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steel
Citizen
Username: Steel
Post Number: 964
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 6:49 pm: |     |
Maplewood lost a wonderful citizen Monday night when Al Levin passed away in his sleep. I considered him to be a friend of mine who also really liked my steel sculpture work and bought numerous pieces large and small while enthusiastically participating in the creative process. We had many interesting discussions in his kitchen over tea. He was one of those great guys who could speak passionately about any subject at length and was always curious and interested in learning new things as well as teaching others what he had learned.
The following notice appeared in the NY Times which was appropriate since he always read it end-to-end.
Thanks Al. You were a good guy.
___________________________________
From the TIMES:
By FELICIA R. LEE
Published: February 17, 2006
Alan M. Levin, a documentary filmmaker whose work exploring political and social issues won major awards during a long career in television journalism, died on Monday at his home in Maplewood, N.J. He was 79.
Mr. Levin died in his sleep, his son Marc said.
Mr. Levin's work in the television industry began in the 1970's with PBS. He was one of the original news producers at WNET, New York's public television station, and in 1979 produced the Emmy-winning, six-part series "The New Immigrants," about the new wave of non-European immigrants.
He and Bill Moyers worked together on a number of award-winning programs, including "The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis," a history of covert C.I.A. operations leading up to the Iran-contra affair. The program won the national Emmy Award for news and documentary in 1988.
Mr. Levin also had a long collaboration with Sheila Nevins, the president of HBO's documentary division. With his son Marc, who is also a filmmaker, and their producing partner, Daphne Pinkerson, he made an HBO documentary "Thug Life," about incarcerated young black men in Washington, that won the 1999 National Emmy for outstanding nonfiction special.
Mr. Levin, a veteran of World War II who grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, sought to use television as an instrument for social change, his son said.
He was one of the first journalists to report on the rise of America's religious right, with the 1982 film "Portrait of an American Zealot." In 1986, "Inside the Jury Room," his program for the PBS "Frontline" series, captured the first jury deliberation ever recorded for television.
Mr. Levin's wife, Hannah Alexander, died in 1998. Besides his son Marc, of New York, he is survived by his daughters, Nicole Levin of New York, Danielle Levin of Yonkers and Juliette Blevins of Leipzig, Germany; two sisters, Helen Sacks of New Haven and Sue Miller of Great Neck, N.Y., and eight grandchildren.
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Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1675
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 9:14 pm: | |
Wow. I'm so sorry to hear that Alan died, I was a huge fan of his -- he was a devoted patron of Steel's work, he really got it and promoted it.
I met Alan when I was knocking on doors for something or other - Al listened and had strong informed opinions and somehow whenever we talked our (shared) mail carrier ended up in the debate - even when we agreed it was still a debate.
Al was a true free spirit.
He encouraged me to make free-form sculptures with rocks like he had all over his property, I gave it a try and I was hooked. When I told Alan how the sculptures had worked for me he just said "of course they do" and invited me to come over bring my art and talk about his art.
I'm so sorry to hear he passed away, he was a wonderful man.
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