This book was actually co-written by 3 women, a mother and her 2 daughters. From Bravo's 'The Real Housewives Of New York City' star Jill Zarin, her sister Lisa Wexler and their mother Gloria Kamen.
Inside this book, these women feel the power and strength that resides from their Jewish heritage. They also reveal TRUE LIFE stories of the past and how they grew up, the lessons they were able to learn from them, use in everyday life, pass them on for further generations and, truly see the value of a Jewish mother. For Jill, she also treads lightly into how it was 'The Real Housewives Of New York City' all came to be.
The Real Housewives Of NYC
Reciting TRUE and HONEST stories, all 3 ladies tell how all these lessons came to be - a lesson learned. Beginning w/ friendship (money issues, forgiveness, criticism and more) How many issues can affect a friendship.
There is also the somewhat overlooked, but YES! IT IS SOMETIMES THERE dating snafu of candidates who fashion themselves in VANITY! Remember that "there's only one peacock to a couple" (some people will know what I'm personally talking about!)
This page explains what I'm getting at with education!
The next feature discussed is the IMPORTANCE education is to the Jewish faith and what it means WHOLEHEARTEDLY! - Read this page insert to understand what I mean.
As far as it goes w/ marriage, they range from husbands and secrets, as well as money ownership. When it comes to fighting, remember the "Five Minutes Of Understanding" on page 158.
Jill & Lisa
When it comes to siblings, there's stories about how important they should be in your life and keeping that relationship maintained - NO MATTER WHAT!BUT, (going outside the book for a minute - staying on point) what happens if you have a sibling that you grew up with and one lives and has the mentality that the world owes them because they never got to do ANYTHING while they were coming up - even though the world was their oyster w/ REASONABLE sense & DISCIPLINE! But in REALITY, they got to bring what they WANTED to life. All they had to do was EARN THE PRIVILEGE to do whatever. All of this happened thanks to convincing the sibling of REAL FALSIFIED information. So now back to the book itself.
Jill, Allyson and Bobby
When it comes to the parenting portion of this book, it offers some solutions to what situations you may face or may be facing. When parenting more that one child, remember this: "Equal is not always fair and fair is not always equal"
The only chapter I REALLY DID NOT LIKE NOR ENJOY was the chapter entitled 'Beauty & Health' for reasons that seem ENTIRELY degrading to one's own self. What I can say is this: "The thing that you'd change about yourself the most is the thing that makes you the most unique!"
When it comes to whatever sticky situation for/from your child whether they're grateful for it in ANY WAY: Remember this - You do what you have to do for your kid, NO MATTER @ WHAT THE PRICE! But, I am sorry and I do apologize wholeheartedly to kids today because of them having "parents" around in this generation who would rather honestly party than parent.
But in a final closing of this book, they all put a stamp and meaning for all Jewish superstitions and their meanings.
Here's MY opinion:
This book just goes to show that you remember who you are and remember where it is that you come from and what meaning does that have on you?
This story is one that is HORRIFICALLY unimaginable. It was written by TRUE CRIME author, Aphrodite Jones. In this ACCURATE account, Aphrodite recounts the telling of the 1993 brutal rape/murder of Brandon Teena in Falls City, NE.
Originally from Lincoln, growing up Teena was a straight tomboy through and through. When it came to dating boys, she wasn't overly interested. Somewhere along the line, Teena changed her name to Teen. When she had reached puberty, while w/ a friend "sharing stories", Teena went into detail of abuse by a relative male. Teena was a tough girl. After an incident and living w/ her older sister, Tammy for awhile Teena wasn't really TEENA anymore. After secretly examining herself and 2 pairs of socks inside her pants, she felt the thrill to feel like a boy.
Billy
After turning 18, Teena was beginning to change: cutting her hair short and binding her chest to hide her femininity. While passing herself of as a man, "Billy Brinson", Teena was involved with a girl, Heather, while his mother, JoAnn Brandon, very concerned for her daughter's safety, did everything to bring her daughter home. In the time that they were together, not knowing if he should tell Heather about JoAnn's report to the police, not really CARING about what sex "Billy" really was.
