Anita Hollander, a multi-talented performer and advocate, says she was born to be a performer, following in the footsteps (and footlights) of her grandmother. In this excerpt from a longer conversation, Anita talks about her performing career, which began when she was 8 years old.
Anita also is a passionate advocate for performers with disabilities, and she is one herself. While still in college, she was diagnosed with cancer in her leg and eventually had to have the leg amputated. That didn't stop her from returning to the stage, however. This month, Anita will receive the Harold Russell Award as part of the Media Access Awards in Hollywood. To learn more about Anita, please visit her website. Also, you can go to YouTube to watch "Still Standing," her first one-woman cabaret show, and her second one, "Spectacular Falls." Anita also mentions "From Where I Sit," and you'll find that video on YouTube as well.

This episode is the second excerpt from an extraordinarily candid conversation with Anita's mother, philanthropist and author Iris November and one of Anita's sisters, the Rev. Rachel Hollander, also a performer and an author. All three are accomplished and delightful.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

This is the first of six excerpts from an extraordinarily candid conversation with philanthropist and author Iris November and two of her daughters: the Rev. Rachel Hollander, also an author, and Anita Hollander, an actress and composer. All three are accomplished and delightful.

This episode focuses primarily on Iris' book "Goodnight, Shoebox," designed to help children get to know people who don't live close to them. It can be useful for adults with memory issues as well. The book is available on Amazon with three different titles: "Goodnight, Shoebox," "Laila tov, Shoebox" and "Buenas Noches, Shoebox."

We also touch upon other topics including "The Fine Art of Schnorring: The A to Z's of Fund Raising and Philanthropy," which Iris wrote with Mort November, her second husband who has since passed on. And, just to be clear, these 15 minutes or so represent just the tip of the full episode, in which my guests talk about subjects such as love and loss, grief and gratitude with honesty and good humor. Please join us for more excerpts as they're published or, if you have the time, check out the entire interview, Episode 121.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

Losing a loved one and losing a leg; picking up the pieces of a fractured life; creating beautiful things that serve others. These are only a few of the themes that emerged from this extraordinarily candid (and often funny) conversation with three members of a talented and accomplished family.

In this episode, you'll hear from:
- Iris November, a philanthropist and former librarian with two books to her name: "The Fine Art of Schnorring: The A to Z's of Fundraising and Philanthropy" and "Goodnight, Shoebox." The latter, available on Amazon, is a memoir activity scrapbook written for kids and also quite useful for adults who have memory issues.
- Daughter Anita Hollander, a multi-talented performer who has dealt with cancer and a subsequent leg amputation. A disability advocate in the entertainment industry, Anita will receive the Harold Russell Award this October as part of the Media Access Awards in Hollywood.
- Iris' youngest daughter, Rachel Hollander, a minister, writer and performer who is skilled in American Sign Language. Rachel also is the author of "From There to Here: An Insider's Guide to Navigating the Darkness," a captivating book about living with depression. And she has a great podcast that you can access from her website. I recommend the specific show about Maddie, her late canine companion. It's mystical and quite lovely. Also on Rachel's website, you can buy her book and find out about her spiritual center, SpiritsHome.

This episode begins with the four of us talking about "Goodnight, Shoebox" and continues with Iris, Anita and Rachel's personal stories and what they went through as a family. It ends with Anita singing an original song, "Beyond," inspired by some words that her father had jotted down on a piece of paper. His note was about the importance of leaving something behind to benefit future generations. Family members found the note while going through his papers after he had a fatal heart attack 50 years ago. The lyrics to Anita's beautiful song are at the end of this episode's transcript.

To honor the memory of Bernard (Bud) Hollander, a lawyer, Iris set up an award to be given to a law school student who exemplifies her husband's unwavering commitment to public service. It first was presented in May 2025 and thereafter will be an annual award. To hear a professionally recorded version of "Beyond," go here. While we're on the subject of Anita's performances, you can go to YouTube to watch "Still Standing," her first one-woman cabaret show, and her second one, "Spectacular Falls," also on YouTube. (The latter video doesn't begin right away. The introduction is about 3 minutes in, and Anita comes onstage near the 7-minute mark.) In both videos, you'll see Rachel's expressive ASL interpretation. Anita also mentions "From Where I Sit," and you'll find that video on YouTube as well. For more about Anita, please visit her website.

We also covered a couple of other topics: Iris' knitting group, which makes items that the members give away to help others, and the Statue of Liberty Club, which Iris founded in 1991. She has donated her collection of Statues of Liberty to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.