By snoadmin
Betty McMicken, a Cal State Long Beach communicative disorders assistant professor and speech-language pathologist, is conducting an interview with internationally renowned movie star, Kirk Douglas, at 1 p.m. on April 6 at the Daniel Hall Recital Hall.
McMicken said she uses Douglas’ books in her classes to give her students a better understanding of people with speech disorders, and has worked with Douglas for more than four years. She asked him to speak on campus for students who study communicative disorders.
“Lion that he is, he rises to the challenge and remains effective and inspirational,” McMicken said.
Douglas, who first spoke on campus in September 2008, is returning to CSULB to share his life experiences with students, including his stroke and recovery. Since his stroke in 1996 impaired his ability to speak, Douglas has written two memoirs, “My Stroke of Luck” (2002) and “Let’s Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving, and Learning” (2007).
McMicken said she hopes her students will gain inspiration and insight from this interview. Though many know Douglas from his lead role in the film, “Spartacus”(1960), others might know him as the father of actor Michael Douglas.
At 93 years old, Douglas continues to stay active, pushing himself to strive and give back to the community, McMicken noted. Douglas and his wife, Anne Buydens, founded the Anne Douglas Center for Women, which is a rehabilitation program for homeless and impoverished women. The Douglas Foundation Web site further illustrates a variety of services offered at the women’s center.
McMicken recalled that his one-man show, “Before I forget” sold out four nights in March 2009.
“I could not have done it without you,” Douglas told McMicken. She said they had spent six months working on his speech preparing for this performance.
According to Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Web site, Douglas’ most crucial films were “Paths of Glory” (1957) and “Spartacus” (1960). The website also mentions that he has also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981, American Cinema Award in 1987, honorary Academy Award in 1995, and the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
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