Translations into Serbian
Tuesday February 24, 2009
Alice Miller wrote this message
— On Mon, 2/23/09, Marina Bozic
From: Marina Bozic
Subject: your site in Serbian
To: mailbox2am@yahoo.com
Date: Monday, February 23, 2009, 6:18 PM
Dear Alice,
Your books have changed my life for the better. As a THANK YOU I would like to translate your web-site into Serbian, and your books as well. They are a great treasure, and that is the fastest way to spread such treasure and wisdom here.
For 18 years I ran a private school called “Sunny Days School” where children learned English through puppet and shadow theatre, creative and critical thinking etc. They achieved wonderful results although they were not afraid of teachers, they were allowed to play and to openly express their feelings. I hoped to make up for boring and claustrophfobic classes of public school, and that is why the school had the name “Sunny Days”. A.S. Neil Summerhill was the model I looked up to, as much as the circumstances allowed me.
I discovered that children actually like to learn if given the appropriate topic, and if provided with adequate approach, which in my classes always included art (either literature, film, drama, drawing etc. ) Many parents agreed with me that such ways yield wonderful results but many were also worried that the happiness kids experienced would prevent them from dealing with the harsh reality of our public schools. some were reassured, some not. Although just a teacher, I easily emphatise with the child, and perhaps for that reason gained their trust. During these years of teaching, I realized that lot of parents are far from happy, and that they do not really enjoy being parents.
I discovered that being a teacher can be one of the most rewarding professions, and i feel honoured to have the opportunity to be the part of young person’s growing up (i spend hours preparing my classes, talking with children and their parents after classes etc…) with such an attitude toward my profession, and in my private life raising my two sons with love and resepec, regarding them as the greatest gift and the best thing that happened in my life, I often felt like an Alien from another planet.
Your books have helped me understand so many things that have puzzled me for years. (I’ve read loads of great books on psychology, sociology, philosophy, art etc. but none had caused such strong personal insights into my own life and relationships).
This is the first part of the letter, I really hope you will answer….
looooking foreward to your reply
Marina,
if you decide to publish this letter, please sign me as SUNNY M.
AM: Thank you for your lletter, I am glad that you take the side of children and appreciate my writing. You are free to translate into Serban everything you want, notably the flyers, provided that you will respect my copy-right and don’t make any changes.