Front Row Center (2024)

20/02/2024

"Getting married meant I had to give up my job as a stewardess for Pan Am, a job I loved."--Mary Higgins Clark. The year was 1949. She was 21 and ready and eager to quit her comfortable secretarial job and take a pay cut to travel the world as a stewardess. That 21 year old would eventually blossom into a best-selling author..."Queen of Suspense" …...

“Getting married meant I had to give up my job as a stewardess for Pan Am, a job I loved.”–Mary Higgins Clark. The year was 1949. She was 21 and ready and eager to quit her comfo…

23/01/2024

"It looked like any summer camp in America. It looked normal. But it wasn't normal. It was N**i camp." If you've ever gone to summer camp as a kid, you probably joined your Girl or Boy Scout pals... or devout parishioners from your place of worship... or fellow musical theater wannabes itching to put on a show under a blanket of stars. ...

“It looked like any summer camp in America. It looked normal. But it wasn’t normal. It was N**i camp.” If you’ve ever gone to summer camp as a kid, you probably joined yo…

08/12/2023

"My family is the greatest joy in my life," says 93-year-old Norman Lear at the close of Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, the 2016 documentary profile of the trailblazing TV writer/producer filmed for American Masters by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. Norman Lear continued to live his best life throughout his 90s, and passed away on December 5, 2023 at the age of 101....

“My family is the greatest joy in my life,” says 93-year-old Norman Lear at the close of Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, the 2016 documentary profile of the trailblazing TV wr…

03/05/2023

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."-- Maya Angelou. I've always loved the bird songs that herald the first signs of Spring in my garden. I even return the calls to some of my favorite songbirds during the daylight hours, especially the Mockingbirds, those versatile song stylists that actually pause, listen and attempt to replicate my lame attempts at mimicry. ...

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”– Maya Angelou. I’ve always loved the bird songs that herald the first signs of Spring in m…

18/04/2023

"I always sang. When I got into the camp, that's what saved my life."--David Wisnia. In the touching new, hour-long documentary, How Saba Kept Singing, David "Saba" Wisnia recalls the day he found his parents and younger brother murdered by the N**is in their Warsaw, Poland, home. As he cradled his mother's lifeless body in his arms, he was convinced that he had nothing left to live for....

“I always sang. When I got into the camp, that’s what saved my life.”–David Wisnia. In the touching new, hour-long documentary, How Saba Kept Singing, David “Saba& #82…

20/02/2023

"It was supposed to be a critique of capitalism. It turned out to be a celebration of it." Ever play Monopoly as a kid? Ever actually win the game? Or did every sit-down with America's "favorite board game" begin with good intentions and high expectations and end in a quagmire of acrimony? If so, you are not alone. If, like me, you remember those endless rabble-rousing, character assassinating…...

“It was supposed to be a critique of capitalism. It turned out to be a celebration of it.” Ever play Monopoly as a kid? Ever actually win the game? Or did every sit-down with Americ…

02/11/2022

"They are architects, engineers, and consummate woodworkers." Woodpeckers don't sing, but they have an unmistakable voice. They live on every continent except Antarctica and Australia and are surprisingly adaptive to extreme temperatures and climate change. Their lineage is ancient, their coloring and markings are distinctive, and some are among the largest birds on the planet. Woodpeckers breed and feed in compact, finely chiseled holes that their hammerlike heads and sharp beaks drill in the trunks of dead or dying trees, cacti and clay hills....

“They are architects, engineers, and consummate woodworkers.” Woodpeckers don’t sing, but they have an unmistakable voice. They live on every continent except Antarctica and Austr…

26/10/2022

"Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must--at that moment--become the center of the universe."--Eli Wiesel. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel (1928-2016) would no doubt applaud filmmaker Trish Adlesic's mission to return to the site of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack on American soil. Her latest film, …...

“Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must–at that moment–become the center of the universe.”–Eli Wies…

18/09/2022

"I feel a sense of urgency. We're not trying to equate anything with the Holocaust. That would be a horrible, horrible thing to do. We're just saying: 'Let's not get there again as human beings, please, let's not get there again.'"--Ken Burns. I was a child when I first met a Holocaust survivor. It was innocent enough...a pleasant Sunday visit with my my dad's brother, my aunt and cousins in Irvington, NJ, in the late Fifties. ...

