Jonathan Kleier's
I JACK I ROB I SIN
A film about Bernie Madoff
To be shown as part of
The Tribeca Film Festival
April 22
Proceeds to benefit the
Jonathan Kleier '01 Leadership Endowment at Horace Mann School
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"You're in my heart, you're in my soul You'll be my breath should I grow old" - Rod Stewart
Movie Poster
Legacy Guestbook
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up highThere's a land that I heard of, once in a lullabySomewhere over the rainbow, skies are blueAnd the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come trueSomeday I'll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind meWhere troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney topsThat's where you'll find meSomewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds flyBirds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why can't IIf happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh why can't I??"
By Judy Garland
By Judy Garland
It has been 6 months since we lost Jon. Like the rest of the Horace Mann community and all of his friends, I remain devastated. Jon is missed more than ever, and the pain from this tragic loss shows no signs of subsiding.
ReplyDeleteI still remember first meeting Jon early in elementary school. Through elementary school, we became great friends. I remember whenever it would come to picking teams for anything - whether it was football or a class project - I knew I wanted Jon on my team. If Jon was on your team, not only were you pretty certain you were going to win, but you were also pretty sure it would have something to do with Jon. When we were in sixth grade, I was fortunate enough to be roommates with Jon on our class trip down to Washington DC, along with Loewy and Lembo. The combination of the four of us, along with unlimited supplies of Jolt cola, made for a trip that ended up being borderline too much fun. I still vividly remember Lembo flying through the bedroom/bathroom wall (with a little assistance from Jon) and us all on the floor laughing.
Another time in sixth grade was probably my most quintessentially Jon Kleier memory. Jon was lucky enough to be headmaster for a day at HM. He could have chosen to do anything that day, but of course he wanted to play a "real" game of football. He arranged for a handful of his close friends to wear varsity pads and uniforms and play a refereed game up on Four Acres. Despite the fact that the varsity attire was swimming on us, and we could barely keep our pants around our waists, Jon played that entire morning like it was fourth quarter in the Super Bowl.
That was Jon...all heart. I've never met another person like him, with such a combination of chutzpah, sweetness, and love for the people and things close to him. Jon always managed to bring our HM class together, and he still continues to do so. He is painfully missed, and I know he will always be in my heart.
To the Kleier family, thank you for being strong for the entire community.
-David Strongwater
IN MEMORY OF OUR EMORY FRIEND, JONATHAN
ReplyDeleteIt’s hard not to laugh, smile and cry when thinking about Jonathan. He had an unbreakable spirit all through the ups and downs of college life. We got to know him at Emory, entering our lives with the energy and optimism that he brought to all his activities. Jonathan’s questioning mind kept us on our toes!
The words to describe him reflect the many aspects of his personality: lovable, resilient, engaging, positive, self-examining, thoughtful, caring and sometimes exhausting. We thought of him as a pioneer exploring the social and academic landscape of the college environment—a northern fish in a southern pond who never gave up on making his adopted environment into his own. Our interactions with Jonathan were episodic but towards the end of his academic career he became a fixture in our offices and, when he left, he continued his relationship with us, checking in, asking probing questions and challenging us to make Emory a better place for all students. He questioned what he had learned here, especially when he experienced the economic downturn first-hand.
Jonathan would enter the office and check in with everyone first. Then he would unpack his bookbag, a real feat because he carried most of his life in it, looking for papers he had written to share with us. Our conversations were wide ranging and he brought his changing interests into the conversations, exploring movies, comedy shows, his love of NYC, his family and his goals. He was the first to admit that he was the source of his own problems but also many of these were a product of his favors on behalf of his friends, bailing them out of late night problems, offering rides and sustenance, sometimes at this own expense.
Jonathan’s love for Emory and respect for its traditions were clear but he also wanted Emory to be relevant in the world. He was most passionate about his creative activities: his writing, his ideas for movies and scripts and his commentary on social issues and current events. Each time, there was something new that had engaged his imagination so being with Jonathan was never dull.
We at Emory miss those conversations, the long ones while he worked to find his path and the short ones after he graduated when he called to make sure we knew he was doing ok, struggling in the world to make his mark and to make his family proud. We rejoice in what he left for us: the smile, the jolly laugh and the unforgettable husky voice that will remain a part of us. He made our world a better place.
-Wendy L. Newby, Ph. D.
Associate Dean, Emory College
with Shari Obrentz
I have been avoiding this for weeks because every time I think about Jonathan I am lost in the sadness that I feel. He was a very special person and we became quite close while he was in my playwriting workshop and in the two independent studies that I directed for him.
ReplyDeleteHe was an astonishing writer. The first time he presented his play in our workshop, his peers were floored by the power of his words and his dramatic imagination. He wrote very raw drama, focused mostly on a group of fraternity boys, and his observation of them was exacting and precise. His honesty was incredible and savage; he observed and wrote about his generation with a special grace, but he never shied away from the uncomfortable parts of his world, the constant partying, the emphasis on appearance, the sometimes unfriendly interplay between young men and women. There was great strength in Jonathan the writer, and he showed it from that first moment in front of the workshop. He held the attention of the class like no one else, and he left us breathless that first day. I will never forget it.
We went on to work on two teleplays that he hoped to turn into an HBO series. He was a big fan of HBO television and especially the Sopranos, and he wanted to shape an eight-episode series that he could present to the producers there. His writing would have matured into something worthy of that level of presentation; it was already well on the way when I lost touch with him.
I feel a huge loss to the world now that he is no longer in it. He was immensely gifted and if he had lived would have done great things. I am grieving him.
Jim Grimsley, Emory Writing Professor
Wow. This completely gave me the chills. I can only imagine how much it touched you. I love that this professor will never forget the moment Jonathan first read his work. That is quite something, but I am not surprised. I relate to everything he said, though of course he articulated it so exquisitely in describing Jonathan and his writing. He was indeed an incredible observer of his generation- an absolutely had a Larry David-like precision for diving into the comedy and absurdities of the world- in a younger version than we have really seen on TV. Really incisive, in a way that made me, as his boss and "elder sister-like stand-in" giggle at his portrayals of college life. But like his professor, I knew right away that this was a real voice and he had something to offer, something new. I am sure he would have done great things- writing as well as other big things. Little does the prof know, he already DID share his work with someone at HBO, though in a very nascent form, and he got the feedback that it was worthy, and to keep going. I share his feeling that he would have completed a special project- and I would have been proud to share it with the Series execs- as I told Jonathan. A kid has to be pretty special for a professor to want to work with him the way this guy did- were you aware of this amazing relationship before? I am so glad you shared this with me, and in his assessment, I think this guy was exactly right on. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Maria Zuckerman