Being everyone's dream guy in a way, he knew how a woman wanted to be treated. After moving in w/ Heather, Billy changed his name to Brandon. Three months after going out, Brandon bought Heather a promise ring - sort of a pre-engagement. Not one to pressure for anything, discussing marriage/kids after discussing each others stories of sexual abuse. Brandon went on to say, after these revealing stories, that confessing rape was his BIGGEST fear.
Retelling his history, Brandon explained that he was once female but now he was a hermaphrodite. After JoAnn would call and get Heather's mom, Ruth, on the phone and spilled the beans about Teena. Naturally after telling Gina, another girlfriend, certain people began to wonder the truth.
Brandon's mugshot
Brandon was also stealing and writing checks from those he stayed with for exorbitant amounts and forging signatures. Along w/ writing checks, he was also stealing from the ATM.When he was questioned about it, Brandon relayed good intentions for doing it. Ruth called the authorities and after being tracked down, Brandon was charged with 2nd Degree Forgery. After all of the legalities were over, Teena Renae Brandon was put on probation and more. In 1992, Brandon moved out of Ruth's house and Heather received letters of Brandon's being sorry. But by then, the relationship crumbled.
It was through in-patient therapy, after Brandon tried to kill herself, that JoAnn learned EVERYTHING, from the abuse and more that Teena and Tammy were hiding. When JoAnn found out where his living situation was, she realized it was a high school acquaintance, Reanna. JoAnn asked for Brandon to be sent home, telling them the whole story. After Brandon was confronted and denied it, no matter what, he manipulated/fooled ALOT of people to think he was a guy.After Brandon had moved out, Reanna tried to avoid him at all costs. It was after that Brandon became involved w/ Gina Bartu.
Brandon and Gina fell for each other pretty quickly, just the nature of the relationship. But as things were beginning, Brandon's past caught up w/ his criminal activities, catching up to 18 crimes, mostly forgery and failure to appear again. Of course, Brandon didn't see any wrong doing in it, he thought of it as he was being a giver. Brandon didn't understand and grew tired of being a sex object. He made a big deal about girls using him for money and they seemed to have liked that.
But on 5/23/1993, Gina had to post bail for forgery charges Brandon ranked up, confronting the name Teena Rae Brandon for the first time. Brandon retold the costs of the surgery as to why he hadn't gotten it yet. Almost at a breakup, Brandon proposed marriage. Gina was told but had said yes. One year after the proposal and nothing was being done, in Sept. Brandon was in jail again for more forgery charges after stealing a credit card and charging $454.00 and seen what Brandon had REALLY done. Even though Gina felt like pressing charges, she just couldn't do it. Although Brandon promised to do whatever to reimburse, the damage was done.
Afraid to push her away but also wanting contact, JoAnn contacts Brandon and asks about the charges. She also began to see her daughter shift into high gear; weight lifting and becoming more of a he on the exterior. After a fight ensued, Brandon and Daphne, someone he hooked up with, left for Humbolt, NE. There they crashed w/ Lisa Lambert, a friend of Daphne's.
After Brandon's 20TH birthday party, he asked to be dropped off at Lana Tisdel's house, someone Brandon had met a week prior. Brandon had popped into a local bar and seen Lana - he just had to meet her and after looking him over and how clean he was, she gave him a chance.Going back to her house to party, he met Lana's mom, Linda and 2 of Lana's friends, John Lotter and Tom Nissen.
After previous letters/excuses to the court, Teena was a wanted felon and appeared before the judge, but on 12-16-1992, the jig was up. Teena Ray Brandon was hauled in for 2ND Degree Forgery and thrown in jail. Meanwhile, things were starting to click for Lisa and another girl, Kelli to where it could be possible that Brandon was actually a female.
