Mark Shaw's Blog, page 7
August 7, 2018
Courage in the Face of Evil Inspiring Readers Young & Old
Based on reader feedback, my latest book, and most important one to date, “Courage in the Face of Evil,” has inspired readers around the world.
To gain insight into this special story, one of love overcoming hate, such a relevant topic these days, please watch this book trailer on YouTube:
Here is a sampling of reader reviews:
“Another moving wonderful book by a great author. It is hard to believe this is based on a true story. Well worth reading and giving as a gift. I was very moved and inspired by it.” — Katherine
“Vera Konig was able to continue to have HOPE and STRENGTH during a time when most people couldn’t. Anyone looking for an inspiring book, you NEED to read this!”
— Michelle
“Mark Shaw’s Courage in the Face of Evil is not only what I believe to be the best book of its kind but in fact one of the best books I have ever read. An avid follower of Holocaust history, my wife agrees with me. Impossible to put down would be an understatement. You become emotionally attached to the characters and feel their emotions.” — Zach
Buy The Book
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“Denial of Justice” To Be Released in Four Months and Counting
November 20, 2018, just two days shy of the 55th anniversary of the JFK assassination, “Denial of Justice: Dorothy Kilgallen, Abuse of Power and the Most Compelling JFK Assassination in History” will be released during a high-power media explosion in New York City and beyond. The follow-up book to the bestselling “The Reporter Who Knew Too Much” features:
New facts about Kilgallen’s life and times secured through interviews with her butler’s daughter;
Inside information from Kilgallen’s fellow What’s My Line? panelists detailing friction on the set of the hit program
Fascinating facts bonding the lives of Kilgallen and Marilyn Monroe
Additional incriminating evidence regarding the multiple suspects involved in Kilgallen’s tragic death
Secret documents never published before about Kilgallen’s investigation of the JFK assassination
Pre-Order the Book Now
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Movie/TV Series Based on Kilgallen’s Life Work in Progress
Reports from Hollywood confirm that the Brothers Dowdle production company (“WACO”) continues to develop a movie or TV series based on Dorothy Kilgallen’s life and times and the Pulitzer-Prize nominated investigative journalist’s eighteen-month investigation of the JFK assassination.
To be adapted from The Reporter Who Knew Too Much, the entertainment project promises to highlight Kilgallen’s amazing multi-faceted career marking her as a true media icon whose achievements outweigh those of even Oprah, Diane Sawyer, and Barbara Walters. Speculation as to who may play Kilgallen include actresses Cate Blanchett, Reese Witherspoon, Catherine Zeta Jones and even Meryl Streep.
Who do you suggest? Send ideas to mark@markshawbooks.com
Buy The Book
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June 21, 2018
“Courage” and “Justice” Themes of New Bestselling Author Mark Shaw’s Books
Love Overcomes Hate During the Holocaust
See the Video
In Mark Shaw’s bestselling book, “The Reporter Who Knew Too Much,” he exposed the undeniable courage displayed by media icon Dorothy Kilgallen who risked her life searching for the truth about the JFK assassination. While Shaw praised Kilgallen’s bravery, he believes it pales in comparison to that of Vera Konig, a German Christian woman in his latest book, “Courage in the Face of Evil,” based on a never-before-published Holocaust diary. To save the life of a Russian orphan at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, Vera must trust a Nazi prison guard proving that love may overcome hate when human survival is at stake, an important topic since there is so much hate in the world today. More about the book.
– BUY THE BOOK –
Midwest Book Review:
“Highly recommended . . . an inherently gripping read from beginning to end that is ultimately inspiring . . . it will linger in the mind and memory long after it is finished and set back upon the shelf.”
Midwest Newspaper Article About Book
“Shaw Calls his new book most important.” Read more…
Mark Shaw’s presentation of “Courage in the Face of Evil” at a book launching event in the San Francisco Bay Area
See the Video
Enter for a chance to win a free copy of “Courage in the Face of Evil” at
Goodreads.com and Amazon.com
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“Denial of Justice: Dorothy Kilgallen, Abuse of Power and the Most Compelling JFK Assassination Investigation in History”
“Denial of Justice,” the follow-up-book to the bestselling “The Reporter Who Knew Too Much,” being developed for a major motion picture or TV series by the Brothers Dowdle Production Company, will be published with great fanfare on November 20, 2018, two days shy of the 55th anniversary of the JFK assassination. This book continues the true crime murder mystery connected with Dorothy Kilgallen’s death while being of enormous historical importance. It features not only new information about Kilgallen’s life and times and her mysterious death but startling fresh facts about the JFK assassination.
