Thoughts of an ailing Frank McCourt

July

With news reports saying writer Frank McCourt is gravely ill, I began to recall his work and how generous he was with his time to readers in the Lohud region.

A Pulitizer Prize-winning author for “Angela’s Ashes,” he spoke often and candidly about writing and that speaking your own mind was the best way to write well. He knew his craft as an English and creative writing teacher in New York City for three decades. In his bestselling book he shared his own story about his bleak upbringing in Ireland. While he told of dark times, we saw inspiration and the strength of survival.

As commencement speaker in 1999 at Manhattanville College, he was quoted in The Journal News as saying: ‘’ I learned for nearly 30 years in a classroom. I thought I was teaching. They thought I was teaching. I was learning. ‘’

He often visited Lohud region.

In 1997, my first year with this newspaper, he spoke at the Clear View School in Scarborough for a fundraiser with Rosie O’Donnell. I remember it because I was charged with writing an advance story on the event. His neice was a student there and he felt he wanted to help the school’s efforts.

Through the years he spoke at Westchester Community College’s literary forum, participated in St. Patrick’s Day events in Peekskill, and joined in forums at many libraries including those in Bronxville, Mt. Pleasant and Ossining.

(Photo of McCourt outside the Mt. Pleasant Public Library where he autographed his book Angela’s Ashes. Photo for The Journal News by Hai Do, 1999)

This entry was posted on Friday, July 17th, 2009 at 4:37 pm by Barbara Nackman.
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2 Responses to “Thoughts of an ailing Frank McCourt”

Randi Weiner July 20th, 2009 at 8:55 am
I was sorry to hear of his death yesterday. I heard him at a lecture he did for writers, and the following year got to meet him first-hand when he was in my neck of the woods doing some theater for Blooms Day—the celebration of author James Joyce. My band played incidental music for the play and he was kind enough to pose with us. A really, really nice guy.
Barbara Nackman July 21st, 2009 at 12:14 pm
How special that you not only got to meet him but share some music with him. This is surely a good time to read or re-read his books.

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