Brandon & Lana
Breaking down with call-waiting, they took the call and decided to bail Brandon out of jail, but chose not to out of being furious.After being jailed and going to court, his fine was $200.00 and had called Lana for bail. With a blank check from her dad to get a perm, instead Lana used it for Brandon's bail, but since Lana was underage, she had Tom Nissen do her a favor. It was in a past army life that Tom and John had officially met, came from and lived in Falls City, NE. Besides the army, one commonality they both had were bad upbringings. But it was late Nov. that Tom, John, Lana and, Brandon all "officially got to hanging out!"
But, soon enough Lana was catching up to Brandon and all of the lies after he was allowed to move in w/ Lana and Linda. When Brandon was in jail, Lana got to see, while in visitation, that Brandon did indeed have a female chest, stating that he was in the "process". The same night Brandon was bailed out, Linda read a note from Lana that she had written and after that Linda was FURIOUS and hopped in the car to Lana's location, found Brandon and grabbed him violently by the neck and forced him into the bathroom wanting a confrontation, "Are you a male or a female?" Not exactly wanting to prove anything to Lana, she just wanted her daughter back, thinking this was the way to do it! Lana was certain to take Brandon into the bathroom and exam him as reassurance. But then Linda went to call Lana's ex-husband, Leland and confess the whole story. Leland then went to get Tom Nissen's address. It was also known about the $250.00 for Brandon's bail.
Concerned for her daughter's FULL well-being, She allowed John &Tom to get involved. It was Dec. 14TH when Brandon had bonded out of jail, which was the same day Phillip DeVine arrived in Nebraska. Christmas Eve was the beginning to a devastating end when after early and later drinking that John started again with Brandon's sexuality. After some punches were thrown, long after Lana had left the intended party, Brandon went into the bathroom to check the damage and then John and Tom barged in, depantsing Brandon for what they were wanting to know.
It was when they had been alone : Tom, John & Brandon while continually violent w/ him that they left and went stopping at a farmhouse, where they BOTH physically sexually assaulted Brandon, after it was over and they returned to the house and ordered for Brandon to clean up. Brandon then escaped through a window and went to Lana's house, who in then took him to the hospital where he was questioned/examined. During the interview, Sherriff Charles Laux of the Police Department was VERY Graphic and CRUEL with his line of questioning. It was like Brandon had been assaulted all over again - this time verbally.
Lisa Lambert
After Brandon's initial statement and co-operation w/ filing charges, about 5 days after the initial investigation, Lotter and Nissen went about "taking care" of this "problem". After they able to obtain a gun & a hunting knife, Tom and John went to the farmhouse residence of Lisa Lambert and ended the lives of Brandon Teena, by shooting him and stabbing him, with 2 single shots killed Phillip DeVine and Lisa Lambert. Almost killing Lisa's then 8-month son Tanner just before leaving the scene.
As news stories/articles were surrounding the Humboldt murders, LGBT communities began looking at Brandon Teena as a martyr and symbol of a hate crime, imploding this story throughout the national news media. As far as it came for the trial, Tom only seemed to show emotion when Kandi, Tom's wife, stood for the prosecution. Much to everyone's surprise, while they waited 2 1/2 days for a verdict, Sherriff Laux was voted out of his job.
Tom Nissen was found GUILTY on the following: First Degree Murder for Brandon's murder and 2ND Degree for both murders of Philip and Lisa. As these stories and demonstrations on 20/20, it was showing ONLY focus on the hell/horror that Brandon's murder indicated; flat out ignoring the other 2 victims who also lost their lives. When it came to Lotter's trial, some jurors/spectators sensed some deja vu. As the prosecution drew to a close, Tom rolled over and cut a separate deal to save his own life. John Lotter was found guilty of First Degree Murder w/o the possibility of parole.
Brandon's story was seen through an Oscar-winning film starring Hilary Swank in 1999 entitled Boys Don't Cry w/ Hilary as Brandon and Chloe Sevigny as Lana Tisdel. A 2hr documentary was filmed in 1998 with the REAL people called 'The Brandon Teena Story'.
