As current President of the Lewis Carroll Society, I occasionally receive requests for interviews or expert answers to various Carrollian questions.  I recently gave an interview to Glance magazine, and now this month I gave another to the Wall Street Journal in conjunction with the upcoming spate of adult-oriented movies based on children’s books, [...]]]> Carrollian Interviews!

As current President of the Lewis Carroll Society, I occasionally receive requests for interviews or expert answers to various Carrollian questions.  I recently gave an interview to Glance magazine, and now this month I gave another to the Wall Street Journal in conjunction with the upcoming spate of adult-oriented movies based on children’s books, including Tim Burton’s upcoming riff on Alice in Wonderland, which opens 3/5/2010.  The WSJ journalist and I spoke for 90 minutes, and one sentence made it into the article.  That’s showbiz!  I also answered an expertise question for the staff of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?  They wanted to know whether Lewis Carroll had coined the word “snark.”  Answer: To the best of our knowledge, yes!  I told them he also came up with the term “portmanteau word” to describe a word that in today’s lingo would be called a “mash-up” of two words.  Example: his word “slithy” could be a combination of “lithe” and “slimy”.  Carroll’s works, including the famous poem Jabberwocky, are full of portmanteau words.  Speaking of game shows, there’s a Carrollian question on Jeopardy and a clue/answer in the New York Times crossword puzzle about once a week.  His works are that much a part of our popular culture.

I hosted the fall meeting of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America on 10/17.  The focus was on early film versions of the Alice stories, and the meeting included a screening of the rare “Bud” Pollard version — the first “talkie” Alice in Wonderland — filmed in the early 1930’s [...]]]> Alice in Fort Lee, NJ!

I hosted the fall meeting of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America on 10/17.  The focus was on early film versions of the Alice stories, and the meeting included a screening of the rare “Bud” Pollard version — the first “talkie” Alice in Wonderland — filmed in the early 1930’s right there in Fort Lee, NJ!  Who knew Fort Lee was an early film capitol?  A fascinating meeting, and a great children’s reading at nearby Elementary School #4.

I’m delighted to report that I was unanimously re-elected as President of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America for another two-year term.  It’s a lot of work, but literacy is such a worthy cause!

This not-for-profit organization’s efforts include educational outreach in the form of readings and performances from the works of Lewis Carroll.  Twice a year I go to schools and give free readings from either Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass and What [...]]]> I was elected President of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America (LCSNA).

This not-for-profit organization’s efforts include educational outreach in the form of readings and performances from the works of Lewis Carroll.  Twice a year I go to schools and give free readings from either Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.  If you know a school that would like a reading, or for more information, please visit www.lewiscarroll.org .