good neighbor the life and work of fred rogers

The Good Neighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure whose life and work continue to resonate today because of Mister Rogers's message of kindness and compassion.“The man who conveyed a Zen-like calm on television saw a psychiatrist for decades.” So writes Pittsburgh-based nonprofit CEO King at one of many points in which he emphasizes that the beloved star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was a sometimes-contradictory fellow.įred Rogers (1928-2003) was no saint, given to occasional outbursts of anger and not above a little deception in order to get out of sticky situations, as when he tried to separate himself from a company he effectively owned during a strike. As the only adult present not stunned by this, apparently, Fred Rogers knelt to accept her embrace.'

Instead of answering, the child broke away from her mother, pushed past Winfrey, and ran down to the stage to hug him.

In the audience, Winfrey leaned down with her microphone to ask a little blond girl if she had a question for Mister Rogers. He seemed to forget the camera as he focused on them one by one. Everything was going into a kind of slow motion as Fred Rogers became Mister Rogers, connecting powerfully with the smallest children present.

This wasn't good television-at least, good adult television. Winfrey and her producers ignored his request and filled her studio with young children and their mothers.Īuthor Maxwell King writes, 'As soon as the children started to ask him questions directly, he seemed to get lost in their world, slowing his responses to their pace, and even hunching in his chair as if to insinuate himself down to their level. One of many touching stories told is the story of his appearance on Oprah Winfrey's talk show in 1985, when Rogers issued strict instructions: No children were to be present during the taping. Based on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, biographer Maxwell King traces Rogers's personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work. The Good Neighbor is the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, a staple of public television and an icon to generations of children. As the creator and star of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness, fiercely devoted to children and taking their questions about the world seriously.

Here is the definitive biography of Fred Rogers, children's television pioneer and American cultural icon, an educator and entertainer who brought new empathy to television and helped children face complex issues such as divorce, discipline, mistakes, anger, and competition.įred Rogers (1928-2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television. In today's ugly climate, full of bitterness and rage on all sides, Rogers's example feels more necessary than ever.' - Washington Post

Good neighbor the life and work of fred rogers