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Robin and John Brancato

(Interviewed by Mildred Taylor on 3/4/1984. Transcription: 15 pages)

Summary:
Robin and John Brancato live on Churchill Road in what was the residence of Harvey Scribner, former superintendent of Teaneck High School. Mr. and Mrs. Brancato have lived in Teaneck for twenty-four years.

Robin Brancato is an author and has written many books for young adults. Her book, "BLINDED BY THE LIGHT" is the result of her concern about cults. TIME/LIFE bought the rights to her book and made a film, which was sold to CBS and aired in 1980 (p 1-2).

John Brancato is supervisor of the English Department of Teaneck High School. He has directed twelve musicals and several dramas for the high school. In 1965, Mr. Brancato received a Fulbright Grant for two years and was a guest lecturer at the University of Balogna. They rented their Teaneck home to a Dutch family for two years while the Brancato family lived in Italy (p. 3- 5; 7-8).

Mr. Brancato describes Teaneck as an open, beautiful place, possessing tremendous variety in housing styles. Great attention to detail was paid to the homes built in the twenties and thirties, some with beautiful stone fronts. He credits the supervisor of building, who would not allow developers to come in with cookie-cutter house plans. He believes that every section of Teaneck is still desirable (p. 11-12). Mr. Brancato believes children growing up in Teaneck have a broader perspective of the world that has prepared them for life in the latter part of the twentieth century (p.13-14).

Transcription comments:
From Transcriber: There is absolutely no backup data with this at all, just a tape. Not is attached to tape indicating that beginning of tape is lost and to advance to about 108 and begin there.

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