Michael Sokolove

I found this book to be a bit disappointing. There really wasn't much new in this book that I had not read before either on sports social media or heard on sports broadcasting like ESPN etc. When I buy a book, like I did this one, my expectations to be better informed or entertained rise. Some of the book came off as repetition ( certain items were repeated twice or more.)

I never heard much more about some of the other colleges and coaches that got caught up in this scandal. This seems like big news for a few days and then just dropped off into a black hole. For example, I would like to have heard more about the situation at the University of Connecticut's basketball program. What got their coach in trouble and why was he fired?

Rick Pitino was a very good basketball coach. I never fully understood the issues with his one night affair and the subsequent trial. As a husband and human being, I'm not so sure how good he was or is. If you could borrow this book, it is worth a quick skim.… (mais)

Michael Sokolove's Drama High is the story of a brilliant teacher, a struggling town, and the magic of theater -- in that order. Even though I expected a book that primarily focused on theater, I enjoyed this homage to the influential career of theater teacher Lou Volpe.

The book is incredibly personal, written by a former student and town resident who stops to chronicle the town's history and his own experiences. Occasionally, balancing all of these topics made the book feel a little disorganized, but this may have been my own eagerness to read about the students and the plays.

My favorite parts of the book were the tales of the gripping student performances; by the end, I wanted to check out copies of the main productions and read them right away. But the sections of Volpe's life are touching, and the love for this teacher clearly shines through the book. A heartwarming read.… (mais)

It's hard to imagine that there will ever be a better trip through high school than this, as seen through the eyes of a former student of "Volp", a remarkable drama teacher in a rundown Pennsylvania town. Harry S. Truman High is where Broadway plays go to be auditioned for high school suitability, in the amazing hands of a life-changing theatrical producer masquerading as a teacher. The author takes us through a timely play about sexual abuse and the musical Spring Awakening, with a troupe of students who might be ordinary in any other context. There are athletes, stoners, nerds - all are encouraged and all revel in the magic synergy of the temporary family that grows from such an experience. The reader's only regret is that there is not a Volp at every school in the world. The author, born and raised in Levittown, PA, is so insightful about his town and how he rose from it and escaped, and he ruefully contrasts his family's life in upper class Bethesda, MD, with those who stayed. Sociology + Theatre = an unforgettable book.… (mais)

Eh. It's hard to write about theater. This felt like it would have been more effective if it had been a documentary, because Sokolove does a lot of telling us how amazing these kids are but not a whole lot of showing us. Also, it is mostly hagiography about Lou Volpe, who seems like he is quite amazing, and yet. I was a theater kid and my director was great and it saved my life in a lot of ways. It's a common story. I wish the book was less about Volpe and more about these kids, because that's the truly interesting part: his legacy.… (mais)