"They grew up on the outside of society. They weren't looking for a fight. They were looking to belong."

THE OUTSIDERS
S.E. Hinton

In case you've ever wondered if one person can make things happen...... listen to this story:

Jo Ellen Misakian:

Chair, Educational Leadership Division
Director, Educational Technology / Designated Subjects / Teacher Librarian
Fresno Pacific University

BACK STORY:

Watching kids walking right past the library every day - and not dropping in -  Jo Ellen decided to do something about it.... motivate them.  In sending the letter, she took a big leap of faith that anything would happen at all. So it was a complete shock when a return letter showed up in her mailbox.  Jo Ellen says: " Part of me was terribly happy, but I am enough of a realist to wonder if it would ever come to fruition.".   But it  come to pass and the movie was a great success and made 'stars' out of it's young cast.

March 17, 1982

When the move came out Jo Ellen's little town was overcome with reporters - most notably the NY Times - and the movie stars and production folks who delighted in visiting with the students.

 

Check out what Zoetrope says about it: AMERICAN ZOETROPE: FILMS Today, the  movie is going through a re-mix and updating.  I asked Jo Ellen if she'd been in contact with Zoetrope: " Yes, Kim Aubry called and asked me to share photos, a copy of the video, any items we had  that he could use for his re-mastering project which contains our "story." "

And her students?  Thanks to the marvels of Facebook and other social networks, Jo Ellen is in contact with many of her former students...." many of us are FB friends. Just recently Studio 360, a program on public radio in NY, contacted me. They are producing a segment for "American Icons" and wanted to interview me and a student or two. So we have been discussing it on FB. The whole story is being rehashed."

If you ask me, this is a story in itself....and one well worth sharing!