OF MICE AND MEN

Peter Josyph via ZOOM

Often banned from libraries and public schools for as many as six different reasons, John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel chronicles the troubled life of two itinerant dreamers in Depression era California: Lennie, who is mentally disabled, and George, his caretaker-companion. Steinbeck wrote it as a playable novel; a stageable version was first performed in 1937, and again recently on Broadway in 2014, starring James Franco. The latest cinema adaptation premiered in 1992. Directed by Gary Sinese and starring Sinese as George and John Malkovich as Lennie, it was adapted by Horton Foote, inspiring Roger Ebert to say: “The story is as pure and lean as the original fable which formed in Steinbeck’s mind.... They have a quiet triumph”; In the first session we will discuss the novel and the process of adaptation in which Foote made several changes to the original. The second session will be a lively discussion of the film, which is available on DVD and for streaming through Amazon Prime on your own during the week between the two classes.

 [A Zoom link will be sent to you prior to each session, typically on the day before your class and the morning of your class.  If you have any questions or need help getting online, feel free to call us at 516-480-5733 and we’ll get right back to you with assistance.]