Jeffersonville and Washington, D.C.

2/8/11, getting ready to go to Washington for a much-anticipated showing hosted by the Faith and Politics Institute. The program is tonight at the E Street Cinema.
     Last night did a showing at the Jeffersonville (IN) public library. In that it was a snowy Monday night I had established 5 as a likely estimate for attendance. Always the optimist. Actually 3 hardy souls showed up. The library has a very nice media room. In the discussion afterward I was busted again for trying to pass off a modern-day monk from the Abbey of Gethsemani (Br. Paul Quenon) as a monk from the Abbey of Solesmes circa 1940's. Artistic license goes just so far in Indiana.

Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Waverly Iowa

1/16/11, Enjoyable showing tonight at Wartburg College in Waverly. Privileged to be invited here for their weeklong observation of Dr. King's birthday. It's cold, really cold but it's northern Iowa in the middle of the winter. What was I expecting?

January 12, 2011

I enjoyed this blog entry about John Howard Griffin.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/jazztheologian/2011/01/one-of-my-heroes-john-howard-griffin.html

I'm getting ready to go to Waverly, Iowa for three days at Wartburg College. I'll show and discuss "Uncommon Vision" as part of their celebration of Martin Luther King. I showed "Soul Searching" there last year and look forward to my return.

going statewide tonight

   "Uncommon Vision" will be broadcast statewide in Kentucky tonight on our PBS affiliate KET. This station has been good to me through the years. I'm proud to have my latest work appear on their air at 9pm. It will be shown again at 10pm on KET2 the 17th of January.
    Tonight the main competition would seem to be Arkansas vs. Ohio State in a bowl game. That's probably what I'll watch. I think John Howard would understand. I've seen "Uncommon Vision" a few times.

November 16, 2010- A rainy night in Cleveland

The rain was coming down in buckets as I rode with Bob Toth to Ursuline College where the screening of "Uncommon Vision" was to take place on the 16th. The previous night Bob and his wife Mary Ellen had hosted a small gathering to screen the documentary at their home in Novelty, Ohio. Love that name! There were nine of us at that screening. In light of the weather I didn't expect much more than that number for this showing. However Clevelanders seem to be made of stern stuff when it comes to weather. A sizable number turned out. They were all a filmmaker could ask of an audience-- receptive and responsive. Many in the crowd were associated with the International Thomas Merton Society so much of the discussion afterward centered on the friendship between Griffin and Merton. There was a good discussion also with Pax Christi members regarding the roots of Griffin's pacifism. A fine trip made even better by a quick visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier in the day.

The Fort Worth showing

A belated summary of the 10/28 showing at Modern Museum of Fort Worth. In a nutshell it was a great evening. Really nothing was lacking. The facility was exquisite. A standing-room only crowd including the four Griffin children and Roberto Bonazzi (Griffin's literary executor without whom the project could not have happened) was gratifying. The screening was preceded by readings from "Black Like Me" presented by the Jubilee Theater group from Fort Worth. Bob Ray Sanders, the much-beloved columnist from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram introduced the film. He had had communication with Griffin in the late '60's and early '70's. Bob Ray's respect from Griffin and all he stood for was obvious. The audience responded well to "Uncommon Vision" and the q&a which followed was stimulating. The Griffin "kids" and Bonazzi fielded many questions providing unique insights. I believe John Howard would've been pleased.

First Homecoming 10/23/10

      John Howard Griffin had a homecoming of sorts on Saturday the 23rd. I showed the documentary to the community at the Abbey of Gethsemani. This is the monastery where Griffin's friend Thomas Merton lived. It is also where Griffin spent considerable time in the '60's and '70's working on Merton's biography.
      Several of the monks in the audience knew Griffin. I'm happy to say they felt like "Uncommon Vision" caught much of the Griffin spirit. Another monk's father had fought on the same island in the South Pacific where Griffin received a blindness-inducing concussion.
      I like to think Griffin would be glad to have his story told at the monastery for which he had such great affection. This Thursday the program will be shown in his hometown.