John Phillip Santos at Hartley House
New York, NY
May 22-26, 2000

1999 National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction, John Phillip Santos, visited Hartley House, located in the heart of Hell's Kitchen, New York City, from May 22-26.

In preparation for John's visit, the Foundation donated copies of his award-winning book, Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation, to each participating ELS adult student and high school student.

John started his initial meeting with each group by having participants tell their name and where they and their parents were born. He wanted them to recognize that America is becoming a land of people from all over the world, rich with ancient stories. He said that their stories need to be told in order to create a better understanding between peoples.

Over the course of the week, John also met with ESL adult students who hailed from Iran, Poland, Hong Kong, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Morocco. He discussed how he came to write Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation, a family memoir that blends pre-Columbian mythology and the histories of Texas and Mexico, which led students to conclude that the best way to find their story is to study their past.

John encouraged high school students not only to read, but to read critically. He also discussed the importance of finding ways to nurture creativity, beginning with choosing friends who are literary and want to uplift society. John indicated that he started writing poetry when he was young and his love for the written word, combined with his love for mankind, led to writing and producing more than 40 television documentaries. The students said their good-byes to John with a skit from a play they had written.

Prior to the visit, younger readers were given What the Aztecs Told Me, a picture-history book, which was suggested by John. As soon as he entered the classroom, the readers enthusiastically asked questions about ancient Aztec culture. The readers viewed John as a "nice man who writes books," but were in awe and fascinated that he was able to satisfy their curiosity about ancient Aztec culture.

At the end of the residency, John indicated that he loved speaking with all of the participants at Hartley House, because it's not too often that he gets to meet "real" people who are curious and get excited about the power of the written word.