone that it would become an award-winning film.
It’s the story of Philip Schuyler Green, a journalist who poses as a Jew in order to investigate antisemitism in post-World War II New York City and environs.
Though it showed only a narrow slice of antisemitism centered in New York City’s upper class, the film sensitively explores the topic and is quite true to the book. Read More→
Edith Wharton (1862 – 1937), the esteemed American author, grew up in a wealthy family that didn’t think it was proper for a young woman of their society to be writer. Here’s a collection of perceptive quotes by Edith Wharton, who was ever observant about human nature and honest about the challenges of the writing life.
Though she initially lacked confidence, her first published works were steps to self-acceptance. Wharton lived a full life, building herself a mansion in Lenox, Massachusetts, living in France, aiding war refugees, and winning a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, The Age of Innocence (1921). Read More→
An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1989) is the last of the sci-fi series of books featuring Polyhymnia O’Keefe (known as Poly in The Arm of the Starfish and Dragons in the Water, and Polly in A House Like a Lotus and this book).
Poly’s parents are Meg Murry and Calvin O’Keefe, from the series that began with A Wrinkle in Time.
From the 1989 Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition of An Acceptable Time: When Polly O’Keefe visits her grandparents in Connecticut, she plans a quiet fall, filled with study and frequent forays to the star-watching rock. Read More→
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle (1980) is the fourth book in the series about the fictional the Austin family. It followed Meet the Austins, The Moon by Night, and The Young Unicorns. It’s the story of Vicky Austin, who discovers an ability to communicate with dolphins while at the same time struggling with the illness and death of a beloved grandfather.
In 2002, The Disney Channel presented an adaptation of the novel, but it was considered less successful, as it avoided some of the serious themes that L’Engle explored.
A review of the film by Laura Fries in Variety stated that “Writers Marita Giovanni and Bruce Graham take the poignant and thought-provoking notions of life and death found in the Madeline L’Engle teen novel and turn it into Gidget meets Flipper drivel…” Read More→
Rebecca West (1892 –1983) was a British novelist, essayist, and journalist, considered one of the sharpest intellects of the twentieth century. She was widely praised for her elegant prose, sharp wit, and insight into the human condition. This sampling of quotes by Rebecca West reflect the kind of deep thinking for which she became known and respected.
West was a woman of many talents from her early career on — she studied to be an actress. worked as a journalist, and was active in the woman’s suffrage movement.
In her work as a journalist she wrote essays and reviews for numerous publications including New York Herald Tribune, The Daily Telegraph, The New Republic and New York American.
Her first novel, The Return of the Soldier, was published in 1918. This was followed by many more works of weighty fiction and nonfiction.
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Virginia Woolf (1882 – 1941) produced groundbreaking twentieth-century works of literature. Presented here is a sampling of quotes on living and writing, displaying both the self-consciousness and wisdom for which she was known.
In her early career she taught English at Morely College, reviewed books for the Times Literary Supplement and wrote scores of articles, criticism, and essays.
Woolf’s literary genius was fully realized despite debilitating battles with mental illness, including severe breakdowns. It’s now believed that she suffered from bipolar disorder. Read More→
