Professor Azar Nafisi describes reading as a subversive activity

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Whenever I read the gripping accounts of oppressed women in other countries, I become very aware of how lucky I am to have been born into freedom here in the United States. One book that really made me grateful to be an American was Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, published in 2008.

In Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi, a female and Iranian professor, describes her experiences as an educator at the University of Tehran during the fundamentalist revolution of 1978. When she refused to submit to an order by the male-dominated administration to wear a veil, which she considered a symbol of oppression, she was expelled from the faculty. Nafisi continued to instruct, however, by leading an underground book club attended by like-minded Iranian women. The group met in Nafisi’s home every Thursday morning to study such forbidden Western classics as Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.

As an American, it amazes me that the simple pass-time of reading a book and talking about it with others could be considered a subversive activity in some countries. So many women worldwide still struggle to attain the liberties that many of the young girls in classrooms here at home take for granted.

Nafisi’s memoir is a transfixing example of resilience in the face of adversity. You can find this absorbing book on amazon.com at Reading Lolita in Tehran.

Gregory S. Clark: Social Studies teacher and member of Vermont House of Representatives

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Gregory S. Clark

Social Studies teacher and member of the Vermont House of Representatives Gregory S. Clark

Often classroom teachers make the most tenacious advocates for students and teachers once they get elected to political office. This is certainly the case with Gregory S. Clark, a high school social studies teacher who was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives.

Greg Clark was born on July 19, 1947, in the small town of Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont. He lived in Vergennes his entire life. Gregory attended Johnson State College, a small public liberal arts college located in Johnson, Vermont. The institution was founded in 1828. Greg earned his Bachelor’s degree there in 1970.

After his college graduation, Greg taught social studies at Mount Abraham Union High School in Bristol, Vermont. He taught there since 1994, nearly 20 years. “I know that he was very highly esteemed by his students,” fellow Vermont Representative Duncan Kilmarten once said.

At the beginning of his political career, Greg served as a deputy mayor and a city councilman in his home town. He was also a member of the Dorchester Masonic Lodge and the Addison County Eagles Club. In 2002, Greg was elected on the Republican ticket to the Vermont State House of Representatives. During his five terms in office, he was a member of the Committee on Education. “He was deeply invested in Vermont’s children and their education, and he worked hard to enhance Vermont’s education system,” remembered House Minority Leader Don Turner.

On November 30, 2012, Greg was clearing ice and snow from his windshield while pulled over on the shoulder of Route 7 while he was on his way to school. Sadly, he was hit by a car and killed. He was 65 years old.

You can read the obituary published about this amazing chalkboard champion at Obituary Gregory S. Clark or the article at Colleagues Remember Representative Greg Clark.

Chalkboard Heroes added to two more university libraries

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Terry Lee Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell with her book, Chalkboard Heroes.

I always get excited when I discover that one of my books has been added to the collection of yet another prestigious university library. Today I found out that my second book, Chalkboard Heroes (2015), has been added to the libraries of two more universities.

The book is now part of the Lilly Library of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. The volume has also been added to the Elihu Burritt Library located at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. In addition to these new libraries, the book has also been added to the collections of the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California; Chadron State University in Chadron, Nebraska; the University of Sourthern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and the University of Chicago Library in Chicago, Illinois.

My first book, Chalkboard Champions (2012), has been added to the collections of the University of Arizona, Tucson, and Berea College in Berea, Kentucky; Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota; the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; the State University of New York in Oswego, New York; Hunter College in New York, New York; Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey; Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts; and the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. It is also part of the collection of the Library of Congress.

Much appreciation to these universities for recognizing the value of my work!

Former English teacher Joy Behar now uses The View as her classroom

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Joy Behar

Former teacher and current talk show hostess Joy Behar.

Success in the classroom often leads to success in other fields requiring performance in front of an audience. One former educator who proves this to be true is comedienne, actress, and talk show hostess Joy Behar.

Joy was born Josephine Victoria Occhiuto on October 7, 1942, in Williamsburg in the Brooklyn area of New York. Her mother earned a living as a seamstress and her father worked as a truck driver. Joy earned her Bachelor’s degree from Queens College in 1964, and her Master’s in English Education from State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1966.

After her college graduation, Joy accepted a position as an English teacher at Lindenhurst Senior High School in Long Island, New York. She worked there for five years.

At the age of about 40, Joy decided to leave her classroom to pursue a career as a stand-up comic. By 1996 she had established herself as a comedienne, playing all the major venues. She also hosted a talk show on WABC-Radio. She has appeared in several movies: Cookie, This Is My Life, and Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery. In addition, she authored a book of humorous essays and stories called Joy Shtick — Or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments? She also wrote two children’s books about a dog named Sheetzucacapoopoo. But the former teacher is probably best known for her appearances on the daily talk show The View. She was hired for the program in 1997 after show creator Barbara Walters saw her perform at Milton Berle’s 89th birthday tribute.

Joy still has connections to the classroom. She is married to Steven Janowitz, a retired junior high school math teacher. And she sometimes is accused of treating her guests on The View as if she were their teacher. “Someone once told me I’m still teaching, only now I have a bigger classroom,” she once joked.

To read more about Joy Behar, click on ABC The View Co-Hosts

Tony Zuzzio: Teacher, coach, NFL player, and veteran

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Tony Zuzzio

Tony Zuzzio

Many fine athletes devote their considerable talent as educators and coaches after they have concluded their professional careers. This is certainly true of Tony Zuzzio, a long-time teacher and coach who once played professional football for the Detroit Lions.

Anthony Joseph Zuzzio was born on August 5, 1916, in Irvington, Essex County, New Jersey. He grew up in nearby Belleville, where he attended Belleville High School. As a teenager, Tony excelled at multiple sports. For his achievements as an athlete, Tony was inducted into his high school Hall of Fame in 1977.

Following his high school graduation, Tony enrolled in Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he played the position of tackle on the football team. While there he was named an All-American. Following his college experience, Tony played professional football in the National Football League (NFL). The 5’11”, 215-pound youth played as both a guard and a tackle for the Detroit Lions during the 1942 season.

Tony was a true American hero. During World War II, the former football star served his country in the armed services, where he earned an American Theater Ribbon, a Good Conduct Medal, and a World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

After his military service, Tony coached baseball in Coffeyville in Montgomery County, Kansas. There the consummate coach took his team to a national title. For the span of 34 years, Tony channeled his energy as a teacher and coach at nearby Edna High School in Kansas, then at Chetopa High School in Labette County, next at Elk City, Kansas, and finally at Humbolt High School in Humbolt, Kansas. In addition, from 1964 to 1966, Tony moonlighted as a professional scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On April 7, 2002, this chalkboard champion and American veteran passed away in Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas. He was 85 years old. He is interred at Mount Olive Roman Catholic Cemetery in Parsons, Kansas.