“I feel a sense of urgency. We’re not trying to equate anything with the Holocaust. That would be a horrible, horrible thing to do. We’re just saying: ‘Let’s not get …

05/06/2022

"When an assault weapon is used in a mass shooting, it can lead to six times as many people shot than with other guns."--Everytownresearch.org

Of the 26 dead, most are children,” reported NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt to a nation stunned by the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. Six educators and 20 six- and seven-year-old students were murdered that day in their classrooms by an emotionally disturbed young man armed with sophisticated handguns and a semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifle snatched from his mother’s exotic gun collection. ...

http://judithtrojan.com/2022/06/05/uvalde-massacre-tragically-mirrors-newtown-school-shooting/

“When an assault weapon is used in a mass shooting, it can lead to six times as many people shot than with other guns.”–Everytownresearch.org “Of the 26 dead, most are children,” …

04/04/2022

Writer, printer, newspaper publisher, humorist, pundit, educator, scientist, inventor, postmaster, politician, diplomat, abolitionist, patriot. The list of Benjamin Franklin's accomplishments and aphorisms is long, storied and impossible to condense effectively in one short film, book or review. But Award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns has successfully managed to corral and explore many facets of this extraordinary American in his new, two-part, four hour PBS documentary, …...

http://judithtrojan.com/2022/04/04/ken-burns-celebrates-patriot-benjamin-franklin-on-pbs/

Writer, printer, newspaper publisher, humorist, pundit, educator, scientist, inventor, postmaster, politician, diplomat, abolitionist, patriot. The list of Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments…

18/03/2022

"They will not break us."--Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. If, like me, you've been anxious to find out more about the courageous Ukrainian president who, in just a few short weeks, has touched the hearts and minds of freedom lovers the world over, Zelenskyy: The Man Who Took on Putin is a great place to start. The new half-hour documentary debuting on PBS tonight, March 18, 2022, 10:30 - 11:00 p.m./ET is just the ticket....

http://judithtrojan.com/2022/03/18/zelenskyy-the-man-who-took-on-putin-debuts-on-pbs/

“They will not break us.”–Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. If, like me, you’ve been anxious to find out more about the courageous Ukrainian president who, in just a …

15/03/2022

"What is this feeling? It's the feeling of being believed!"-- actress Evan Rachel Wood. It's clear that even as a young teen, actress Evan Rachel Wood had affinity for edgy dramas. But, as it turns out, her film roles were tame compared to the drama that played out in her real life. A victim of shocking domestic violence and sexual assault, Wood was lucky to survive....

http://judithtrojan.com/2022/03/15/actress-evan-rachel-wood-outs-her-abuser-in-hbos-phoenix-rising/

“What is this feeling? It’s the feeling of being believed!”– actress Evan Rachel Wood. It’s clear that even as a young teen, actress Evan Rachel Wood had affinit…

07/02/2022

“You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing!”--actress Brooke Shields. Ms. Shields' seductive pose and vampish delivery in that controversial 1980 TV commercial shocked the nation. She was only 15 at the time, but her fetching gaze most assuredly earned Calvin Klein a boatload of cash. Where would we be without our jeans, and how did they become the iconic garment that none of us, no matter what our age, race, socio-economic level, sexual orientation or BMI, can do without?...

http://judithtrojan.com/2022/02/07/director-anna-lee-strachan-unzips-the-history-of-jeans-in-riveted-on-pbs/

“You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing!”–actress Brooke Shields. Ms. Shields’ seductive pose and vampish delivery in that controversial 1980 TV commercial shoc…

12/01/2022

"What would I find out if I invited an octopus into my home?" --Professor David Scheel, Alaska Pacific University. Dr. David Scheel asked himself that question after spending more than two decades studying rare octopus species in remote regions around the world. So the marine biologist decided that the time was right to move his work to a more hospitable environment closer to home......

http://judithtrojan.com/2022/01/12/octopus-is-people-pleaser-on-pbs-nature-and-in-oscar-winning-documentary/

“What would I find out if I invited an octopus into my home?” –Professor David Scheel, Alaska Pacific University. Dr. David Scheel asked himself that question after spending more …

13/12/2021

"We don't play down to kids. We just have a very short audience."--Joe Raposo, Sesame Street composer. There are few more pleasurable strolls than the one kids take every day down Sesame Street. Since its debut on public TV on November 10, 1969, Sesame Street immediately put a new face on preschool education. Under the auspices of the nonprofit educational organization, Children's Television Workshop (now known as Sesame Workshop), its staff of visionary educators, programmers, writers, performers, puppeteers, filmmakers, designers and composers were encouraged from the start to experiment and redefine the scope of educational TV....

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/12/13/street-gang-how-we-got-to-sesame-street-bows-on-hbo/

“We don’t play down to kids. We just have a very short audience.”–Joe Raposo, Sesame Street composer. There are few more pleasurable strolls than the one kids take every da…

24/11/2021

"I realized that this was going to be a very personal, emotional ride for me, and not just a science experiment."--Joe Hutto, wildlife artist & naturalist. What better way to usher in the Thanksgiving holiday than with a film about one man's remarkable relationship with a clutch of young turkeys...the wild kind that is, not their farm-raised cousins served up on a platter for Thanksgiving dinner....