Included is:
An eyewitness account by Kilgallen’s butler’s daughter revealing an inside look at her private affairs and a fascinating account of what transpired in her townhouse on the day she died;
A What’s My Line? perspective from Bennett Cerf and Arlene Francis about Kilgallen’s interaction with fellow panelists never published before;
Radio interview excerpts from Kilgallen’s husband Richard about Dorothy’s fiery relationship with Frank Sinatra and an extensive TV Guide article about her reporting on the infamous Dr. Sam Sheppard case;
More evidence about the various suspects involved with Kilgallen’s death – Sinatra, Richard, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, Mafia boss Carlos Marcello and her last lover, journalist Ron Pataky, the “mystery man” in her life;
Fresh facts about Lee Harvey Oswald assassin Jack Ruby through documents never released before blunting any truth to the “Oswald Alone” theory advocated by Hoover;
Updates on this author’s pursuit of the truth about Kilgallen’s death through his continual demand that the NYC DA’s office re-open its investigation, one abruptly halted in August 2018 resulting in a true miscarriage of justice.
Pre-orders for “Denial of Justice” at
Amazon
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Why Teach about the Holocaust?
Because the objective of teaching any subject is to engage the intellectual curiosity of students in order to inspire critical thought and personal growth, it is helpful to structure your lesson plan on the Holocaust by keeping questions of rationale, or purpose, in mind. Teachers rarely have enough time to teach these complicated topics, though they may be required to do so by state standards. Lessons must be developed and difficult content choices must be made.
A well-thought-out rationale helps with these difficult curricular decisions. In addition, people within and outside the school community may question the use of valuable classroom time to study the Holocaust. Again, a well-formed rationale will help address these questions and concerns. Before deciding what and how to teach, we recommend that you think about why you are teaching this history.
Here are three key questions to consider:
• Why should students learn this history?
• What are the most significant lessons students should learn from studying the Holocaust?
• Why is a particular reading, image, document, or film an appropriate medium for conveying the topics that you wish to teach?
The Holocaust provides one of the most effective subjects for examining basic moral issues. A structured inquiry into this history yields critical lessons for an investigation into human behavior. It also addresses one of the central mandates of education in the United States, which is to examine what it means to be a responsible citizen.
By studying these topics, students come to realize that:
• Democratic institutions and values are not automatically sustained, but need to be appreciated, nurtured, and protected.
• Silence and indifference to the suffering of others, or to the infringement of civil rights in any society, can—however unintentionally—perpetuate these problems.
• The Holocaust was not an accident in history; it occurred because individuals, organizations, and governments made choices that not only legalized discrimination but also allowed prejudice, hatred, and ultimately mass murder to occur.
• The Holocaust was a watershed event, not only in the 20th century but also in the entire course of human history.
Studying the Holocaust also helps students to:
• Understand the roots and ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping in any society.
• Develop an awareness of the value of pluralism and an acceptance of diversity.
• Explore the dangers of remaining silent, apathetic, and indifferent to the oppression of others.
• Think about the use and abuse of power as well as the roles and responsibilities of individuals, organizations, and nations when confronted with civil rights violations and/or policies of genocide.
• Understand how a modern nation can utilize its technological expertise and bureaucratic infrastructure to implement destructive policies ranging from social engineering to genocide.
As students gain insight into the many historical, social, religious, political, and economic factors that cumulatively resulted in the Holocaust, they gain awareness of the complexity of the subject and a perspective on how a convergence of factors can contribute to the disintegration of democratic values. Students come to understand that it is the responsibility of citizens in any society to learn to identify danger signals and to know when to react.
Discussion Questions:
Do you agree that a course taught about the Holocaust to middle school or high school students is important? What are the pluses and minuses of doing so?
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June 16, 2018
Why Was It So Hard to Believe the Women About Cosby?
Like a lot of people, I have conflicting feelings about Bill Cosby’s conviction for sexual assault last week. I alternate between anger, sadness, disgust and disappointment — as well as a sense that a long overdue justice has been served. And, like a lot of people, I initially had difficulty believing his accusers. As I look inside myself to try to understand why, I’ve discovered an uncomfortable truth. Until recently, I was conditioned not to.
From 2008 through 2014, I was Cosby’s opening act for most of his Bay Area performances. Two or three times a year, we’d alternate among Oakland’s Paramount Theater, Marin Center in San Rafael, Flint Center in Cupertino and the Wells Fargo Center in Santa Rosa. Cosby would also make guest appearances on my KGO radio show. Can I say that we were friends? I suppose. I never socialized with him outside of the venues we played. I never dined with him or visited his home. I did have many long conversations with him on parenting, education and interestingly, my special responsibility as a black man in the public eye.
“You are a role model for young black boys,” he said. “They’re watching you. Don’t let them down.”
When I was growing up as a black child in the 1970s, Cosby was omnipresent. He was on television shows, commercials, movies and comedy albums. He was the erudite man my mother would point to as the paragon of black aspiration in America; the proof that the color barriers erected by society could not hold us back unless we allowed them to; the shining example of what we could be if we aimed high and worked hard. I didn’t want the allegations to be true. If Cosby could be a sexual predator, then anyone could be.
When the allegations against him first surfaced, they were viewed through a different lens by many black people. We are reared on the cautionary tales of Emmett Till, the Scottsboro Boys and the Rosewood Massacre. Tragedies precipitated by false accusations of sexual assault of white women by black men. We are taught that the trees and waterways of the Jim Crow south were littered with their innocent corpses. Many African Americans believed that the Cosby affair was just the latest in the historical reprimand of black men who “forget their place.”
