James McSherry, the author of A Clean Street’s A Happy Street, and filmmaker and producer Wayne Gurman, visited eighth grade students at I.S. 192 on Thursday, February 11 to discuss McSherry’s book and upcoming short film project.
Students in English Language Arts teacher Amy Bernardo’s eighth grade classes asked questions of the author after having read his autobiography about growing up in Throggs Neck with a often-absent father and a mentally ill mother. McSherry overcame obstacles to graduate from Columbia University, emerging as a successful writer who is now branching out into film with Poetry Man.
“Poetry Man is another story from my life – an ironic story about a murder,” McSherry said, as he autographed books for the students. “The reason I am doing a short film first is that the screenplay based on A Clean Street’s A Happy Street is going to be a period piece set in the 1960s and 70s. Period films are usually very costly. We are looking to make some money and then move on to that project.”
McSherry talked to the students about the good heartedness of his mother, despite her battles with illness. The producer of Poetry Man, Wayne Gurman, already created the film festival entrant Bronx Paradise – which is also set in the borough. For more information about McSherry, visit www.jamesmcsherry.com.
