Jean Gabl
asked
Janet Cantor:
I truly appreciate your passion, and that you have been willing to express gratitude to people who have brought you joy through work you value. Can you tell us more about your experience as a teacher? What have been some of the highlights and lowlights?
Janet Cantor
I was a math teacher. But my book is not about my teaching experience. My book is about letters I have written to well known people and the responses I have received.
It was always astonishing to me that important people in their fields, and great people took the time to write me and often went to great lengths to explain their motivations and share their personal feelings.
When I wrote, my rule was never to invade people's private lives, but only to express my gratitude. My life has been enriched by these letters I received in response and sometimes I even became friendly with these movers and shakers of our time. I thought these letters should not be lost and that is why I wrote my book.
Some of my readers have been lovely and expressed excitement in their reactions to what I wrote.
There are some coups!
Here are two of them:
When my editor told National Book Award winner, the eminent Professor Carlos Eire about the book I intended to write, even before I had written one word, he became excited about the idea of the book and volunteered to write a Foreword. I am so thrilled with what he wrote. Who wouldn't be?
and
When I asked Sir Richard Eyre of the National Theatre in London for permission to include his obituary of my beloved actor friend, Michael Bryant, he said yes, and I am so proud to have that in my book.
If anyone likes the performing arts and literature, there is much to enjoy, I think, in reading why book.
Since I wrote my book it has taken on a new meaning for me.
The subtitle is about love and gratitude. And the world seems to be forgetting these things. Lots of the protesters and blockers of speakers at universities and complainers and whiners looking for safe spaces forgot about love and gratitude - gratitude for our Founding Fathers, The Constitution and love for G-d and for our wonderful free country.
I want love and gratitude brought back to public discussion.
It was always astonishing to me that important people in their fields, and great people took the time to write me and often went to great lengths to explain their motivations and share their personal feelings.
When I wrote, my rule was never to invade people's private lives, but only to express my gratitude. My life has been enriched by these letters I received in response and sometimes I even became friendly with these movers and shakers of our time. I thought these letters should not be lost and that is why I wrote my book.
Some of my readers have been lovely and expressed excitement in their reactions to what I wrote.
There are some coups!
Here are two of them:
When my editor told National Book Award winner, the eminent Professor Carlos Eire about the book I intended to write, even before I had written one word, he became excited about the idea of the book and volunteered to write a Foreword. I am so thrilled with what he wrote. Who wouldn't be?
and
When I asked Sir Richard Eyre of the National Theatre in London for permission to include his obituary of my beloved actor friend, Michael Bryant, he said yes, and I am so proud to have that in my book.
If anyone likes the performing arts and literature, there is much to enjoy, I think, in reading why book.
Since I wrote my book it has taken on a new meaning for me.
The subtitle is about love and gratitude. And the world seems to be forgetting these things. Lots of the protesters and blockers of speakers at universities and complainers and whiners looking for safe spaces forgot about love and gratitude - gratitude for our Founding Fathers, The Constitution and love for G-d and for our wonderful free country.
I want love and gratitude brought back to public discussion.
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more