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On Screen/In Person The Phantom Tollbooth: Beyond Expectations
This documentary delves into the lasting relevance of the children's book The Phantom Tollbooth 50 years later, including a talk with the director after the screening.
October 29, 2014 at 6:15 AM
"The real secret of magic," psychonautical philosopher Terence McKenna once said, "is that the world is made of words, and that if you know the words the world is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish."
The truth and universality of that statement applies to, well, everything, and it's the lesson that lies right inside the word-playful heart of The Phantom Tollbooth, one of the best-loved 'children's' books to come into existence within the last half-century or so.
More than 50 years after the book – a story about (so much more than) a once-easily-bored little boy happening upon a magic vehicle and embarking on a mystic adventure to find, and rescue, Rhyme and Reason – appeared, director Hannah Jayanti's 2012 documentary, The Phantom Tollbooth: Beyond Expectations, explores the book's creation, creators, lasting impact, and enduring relevance. Part of the Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture's ongoing "On Screen/In Person" series, the film is being screened – and the director will be present for a talk to follow – on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.
The flow of that conversation could include themes like the value of learning, the state of children's literature, the creative journey, and the importance of the written word, so it's definitely worth checking out. The series is made possible through support from the National Endowment for the Arts' Regional Touring Program. For admission prices, directions, and more information, visit miac.mercyhurst.edu/events.
2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9 // MIAC, Mercyhurst College, 501 E. 38th St. // 824.3000