Here's My Opinion:
Brandon's story just shows you the humanity and compassion that is missing to be seen in today's society.
This next book is the complete/full TRUE to form story of actress/author Carrie Fisher. Stemming from GENUINE Hollywood royalty, Carrie talks candidly about what life was like growing up as the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher from her own reflection of family tales.
She later recalls tales from Debbie to stories of her most notorious character, in which she made a NAME outside of her family name: Princess Leia of the original Star Wars genre. P.S. - just imagine that 1974 was the FIRST to introduce us to Carrie (on her own) and exploding from there! She goes into her relationship w/ singer and ex-husband Paul Simon. It was soon after that she goes behind into writing 'Postcards From The Edge'. Going out to LA to film the movie was really bad for relationship with Paul.
After they parted and went their separate ways, Carrie met and started a relationship with talent agent, Bryan Lourd. They have a daughter, Billie Catherine. But it was soon after that Bryan reveled to Carrie that he was gay. She had turned him gay - like a superpower. Quoted by Carrie "She makes them bald, she turns them gay, her work is done!" It was about a year after her breakup with Bryan that she checked herself into a mental hospital and was diagnosed as bipolar. She also talks about time w/ Cary Grant.
Billie Lourd w/ dad Bryan
She also shares stories of her and Billie and the lessons she was able to pass on!
Carrie wrote this book in 2008 and in 2010 HBO aired a documentary of the same title based on this book's publication. Wishful Drinking Happy Days Are Here Again!
This next story was actually written by actress/author Carrie Fisher. Although based on a (semi) TRUE story, being told in the narration of Suzanne Vale, an actress starting out in rehab after an overdose. After the journey in rehab and being dismissed going home, "Suzanne" figured that NO ONE would see her succeed, with sort of a "show them" attitude she flushed the rest of what she had at home determined to make sobriety work. But, it was while working that she found someone to whom she found camaraderie.
She soon found and got a part in a movie - her first job since completing rehab, staying with her grandmother while in recovery. Producers and other film crews were skeptical of Suzanne fearing her to be a liability. She had been at home when a call came in from her mother, "Doris" - a few days after throwing a party - assuring what was wrong w/ her was food allergies. Awhile later, after lunch Suzanne received a message to sub for someone on a hosting gig which was for a talk show.
In the meeting, she was scheduled with a friend to appear on this show and while watching in the greenroom, she met a man and they got to talking during her firends' segment. They switch numbers and find out that his name was Jesse. After spending alot of time with him, 5 dates and no call back for 6 days, she began to look at him as a "dating accident" - you never hear from the guy you like again. He eventually called and reminded her of going away, but she had forgot that. She began freaking out thinking he didn't like her, beating herself up mentally. She was calming down about her career, feeling show business was not her life anymore, but BECOMING her life.
One morning while driving to the gym, she panicked because feeling life going nice/regular, she was going to die. Suzanne also felt somehow displaced, but realized she always felt that way (Ex. - Life's great right now, so something bad is bound to happen to me!) But then a letter to her doctor, Suzanne realized that's just who she is: distinctively - always feeling like she's missing something or going to be.
Throughout this book, Suzanne talks about life after rehab and picking up the pieces of her life/career. But reading it, I either missed or didn't see the mother/daughter relationship. But in bits-n-pieces.
Carrie, Meryl and Shirley
This book was written in NY in 1987 by Carrie and then in 1990, it was adapted into a screenplay, which she wrote in LA for a movie to be made of the same title featuring Meryl Streep and Shirley McLaine.
But, Carrie did state that: "this novel is about a mother actress & daughter actress. I'm not shocked that people think it's about me and my mother."
This book tells the stories of one of "old-Hollywood's" legends, EddieFisher. Starting at the mere age of 4 years old, he belted out a beautiful sound that, even then, would carry him far. At the age of 15, since school wasn't important and had dropped out, focusing all of his energy on his voice and where it was going to take him.
