Author Archives: beth

Saturday, Nov 8, 2:00pm at the Noble Maritime Collection, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Building D, Staten Island NY 10301

It is well known that the character of Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird is based on Truman Capote, Harper Lee’s childhood friend. Similarly, Harper Lee inspired Idabel, Capote’s pivotal character in his breakthrough novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms. Their friendship continued into adulthood, as Lee worked closely with Capote on research and writing for Capote’s In Cold Blood.

Staten Island OutLOUD hosts an afternoon of readings & conversation on Harper Lee, and Truman Capote. Our special guest is Staten Island writer/publisher Danforth Prince, co-author of Pink Triangle, which examines Capote’s life and work. 

Friday, Nov 7, 2:30pm at the St George Library Center, 5 Central Ave, SINY 10301

A free screening of the Academy Award-winning film version of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Sunday, Nov 2, 2pm at the Alice Austen House Museum, 2 Hylan Blvd, SINY 10305.

We’ll enjoy Harper Lee’s hilarious “missionary tea” chapter in To Kill a Mockingbird.   You’ll also hear what some Southerners say about Yanks – funny but true!   We may also share a few of their recipes.  Free & open to the public.  .

Friday, Oct 24 at 7:00pm  at Staten Island Academy, 715 Todt Hill Road, SINY 10304

The students, faculty & parents of Staten Island Academy invite you to join us for a reading & conversation about To Kill a Mockingbird.  We’ll gather in the atrium of Haugen Hall, at the school’s main entrance.  Free & open to the public.

Co-hosted by SIA literature teacher Elise Faust.  Our reading will be accompanied by an exhibit of art created by the students of SIA art teacher Kristi Pfister. The exhibit will open on Friday, October 24, and will run through Tuesday, November 25.

To Kill a Mockingbird is hailed as an unusual novel for many reasons, including the fact that  young children – especially a little girl – act heroically.  As we read excerpts from the novel, we’ll share ideas on childhood, on coming-of-age, and on the courage inherent in youth.

Plenty of free parking in the front lot, and on surrounding streets.

Wednesday, Oct 22, 4pm at SI Children’s Museum, 1000 Richmond Terrace, SINY 10301

Staten Island OutLOUD brings the Big Read to the Staten Island Children’s Museum, for a special program for young readers.  We’ll share a beautiful book about Ruby Bridges, the brave little girl who helped desegregate a public school in the Deep South.  We’ll also share a few surprises.  Join us!

Sunday, Oct 19, 7:30pm at Deep Tanks Studio, 150 Bay St (near Victory Blvd), SINY 10301

Join Staten Island OutLOUD for a reading & conversation on how Horton Foote converted Harper Lee’s novel into a screenplay.  This event is hosted by New York film maker Josh Apter.

The celebrated dramatist Horton Foote won an Academy Award winner for his screenplay adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which premiered in 1962. Foote’s dazzling career encompassed film, theater and television over a span of 70 years. One of his best-known works for television was The Trip to Bountiful, starring Lillian Gish.  Horton Foote’s Mockingbird screenplay has been universally lauded as one of the finest and most literate visual translations of a novel for the screen.

Film maker & editor Josh Apter, who will compare & contrast the novel and the screenplay, is President & founder of Manhattan Edit Workshop (www.mewshop.com).  After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Josh attended NYU’s Graduate Film Program, where his film, The 53rd Calypso, was honored with the Martin Scorsese Award for achievement in directing. The film, which stars Edward Norton, received numerous awards for directing, editing, and cinematography at film festivals across the country.

For his first feature as director, Kaaterskill Falls, Josh was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards – the John Cassavetes Award and Best Debut Performance. Kaaterskill Falls was also awarded the Critic’s Jury Prize at the IFP/West Los Angeles film Festival. It screened on the Sundance Channel, and Is available wherever movies are sold, rented or streamed. Josh is completing his second feature as writer/director, an urban romance titled, Delivery Method.

Josh has worked in all areas of filmmaking, from location sound recordist on numerous feature films, to videographer for Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation, where he recorded the testimonies of over 150 Holocaust survivors. As a film editor, Josh has worked on over ten feature films including The Holy Land (winner Slamdance FF/Cavu Pictures Distributor), Kaaterskill Falls and Barbecue is a Noun (Audience Award for best Documentary at the Rome International Film Festival and the River Run Film Festival).

From his love of post-production, Josh founded Manhattan Edit Workshop in 2002. MEWShop is an Apple, Avid and Adobe and Autodesk Authorized Training Center offering a variety of classes in the art and technique of film editing. With clients ranging from Rainbow Media, HBO, NBC and CNN, Manhattan Edit Workshop has become the premier training destination for the highest-level content creators and media professionals.

As a filmmaker, Josh is always producing, shooting and editing projects of all shapes and sizes.