Author Archives: James Plath, Family Home Theater

About James Plath, Family Home Theater

Film critic since 2000 and member of the Online Film Critics Society since 2005 whose reviews are linked to the Internet Movie Database (Imdb.com) and Rotten Tomatoes (Approved Tomatometer Critic).

Reading Eagle supports museum delay to ‘get it right’

Posted on July 27, 2018 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

In today’s Reading Eagle, the editorial board weighed in on the The John Updike Society’s recent announcement that the grand opening of The John Updike Childhood Home would be delayed until October 2020, when it was decided that it would … Continue reading →

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Society aiming for 2020 Childhood Home Grand Opening

Posted on July 21, 2018 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

As the Reading Eagle reported today, The John Updike Society, which owns The John Updike Childhood Home, is now planning to hold the grand opening of the museum the first week of October 2020, to coincide with the 6th Biennial … Continue reading →

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Shillington approves renaming section of creek Rabbit Run

Posted on April 24, 2018 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

In an unsigned article published in the Monday, April 23 2018 Reading Eagle, it was announced that the Shillington Borough Council “on Thursday voted unanimously ‘to name a portion of the unnamed tributary to the Angelica Creek, which runs along … Continue reading →

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Updike house interior restoration nearly complete

Posted on October 14, 2017 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

With only a kitchen slate sink left to install and a Tiffany-style light fixture in the dining room—work that will be done when the pieces can be located—the interior restoration of The John Updike Childhood Home at 117 Philadelphia Ave. … Continue reading →

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Miranda Updike visits house, brings family treasures

Posted on October 13, 2017 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

John Updike’s children—Elizabeth, David, Michael, and Miranda—have been supportive of The John Updike Society from the beginning, even to the extent of participating in the society’s conferences. And they’re supportive of the society’s efforts to restore The John Updike Childhood … Continue reading →

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Alvernia professor Susan Guay named John Updike Childhood Home director

Posted on October 13, 2017 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

The John Updike Society board of directors unanimously approved Alvernia University professor Susan Guay to serve as director of The John Updike Childhood Home in Shillington, Pa.  Her appointment is effective immediately. Society president James Plath made the announcement on … Continue reading →

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Reading Eagle lauds Updike home restoration

Posted on August 22, 2017 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

In their Tuesday, August 15, 2017 “Editorial: A terrific way to honor a Berks native’s literary legacy,” the Reading Eagle, where young Updike worked as a teenager, approved of The John Updike Society’s progress in turning the house at 117 … Continue reading →

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Updike house restoration story goes international

Posted on August 2, 2017 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

From tiny seeds . . . . Earlier this week a Reading Eagle reporter contacted John Updike Society president James Plath asking for help updating the story of The John Updike Childhood Home restoration. Plath passed along his email response … Continue reading →

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Restoration progress: Corbels up!

Posted on July 29, 2017 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

John Updike Society member Carole Sherr, who was a friend of Linda Updike’s, recently visited the house at 117 Philadelphia Ave. to check on the progress. R. J. Doerr has been reinstalling decorative corbels at the top of the building—decorative … Continue reading →

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Restoration progress: the John Updike Childhood Home kitchen

Posted on June 13, 2017 by James Plath, Family Home Theater

All that remains of the interior restoration of The John Updike Childhood Home are two rooms:  the upstairs bathroom and the kitchen, and the kitchen cabinetry has been re-done in the exact “footprints” of the original cabinets.

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