Bigger hits made for bigger popularity, signing on to do his own twice a week show. Starting small and with management, Eddie eventually found the FAME! While it was a high earning time for Eddie, he was drafted into the army. Being treated just as normal, he used his "talents" to the best of his ability. At the end of his tour, he earned/received his high school equivelency. Going back out on stage became difficult because after awhile his voice was gone. Doing what he could to get his voice back, he took shots and became better, but also an addict. Finding out later that it was speed. With business and deals w/ Coke-Cola, he became known as '"The Coke-Cola Kid". Recording everything that was put in front of him, one of those hits was to be his BIGGEST "Oh My Papa".
For awhile it was anything was possible and just women galore! Anything he wanted, the world was any oyster. Which is how he came to meet Debbie Reynolds. He fell in love with her while in Korea watching "Singing In The Rain". He Genuinely fell for her right away. Their courtship of six weeks was the stuff of magic. Picture it: The Real Life Girl Next Door with The Coke-Cola Kid! Being with Debbie was the stuff of great fodder, everyone thought so, he did to up until his wedding day. Although some thought this was career suicide.
Over the years, Eddie thought that EVERYTHING Debbie did was to protect her image. Like ALOT of couples in the 1950s, they grew further and further apart. He never really knew if she really loved him or being in the center of publicity. Instead of Debbie becoming more of a "real" person, he was incorporated into an image. Wanting to run away, he couldn't & up until this book's publication, figure out why he had married Debbie.
It was shortly after committing to 'Bundle Of Joy' that Debbie knew she was pregnant. Their daughter Carrie was born in October and the film came out in December. Awhile later, what made Eddie run? "Everything!" LITERALLY! They fought about literally EVERYTHING! Plus, not to mention that Debbie was missing one key element - sexual passion. It was after they couldn't stay married that the affairs began. He just couldn't stay. The only thing he wanted from Debbie was a divorce. For a long time, the marriage was a show for the media. But in all, after all of the divorce details were all set that Debbie was pregnant again.
It was soon after that Eddie found his soon to be idol, Mike Todd. Mike had it: drive, ambition, success and women; ANYTHING he wanted was his and Eddie wanted to be just like him. Because of their mutual love for Mike, Eddie became close friends with Elizabeth Taylor. After one quick divorce in 1957, Liz and Mike were married, with Debbie as Maid Of Honor and Eddie as best man. Eddie so lovingly adored this man, Mike, that in 1958 Debbie gave birth to a son, Todd. 1958 was a flight to New York, Elizabeth was sick and couldn't go, so others attended and took off from Burbank, CA into a VIOLENT thunderstorm. In the morning, Mike was dead.
After the funeral and media spectacal, frightened for Elizabeth, over the next few weeks, he (Eddie) stayed to look after her. In Vegas, assuming she wanted to talk about Mike, needed a friend to talk to! Caring for Elizabeth at her worst, in the end of it all, Eddie suffered the worst. Not to mention, going back to work w/ a divorce finalized awhile later.
As far as parenting, when it came to Carrie or Todd, he admits he wasn't there. When it came to making one of the biggest productions of all time, Cleopatra, NOTHING went right. Elizabeth was sick/hospitalized on top of drinking and taking pills and needing/having surgery. After awhile, Eddie scheduled to perform in Vegas, which was to be a comeback. Going with her to help, Elizabeth began to get worse after meeting Richard Burton who could go drink-for-drink with her. That's how their story began.
BECOMING Cleopatra, Eddie realized he had lost her. But it was a dinner party where it became REAL. Later after confronting Liz, he packed a bag and left and Eddie divorced Liz in 1963 while Richard held/took the place that Eddie once resided. Then it was women after women. After one other fling, he had met Connie Stevens.Wanting to get married after putting things in perspective, Eddie married Connie as soon as the OFFICIAL divorce was final from Elizabeth, with daughter Joely born in 1967. As fast as their relationship began, it fizzled even quicker. From the beginning it was already over. But Connie was pregnant again. Trisha was born after Christmas. Four months later - divorce.
