Two local authors share stories from the dramatic world of the daytime soap opera. Join us for an afternoon of secret affairs, blackmail, and gossip with Tom Lisanti, author of An Oral History of Daytime's Groundbreaking Soap: Ryan's Hope & one of the show’s stars, Fred Burstein, who will share from his new book, My Life Acting, Writing, and Sometimes Boxing.
Fred Burstein
Fred Burstein played the mob character Lazlo Navotney on the Soap Opera “Ryan’s Hope” in the 1980’s. His character triedto become a good person, but an accidental murder and the very well planned kidnapping of a police officer landed him in jail, and off the show. That left Fred with two young daughters and his wife who had to make some changes. They decided to move to the rural New York town of Kerhonkson, where Fred became a literacy teacher at the local Middle School for over 20 years, and wrote 8 children’s books which were published during that time. His first book, Rebecca’s Nap, was a Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year in 1988. Fred’s ninth, and newest book, My Life Acting, Writing, and Sometimes Boxing, published by Irie Books, has just become available. It is for adult readers and tells of the many people and events that reshaped his life along his journey.
Tom Lisanti
RYAN’S HOPE: An Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap by Tom Lisanti is a highly informative look at the popular serial (created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer) from the people who made it so beloved. The soap was set in a real city (New York) and centered on the working-class, Irish-Catholic, immigrant Ryans giving it a realism immensely appealing to viewers. Written in interview format, the book features first-hand accounts from the show’s cast and crew including Fred Burstein (Laslo Nivotny). This tell-all also includes an overview of the soap’s history, storyline synopses, and never-before-seen photos. Soap columnist Marlena De Lacroix raved, "There hasn’t been a soap book put together this well-done since Christopher Schemering’s groundbreaking The Soap Opera Encyclopedia in 1985."