Society also taught me to be skeptical of the veracity of the accusers. It’s the reason that despite multiple public declarations of Cosby’s crimes by his victims, it was years before his conduct entered America’s consciousness. We are conditioned to believe that women who accuse powerful men are vindictive gold diggers. Angry shrews who are ticked they didn’t get a raise or a promotion and are now exacting their revenge. The simple idea of “believe the women” was preposterous.
The #MeToo movement has created a seismic shift in this thinking. The acknowledgment that the overwhelming majority of women in this society have at some point been harassed or abused by powerful men has turned the unbelievable into the commonplace.
It also means that we have to do better when it comes to listening when victims tell their stories. I know I sure do.
Brian Copeland, a comedian, author, talk-radio show host and actor,
lives in San Leandr, California.
www.briancopeland.com
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April 14, 2018
Dorothy and Smart Phones: Then and Now
News, views and commentary on social issues of importance in today’s crazy world will be forthcoming in the Mark Shaw Books blog. Best of all, you’ll get to weigh in with your comments, suggestions, criticisms and opinions for certain.
Here’s a lively topic for consideration – smart phones, good, bad, or ugly? Most people, especially of the younger generation believe these phones are technological advances of the best kind, permitting instant access to current events but best of all the ability to communicate with human beings from near and far. One thing for certain, there are those who would rather lose an arm or a leg (just kidding) than lose their smart phone.
This said, the downside to smart phones runs aplenty as well. For one thing, with the internet racing news across the globe at a rapid pace, too much “fake news” is generated instantly as newsmakers and those who provide the news attempt to get the scoop without sources being checked and re-checked to make sure the news is credible.
In Dorothy Kilgallen’s day and age, the news came through print, the good old fashioned newspaper. There wasn’t the rush to get the story first but to get it right. She was truly a reporter of integrity, checking her sources carefully before printing word one. That’s why she was so respected, why the NY Post called her “the most powerful female voice in America.”
So, here’s the question for debate: Is the smart phone friend or foe when it comes to providing the news, and if it’s a foe, what improvements can be made to make it a friend?
Please post your comments below.
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April 7, 2018
Dorothy Kilgallen Film Series in the Works From Dowdle Bros.
Very excited to announce the following news about our bestselling book, a tribute to the life and times of a very remarkable woman, Dorothy Kilgallen. Here is the article in Variety.
Producing team John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle are developing a project about investigative reporter Dorothy Kilgallen.
The duo have optioned Mark Shaw’s true crime novel “The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What’s My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen” for an upcoming project.
The Dowdle brothers created and executive produced Paramount Network’s “Waco,” starring Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh, which wrapped its limited series engagement last month.
“The Reporter Who Knew Too Much” centers on legal analyst telling the story of Kilgallen while providing new evidence surrounding her untimely death. Kilgallen was conducting an in-depth investigation probes into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but was found dead in her apartment in 1965. Though initially ruled an accidental overdose, her death has remained suspicious for some, including Shaw.
The Dowdles will draw from the book, as well as Shaw’s in-progress follow-up, “Denial of Justice: Dorothy Kilgallen, Abuse of Power and the Most Compelling JFK Assassination Investigation in History.” Monday’s announcement did not indicate whether the new project will be a feature film or TV project.
“Dorothy Kilgallen remains one of the most influential personalities of her era and decades ahead of her time,” the Dowdle brothers said. “Her insatiable drive to uncover the truth was both fascinating and dangerous. She defended those she felt were victims of injustice. In the process she took on some of the most powerful men in the world, knowing full well her life was in danger.”
Shaw said, “The Dowdle brother’s passion for Dorothy’s story is quite exciting. She is one of the most remarkable journalists and investigative reporters in history. Through this upcoming project, I hope Kilgallen will finally be given the respect she deserves.”
Shaw is the author of more than 20 books including “The Poison Patriarch” about Joe Kennedy’s alleged complicity in JFK’s assassination. The Dowdles are represented by CAA. Shaw is represented by Frank Weimann at Folio Literary Management.
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April 5, 2018
Mark Shaw’s “Courage in the Face of Evil” To Be Released in June
So proud to announce that my latest book, “Courage in the Face of Evil” will be released June 4 with the book launch at the prestigious Book Passage independent bookstore near San Francisco on the same date.
Here’s an Overview of the book:
For Vera Konig, a Christian German nurse, the decision is clear: She must risk her life and that of Andrea, an orphaned Russian girl she is hiding at Ravensbrück Concentration Camp by trusting the enemy, a Nazi prison guard who may save Andrea or parade them both before a firing squad.
Based on a true story, this daunting scenario sets the stage for an inspiring novel of faith, redemption, and the blur between good and evil where three people’s lives are transformed. Through Vera’s eyes, we are reminded that love may be universal when human survival is at stake. At one point Vera dumfounds Nazi captors by organizing a Christmas party where children from 23 countries sing “Silent Night” bringing joy to those like Andrea facing transport to Auschwitz or extermination the next day.
Written in the spirit of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, the daring exploits of Vera, a true angel of mercy, shine through in dramatic fashion as hate, love and trust in God collide during the horrors of the Holocaust.
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