Eddie also detailed his encounters with drugs. From marijuana to cocaine, to eventually heroin. Getting sober though in 1970 was worse when getting caught through customs on a trip to San Juan, having to go through HARD sobriety without help. But it was with a friend, looking in a mirror at the damage that became the end of drugs. After the downfall w/ drugs came the SLOW resurrection. In the midst of starting to get control, regain his life and stay sober, after 5 marriages he found the woman who saved him, Betty Lin.
Detailing his relationship with his four kids, his feeling of what a father he was, his regrets as a parent in the past and today. It was 1993, with another stint in a different location, The Betty Ford Center, he found and was drilled the tools to sobriety - after 40 years of addiction.
As Eddie said, "Through it all; the marriages, divorces, drug addiction and more, "Words Can't Express"
This was just where the book ends, but as always there's more after the last page is published! in the life of Eddie Fisher.
In My Opinion:
This book just shows you what used to be GENUINE. Before everyone walked into anywhere and just grabbed a "reality" show - seriously!This is the old-Hollywood glamour and what roots, if any, Hollywood needs to reach the modicum of what it meant to be a star!
This next book was one that just goes to show you how a little bit of luck and a modicum of wit can actually feed a whole family of 12. The time was the 1950s/1960s, where men were to be bringing home the money and women were diverse into ordinary housewives. But to some, it was also where "contesting" made it their lives using their under-used wit. For one woman, Evelyn Ryan, she definitely made it hers.
With 10 kids and an alcoholic husband, Kelly, Evelyn used the contesting world to her advantage. It wasn't that she wasn't smarter than than the average contester, she was simply more determined. In the beginning, after Evelyn and Kelly were first married, Kelly had a car accident and a piece of the windshield slit his throat as he was thrown from the car, putting a music career singing tenor to an end and so their lives in Defiance began as he joined the ranks of ordinary men.
As far as contesting, some prizes included an automatic coffeemaker, a home freezer, a radio, 3 pairs or Arthur Murray shoes, even a supermarket shopping spree. Through pre-planning and strategy, Evelyn walked away with exotic foods, expensive meats, caviar, candy and snacks - all totaling $411.44 (equivalent to 3,000 worth today). It was awhile later that while life went normal for Evelyn, pen at hand with contesting, 3 of her children had flown the nest: oldest - Leann went to nursing school and 2 of her sons were signed to play baseball for the Detroit Tigers.
There were some prizes won over time that bore no use within the Ryan household. When there wasn't a contest to ready for, in spare time, Evelyn sold writing articles and contributed them for $5.00 a piece.
When there weren't BIG prizes coming in, small prizes came in that for the Ryan family were in the nick of time; examples included were toasters, cameras, watches, school supplies, tools, radios and toys. With Christmas around the corner, Evelyn did what she could to supply Christmas for all, leaving her once again destitute. But then one BIG prize came sponsored to fill-in-the-blank tune to describe a sandwich fitting the beat of a song. Using son Bruce's name, she entered the contest and waited, nerves ablaze, to see if there was any result and when it came NOTHING amounted better. Winning a car, to be cashed in; a jukebox and a trip to New York taking Bruce along, since it was his name used.
After the news of "Bruce's" win, Evelyn received a letter from a woman, Doretha Shaeffer, who was with a group called 'The Affadaises', who shall I say, were ALL more than equal experts at contesting and asked her to join - even with the hike to Payne, OH. After joining, they became like soul mates. After seeing Evelyn's success, other Ryans contested their own ways. After some of the older Ryan kids had flown the nest into their own lives, it didn't stop Evelyn from finding the joyous inspiration for the next contest.
One morning things came to crash, Evelyn, reading the morning paper, read they were in debt of property taxes. But as luck would have it, Dr. Pepper was sponsoring "The Time Of Your Life" contest w/ thousands in cash, a trip to Europe and a new car. Things came worse for the Ryans when they were found to owe the bank $4,000 in a small amount of time. If there was ever a time at a miracle, NOW was the time they REALLY needed it.
