Next month, April 4th, marks the fifth anniversary of the passing of Roger Ebert. In the years since our loss, we have followed the leadership of his widow Chaz Ebert, our publisher and co-founder, to maintain the site that bears his name with the integrity and intelligence that he taught us. In doing so, we are constantly hearing stories about our mentor and inspiration in personal interactions, in comment sections, and through email. Roger touched so many peoples’ lives through his work and his presence, and he continues to do so.
Chaz has been asked what she considers Roger’s greatest legacy, and she responds it is undoubtedly his proclamations on empathy. Because Roger has said it is one of the most important cornerstones of civilization, and that movies are like a machine that generates empathy. To mark the upcoming anniversary, we want to hear your stories, particularly the ones that displayed empathy or compassion, as those tentpoles of Roger’s beliefs will be a theme next month in planned events. It can be a story about meeting Roger Ebert, hearing him speak at an event, how something he wrote impacted you, or whatever you want to share.
Please email feedback@ebertdigital.com with the subject “My Roger Story.” We’ll post some of our favorites beginning on April 2nd and will once again hand over the site to some of Roger’s most beloved reviews on April 4th, as we do every year, with the 13 this year focusing on empathy.