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/11/24/my-life-as-a-turkey-makes-timely-return-to-pbs-nature/

“I realized that this was going to be a very personal, emotional ride for me, and not just a science experiment.”–Joe Hutto, wildlife artist & naturalist. What better way to u…

20/10/2021

"The hum of bees is the voice of the garden."--renowned landscape architect Elizabeth Lawrence. As a kid, family gardens were my playground. What happy memories my cousins, friends and I forged among those beautiful flowers and that tasty vegetation. But frankly, we took it all for granted. I had no idea how much work it took for my grandparents to maintain their robust crop of vegetables, flowers, fruit trees and vines, or my mom to plant, w**d and water her lovely flowers year after year....

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/10/20/my-garden-of-a-thousand-bees-makes-buzzworthy-debut-on-pbs-nature/

“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.”–renowned landscape architect Elizabeth Lawrence. As a kid, family gardens were my playground. What happy memories my cousins, friends…

05/10/2021

"I always wanted to be a movie star."--Rita Moreno. Rita Moreno's dreams of movie stardom did come true, and then some. A boatload of prestigious awards and honors continues to replenish her trophy shelf and cap her amazing 70-year career, including an EGOT--she is the rare performer and the first Latina to have won an Emmy (2!), Grammy, Oscar…...

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/10/05/rita-moreno-just-a-girl-who-decided-to-go-for-it-debuts-on-pbs/

“I always wanted to be a movie star.”–Rita Moreno. Rita Moreno’s dreams of movie stardom did come true, and then some. A boatload of prestigious awards and honors continues …

31/08/2021

"My father was a firefighter on 9/11. I never met him."-- Megan Fehling, born October 2001. September 11, 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Sadly, the number of casualties continues to grow. 9/11 First Responders have faced chronic illness and many have succumbed to cancer. And those who lost loved ones continue to carry the debilitating burden of grief....

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/08/31/new-pbs-doc-profiles-7-young-adults-who-lost-dads-on-9-11/

“My father was a firefighter on 9/11. I never met him.”– Megan Fehling, born October 2001. September 11, 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Sadly, th…

14/08/2021

“I had a very specific vision. I wanted to tell a story about home and the people I grew up with and yet make it entertaining and wrap a mystery around it."--Brad Ingelsby, screenwriter and creator, Mare of Easttown. Brad Ingelsby, the Emmy®-nominated creator and screenwriter of the HBO limited series, Mare of Easttown, didn't have to dig too deeply to recreate the Central PA working-class milieu that drives the series' gripping family drama and murder mystery. ...

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/08/14/mare-of-easttown-nabs-16-emmy-nods-and-an-upcoming-hbo-marathon/

“I had a very specific vision. I wanted to tell a story about home and the people I grew up with and yet make it entertaining and wrap a mystery around it.”–Brad Ingelsby, screenwriter …

14/07/2021

“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.”--Aesop. I love birds... and have loved them since I bonded with my chatty, cuddly (yes, cuddly!) little parakeet pal as a kid. I also love gardening. I weathered "pandemic isolation" by building a wildlife-friendly habitat in my backyard. It's amazing how much pleasure you can derive watching birds of various shapes, sizes and personalities feeding and nest building in your garden and jockeying for a cooling drink or a splash in an inviting birdbath....

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/07/14/super-hummingbirds-fly-again-on-pbs-nature/

“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.”–Aesop. I love birds… and have loved them since I bonded with my chatty, cuddly (yes, cuddly!) little parakeet pal as a kid. I also …

21/06/2021

"A violent crime never ends with a victim. A singular act reverberates, its wounds appearing in other people, sometimes months and years later. The pain ricochets."--Michelle McNamara. Nothing fascinates me more than twisty murder mysteries and psychological thrillers. Binging on smart fiction and nonfiction PBS and HBO whodunits helped me survive the pandemic shutdown and take a much-needed break from the political horror show playing out on the news every night. ...

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/06/21/hbos-ill-be-gone-in-the-dark-returns-with-gripping-new-episode/

“A violent crime never ends with a victim. A singular act reverberates, its wounds appearing in other people, sometimes months and years later. The pain ricochets.”–Michelle McNam…

31/05/2021

"My interest, my belief, my obsession is that the arts liberate a person's heart and mind to all kinds of possibilities."--Jacques d'Amboise. I don't think I'll ever meet anyone quite like Jacques d'Amboise again. Jacques was so full of life and so engaged with whomever crossed his path at any given moment. And lucky me, I was one of those people! ...

http://judithtrojan.com/2021/05/31/remembering-jacques-damboise-1934-2021/

“My interest, my belief, my obsession is that the arts liberate a person’s heart and mind to all kinds of possibilities.”–Jacques d’Amboise. I don’t think I& #821…

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