Sunday, June 10, 2007

Hello from Jeff

I thought I would enter, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century by creating this blog. I cannot imagine anyone will want to read this and/or answer if they do, but I would love to hear from old friends who happened upon this.

12 comments:

Helping Save Lives One Step At a Time said...

Hello there Mr Laffel! Hope you are feeling well in your "old age" ha!
Next time I am in town I will look you up again.

Jon Oswaks

Unknown said...

Are you THE Jeff Laffel, once of Elmont Memorial High School? Hi stranger. You may remember me or my contemporaries: Bill Munch, Doug Turshen, Art Sherwood, Larry Mass, Hessa Kadet, Paula and Toby Miller, etc?

How are you and what are you doing?
Still writing?
- Glenn Schiller

415 9th St., #31, Bklyn, NY 11215 said...

Hey Mr. Laffel, is this you (Elmont Memorial AP English?)

Hope happened by this blog, (nice job embracing the technology). I hope you're well.

I will never forget punishment duty in that basement theater after the 1990 senior prank.

if this IS you, i want you to know that i wrote a book. self-published. thinking of all the people who inspired me to use my brain for more than the memorization of sports stats, you are among those who come to mind. thanks for inspiring me to be more than the jock i wanted to be.

"Waking Up at Broomies" by Gary Nelson.

check it when you have a chance.

g

Carol Wade said...

The ever modest, lucid and cheerfully expository Mr. Jeff Laffel, ladies and gentlemen! (cacophanous applause...)

Ha ha, I was just remarking to a high school English teacher recently about how the person that saved my life was my own high school English teacher, a certain Mr. You Know Who. Not sure if you're just using this blog-front as an outpost to solicit shock, awe and praise (and email!), or if you've just been taking your sweet-a** time coming up with that sophomore smash for June 2008. But I know when a member of the EMHS crack Internet surveillance corps sent out the dispatch about your blog, I promptly replied, "That's the best news I've heard all year."

Don't want to ruin the modesty with anymore tarnishing praise, though (as I've been wont to do, SORRY!), so I'll wrap by saying, YOU'RE AWESOME, and still holding steady in the Top 3 Most Awesome and Influential People in Carol Wade's Life, like, Ever. Good work!

Polgara said...

Hello Mr. Laffel,

Hi this is Andrea DiPietra from the Class of '92. I just wanted to say that I think of you often and wondered how you were doing. I'm glad I stumbled upon your blog.

Polgara said...

Dear Mr. Laffel,

Hi this is Andrea DiPietra from the Class of '92. I just wanted to say that I think of you often and wondered how you were doing. I'm glad I stumbled upon your blog.

Polgara said...

Dear Mr. Laffel,

Hi this is Andrea DiPietra from the Class of '92. I just wanted to say that I think of you often and wondered how you were doing. I'm glad I stumbled upon your blog.

:)

Writergrrl said...

Hello, Mr. Laffel!
(sorry, it IS kinda weird referring to former teachers by their first names, even as a 30something.)

Nice to see you online and CONGRATS on completing the novel! I am approaching year six on my own novel and hope to finish it soon.

I am at my parents' house in Elmont for the weekend (I've lived in Los Angeles for the past 12+ years), and I turned on Turner Classic Movies (my passion), and West Side Story was on. Took me back to your English class.

I was an unremarkable student in your class, but I went on to be an English major at Carnegie Mellon and receive a journalism degree from Columbia. You definitely had an impact on my career path and appreciation for classic film; for that I am thankful!

I hope to see you at the EMHS reunion event in October!

Tricia Nelson
tricianelson.com

yogatim said...

Don't know if you got my previous message.
(I just joined the blogosphere..)
I'll be in NY next week.
760-846-0772
or yogatim8@yahoo.com
Tim Herr

Unknown said...

Hi Mr Laffel

Bob Grippo here! From film study way back in 1979! You indeed were key to my realizing my dream to write a book! I have written 2
"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" in 2004 and the new and just recently published "Macy's The Store, The Star, The Story" from Sq 1 Publishers. And I have kept my connection to Hollywood as you used to call me in high school having met Maureen O'Hara, Julie Andrews etc!

And from reading your blog your teaching had an impact on many of your students inspiring them to pursue their dreams!

Best and warmest regards,
Bob

Jeff Laffel said...

Been a long time since I had something to post on here, but last night's Oscar debacle prompted me to say a few words.

What makes a film BEST? How do we come up with that decision. LA LA LAND won most of the awards for which it was nominated including "best" director and "best" cinematography, yet MOONLIGHT, a truly beautiful film, yes, took Best Picture honors. How? Why?

In past years there have been some egregious picks. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE a better film than SAVING PRIVATE RYAN? I don't think so. CRASH as best film over BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN? Seriously? HIGH NOON or SINGIN'IN THE RAIN losing to the horrendous THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH? No prize for CITIZEN KANE or VERTIGO, considered today to be the top two greatest films ever made. Will MOONLIGHT be remembered as a classic film or will LA LA LAND? Or neither?

Of course the worst part of the whole thing was that mix up at the end. Imagine waiting for an acceptance letter to a college of your choice. The letter arrives. You took the last remaining spot. Celebration. Suddenly a special delivery letter arrives. Sorry. Wrong letter sent. You didn't make it at all. I felt so sad for both LA LA and MOONLIGHT. Hey, maybe in twenty years or so ARRIVAL will be considered a classic. As my beloved grandmother used to say, "Go figure!"

Unknown said...

The Oscars of 2017 will be remembered as the inexcusable "debacle"- diminishing the win for Moonlight I still can't fathom how this could have happened - and poor Faye Dunnaway !