Wilkes-barre  Kanjorski Scheduled To Appear

Alphonse Zaborney 
Jan 3, 1995 
Alphonse R. Zaborney, 80, Of West Grand Street, Nanticoke, Died Tuesday 
Afternoon At Mercy Hospital, Wilkes-barre.

By PAUL GALLAGHER; Arts and Entertainment Editor
 Friday, January 06, 1995 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





His words bared the lives of souls in transit; characters twisting in
torment or awash in glory. Always, there was a decision to be made: to seek a
better life or, sometimes, to end it all. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It wasn't just the stories that distinguished writer John O'Hara from the
hordes of dimestore hacks. Often, it was O'Hara's knack for making his
characters spring to life, fully-developed and rich with the language of their
homeland. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our homeland. A native of Pottsville, O'Hara's words achieved in literature
what anthracite did in industry: introduced Northeastern Pennsylvania to the
world. The journalist, essayist and fiction writer moved from his ethnic roots
to become one of this century's literary icons. He traveled to New York,
Chicago, Hollywood. And along the way, he chronicled the people, the sights,
sounds and social mores from the 1920s to the '60s. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At 3 p.m. Sunday, WVIA-TV, Channel 44 will air "Appointment in Samarra," a
film version of O'Hara's first celebrated novel. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The film, a rare copy of the television production which aired in 1953, is
part of the PBS affiliate's year-long celebration of the regional author's
life. The project -- jointly executed by WVIA-TV and WVIA-FM -- began on Jan.
2 with an interview with O'Hara biographer Dr. Frank McShane. Each month,
through December, the television and radio stations will feature a new story,
a new piece of history about John O'Hara's life. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The John O'Hara project is being directed by Marybeth Evans, WVIA-FM on-air
host. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "He was so much a part of this area," says Evans. Five of O'Hara's novels
were set in the town of Gibbsville, Pa. And though the town's name is
fictional, says Evans, it's model was real. "Gibbsville was Pottsville," she
says. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The idea for the O'Hara project, says Evans, began when Erika Funke, vice
president of WVIA-FM, attended a John O'Hara conference in Pottsville more
than a decade ago. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Erika's interested in the sociologial impact artists have on the area,"
says Evans. "O'Hara is a local person who had an impact on theater, Hollywood
and the literary world. We like to take a look at his work, and maybe see
where we've come from." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When Evans came aboard WVIA last year, Funke saw that her background was
steeped in music, literature and history. A former librarian, Evans is also a
dance critic for the Wilkes-Barre Citizen's Voice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To her, Funke turned over the duties of researching the life and times of
O'Hara, who was born in 1905 and died in 1970. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We started calling around to all the English departments at the colleges
and universities and started asking questions, then we started getting
information back. As things went on, folks just came out of the woodwork." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although the public broadcasting stations will air O'Hara works throughout
the year, Evans says the project is not yet complete. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We will continue to gather more information," she says. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The recognition, says Evans, is long overdue. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "He was a contemporary of Hemmingway, Steinbeck, Fitzgerald, friends with
them," says Evans. "He felt he should have gotten the recognition they did...
(but) he didn't feel that he should market himself. He had just enough pride
to say, `well I'm not going to market this, and if you don't see the value of
this, then shame on you, and be off."' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Writer O'hara Gets His Due With Tribute From Wvia