One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping (22 page)

In 1938, the radio was the main source of news and entertainment program-ming. Families regularly gathered around to listen to the day’s events or to tune in to their favorite programs.

Times Square marks the center of the theater district.
Above,
the lights of Broadway have immortalized the stars and shows on the marquees that line this famous street.
Below,
people arrive at a Broadway theater in droves.

To be in a Broadway show is to achieve the ultimate goal of actors everywhere. It is a grueling process for the talented players who have performed on Broadway’s many stages.
Above,
actors audition for coveted roles in a play in 1940.
Below,
they rehearse.

Written in 1937 by Thornton Wilder,
Our Town
has become an American classic, famous for its wise and deeply human story of life in small-town America.
Our Town
premiered in New York City at the Morosco Theater.

Vienna, Austria

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New York, New York

This map shows the approximate locations of Vienna, Austria, and New York, New York.

MT ND

OR MN

ID
_WI

WY SD
_MI

VT NH

NY MA

CA CO

NE IA

KS
_MO

IN OH KY

WV VA NC

New York NJ

AZ
_NM

AR SC

^MS
AL
GA

TX LA

This modern map shows the approximate location of New York, New York.

Barry Denenberg is the author of several critically-acclaimed books for young readers, including two books in the Dear America series,
When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson,
which was named an NCSS Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies and a YALSA Quick Pick; and
So Far from Home: The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl,
and two books in the My Name Is America series,
The Journal of William Thomas Emerson: A Revolutionary War Patriot,
and
The Journal of Ben Uchida, Citizen 13559, Mirror Lake Internment Camp.
Praised for his meticulous research, Barry Denenberg has written books about diverse times in American history, from the Civil War to Vietnam.

Barry Denenberg says, “Researching and writing
One Eye Laughing, The Other Weeping
was a particularly rewarding and gratifying experience.

“The Vienna of 1938 was a society that was funda-

mentally destroyed — certainly as far as Jews were concerned — when Hitler seized the city.

“Of course the magic of the Dear America books is that they are not about Adolf Hitler, but about Julie Weiss. To write her story, I needed to understand what it was like to have your entire world suddenly shattered. Researching Part One of the book was an extremely sad time for me, but necessary, if Julie and her family and friends were to emerge as real characters. “Researching Part Two was a wholly different experience. In Part One, my research was straightforward: Austria, Vienna, and in particular Jewish life in 1930s

Vienna.

“To write the second part, my research had to be less focused and more eclectic. The research seemed to take on a life of its own, as did the writing.

“Julie and her new life evolved in a way that felt be-yond my control. Sentences flowed and daily entries fell into place in the most unpredictable and eerie fashion — as if I were directing a play that had already been written.

“The book ends on a note that seemed predestined. It was an astonishing experience, and I hope for you, the reader, it will be equally compelling.