Turning the Page 2014

On 11/18/14, I had the privilege of taking part in another Community Night event for the Washington DC organization Turning the Page. My talk, held at Kramer Middle School, was open to students and their parents.

TTP posted a most kind blog recap of the event. Excerpts:

Mr. Nobleman led his talk as if he was telling a detective story.

…

Attendees were amazed to learn that Mr. Nobleman’s painstaking investigative journalism actually led him to discover an unknown heir of Bill Finger, one of the creators of Batman, who is now receiving money from DC Comics for her grandfather’s work. Kramer families were so curious and excited about Mr. Nobleman’s tale that they could hardly contain their questions until the end. It was an inspiring presentation that touched on creativity, ownership of ideas, copyright, and the importance of perseverance and storytelling to shape and correct history.

…

Mr. Nobleman’s author visit was an important step in reaching a new and wider sector of the Kramer community, from teachers to students and parents to other partner organizations. For many Kramer families and teachers, this was their first-ever Community Night. “When’s the next one?” they asked me on their way out. “I’m gonna write a book like that about the Green Lantern.”

Naturally, I adore that last line.

Thank you, as always, TTP, for your many good works in the DC region. Many benefit from your efforts.

Open Book and Turning the Page

I was honored to recently participate in two Washington DC literacy-themed events on the same day, 3/12/13. Both bring authors of books for young people to schools that do not have the resources to do so on their own.

In the afternoon, I spoke at Bancroft Elementary under the auspices of Open Book. Thanks to a generous contribution from the Junior League, every student in the audience received a signed copy of one of my books. (To be clear, the Junior League contributed the books. I contributed the signature.)

That evening, I made my fourth appearance at a school for Turning the Page, this time at the Walker-Jones Education Campus. 

I especially loved the school Internet password:

I spoke first to a combined group of parents and their children (ranging from itty bitty to what looked like middle schoolers if not high schoolers). Then the kids left for superhero-themed activities and I took questions from the parents.

After, I signed books that were, again, generously provided, this time by TTP. One woman who got a Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman signed then asked “What can I do to help you fight for Bill Finger?”

I told her she just did.

Whether or not you buy or even read my book, please share the story of Bill Finger. Awareness will lead to action. Action may lead to redemption.

Turning the Page #3

On 11/9/11, I took part in my third Community Night event for the Washington D.C. organization Turning the Page. The format is this:

1. I show up on time, thanks to the Metro. (This is compared to last year, when I showed up with mere minutes to spare, thanks to the traffic.)
2. I eat.
3. I speak for 20-30 minutes to an audience of families.
4. The kids break go to different rooms for mentor-run activities.
5. I answer questions from the parents for 30 minutes.
6. I sign books that the organization generously purchased for every attending family.
7. I try to find my way back home.

At Tyler Elementary, whose students, parents, and hallways all impressed me, I had an opening act, and they blew me away. Accompanied by a slide show, three young ladies read a short poem entitled "If I Could Be a Superhero," which I later learned is by Steve Lazarowitz. Superman is the only DC hero name-checked in it, but I liked it anyway. Here are murky shots of the last lines:


The books that Turning the Page donated to attendees:

And courtesy of Lee Ziesche and Turning the Page, a few presentation shots:

Waiting for "Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman"

On 2/17/11, I took part in my second Community Night event for the Washington D.C. organization Turning the Page. The format is this:

1. I show up 15 minutes later than requested but still 15 minutes prior to the official start (D.C. driving is so confusing in general and rush hour feels worse than New York’s; by the way, I didn’t see a sign in time, if there even is one, but yes, that street in front of the school is one-way.)
2. They feed me.
3. I speak for 30 minutes to an audience of families.
4. The kids break into groups and go to different rooms for mentor-run activities.
5. I answer questions from the parents for 30 minutes.
6. I sign books that the organization generously purchased for every attending family.
7. I try to find my way back home.

The school was Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary. This is a school that shows its heart in multiple ways. My favorite: when its principal introduced herself, she looked me in the eye and clasped my hand for at least 10 seconds, if not more.

One parent asked me what my book Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman has to do with that recent “Superman movie.” It soon became clear that she was referring to the (riveting, harrowing, and shamefully not-Oscar-nominated) 2010 documentary Waiting for ‘Superman,’ which is about the broken American education system and the hope that a “Superman” will arrive to save it. Though my book and the film have nothing to do with one another, it was a fitting setting in which to ask that question since some D.C. schools are famously among the neediest in the country.

The Turning the Page staff are saints. They are communicative. They are more than welcoming to their guests. When the parental questions were slow to start, they got things going with thoughtful questions of their own. That coaxed out others, and then it was one question upon another.

This is not just a good deed to TTP. They care about the people in these communities beyond an evening event several times a year. They know their names, their stories. They love their children.

And I think that—not the authors, or the free books, or even the free popcorn chicken and salad—is what keeps people coming back and motivates them to get involved.

Turning the Page #1

From 2001 to 2010, I had the honor of volunteering for an enriching New York City program called Authors Read Aloud (part of an organization called Learning Leaders). I was one of a group of authors who visited with students in underfunded New York City schools (mine were always in the Bronx).

Each author would meet with two classes per visit, four times a year; this setup allowed the authors and students to develop more of a personal ongoing relationship. This struck me as the genius of the program. It enabled more growth than a one-off presentation and gave everyone (including the authors) something to look forward to.

During the summer of 2010, I moved from Connecticut to Maryland. Authors Read Aloud doesn't (yet) exist in the Washington DC area. Sad as I was to say goodbye to that program, in my new environment I stumbled upon another program that may help fill that emotional gap.

On 11/4/10, I volunteered for the first time for a Washington DC program called Turning the Page.

It, too, sends volunteer authors to schools in lower-income neighborhoods, but beyond that, the structures diverge.

A Turning the Page author goes to schools after hours, as part of what they call community nights. After we eat dinner together, the author gives a short presentation for the kids—and their parents. Then the kids leave for mentoring while the author conducts a (fairly lengthy, as these things go) Q&A session with just the parents. The families get not only a free meal but also a free, signed book.

And therein lies the genius of this program.

Moms, dads, grandparents, and/or guardians who are actively interested in writing and reading send a powerful message to their kids. Motivated parents = motivated students.

Further, TTP buys a supply of the author's books in advance, and each child whose parent attends the event gets a signed copy at no charge. Before that, however, the books serve vital purpose:

On a side note, my book about Superman has given schools an easy way to promote positive attitude, though each school I've seen pounce on this has gone about it differently. To wit:

As of now, the only TTP-related stumper I'm grappling with is this: Parents who would take the time to attend a TTP event are probably already vested in their children's education. They may still benefit from what an author has to say, but they won't need convincing of the value of their presence there.

So besides food and fun and books, what else can we do to attract the parents who don't go?