As they awaited anxiously for a response back, they were preparing for an ending when they received word from the sponsors of Dr. Pepper for an interview as a finalist. Spending what little cents they had left, they spent on the product for the interview. Nerves ablaze for the week following when the call came that changed them forever: they won the GRAND PRIZE!! 3,440.40 cash, a trip to Switzerland (to be cashed in), Finally a trip to Dallas, TX, to be 'Queen For A Day' and a new car. Initially they were all, excluding the trip to Dallas, cashed in to pay the debt.
The REAL Evelyn Ryan
She never won another major prize after that! Neither did anyone else, contesting and sweepstakes nearly dwindled and disappeared! After seeing their children grow up and leave home, Evelyn had returned to
JC Penney's to work before retiring. Only prior to his death in 1983, Kelly had saved away an amount of money for only Evelyn to live on until her death in 1998.
In 2007, a feature film was made based on this book, promptly titled 'The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohio' accounting and telling the trials and successes of Evelyn Ryan and her winnings starring Oscar nominee Julianne Moore as the remarkably brave Evelyn, with real-life help by the Ryan children.
Evelyn Ryan (d. 1998)
Kelly Ryan (d. 1998)
author and daughter Terry "Tuff" Ryan (1946-2007)
The REAL Evelyn and Tuff Ryan
In My Opinion:
This book does show what CAN happen. You know the "Hollywood" saying "If you believe - you achieve, you doubt - you go without". But that's just MY opinion.
This story is one that began shortly after the HISTORIC 1992 LA Riots, where violence and racial tensions reached an all-time high. It was Woodrow Wilson High School where Erin Gruwell decided to take action after taking a job teaching those that were declared "unteachable".
Entries made through these diaries were hard to digest when it hits you that these kids' situations were successful if they just lived through the day alive.
But one day, things took a strange turn, when Erin thought she reached her limit and was about to give up, she found a drawing done by a student and explained, irately, that was how a Holocaust happened/started. Only to a surprise that NONE of these kids knew what the Holocaust was, but they were ALL succumbed to gang violence in some aspect. It was THEN & THERE that Erin changed the core of her curriculum and teach them all tolerance of one another in/out of the classroom.
It was through books like 'Durango Street' and stories like 'The Diary Of Anne Frank' that these kids found something they could FINALLY relate to! Reading books like 'The Diary Of Anne Frank' gave these kids more than stimulation of the mind, it also gave them energetic excitement.When Erin had assigned for them to write a letter to a survivor of this story, Miep Gies, excitement doesn't begin to describe their reaction. Certain ideas flowed through the classroom, but initially having fundraisers and bake sales and what need be - to have the honor of having Miep Gies herself come and speak.
It was Junior Year, 1996, when the class had read the classic novel 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker and MANY of the female students felt and understood the story of Celie, because many of them suffered abuse or seen it all the same. While there were some students who didn't have a choice to transfer out of Woodrow, remember there were some MADE THE CHOICE TO STAY!! and seen the difference it made.
Through the Freedom Writers as a group and as individuals, seeing what they've overcome, it was the first with a choice, a choice to graduate. For some it was the first of their families to go to college.
Meanwhile newspaper articles started flowing from the success of the Freedom Writers after Erin had submitted any entry to win 'The Anne Frank Spirit Award' and from there - things exploded!
Amid their surroundings, the work and determination these kids had was indescribable when graduation came.
Erin Gruwell and the REAL Freedom Writers
The End Result:
I LOVED This Book!
The REAL Erin Gruwell
The odds these kids had to face was something insurmountable. What Erin gave these kids was something they could live and pass on! Throughout these stories, it's PROOF that your surroundings DO NOT have to make who you are or become!!
In 2007 a movie was made featuring the many experiences shared through both Erin and the students of Room 203 titled 'Freedom Writers' starring two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank as the remarkableteacher Erin Gruwell.
