Al Perlmutter and Joan Konner Honored
Palisades residents Al Perlmutter and his wife Joan Konner received Rockland Center for the Arts’ Outstanding Achievements in the Arts Award at the Center’s 60th Anniversary Celebration on November 10th. The accomplished couple was cited for their support of the arts on a worldwide stage and their work in journalism, public affairs programming and documentary filmmaking. Palisades actress Didi Conn was mistress of ceremonies for the event.
Joan is Professor Emerita and Dean Emerita of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. A television producer, writer and editor, she is responsible for over 50 documentaries, receiving 16 Emmy Awards as well as the prestigious Peabody Award and the Alfred DuPont Columbia University Award among others. Joan began her career as a reporter for the Hackensack Record. She then jumped over to television as a reporter, writer, director and producer, first for NBC News then PBS. She was Executive Producer for Bill Moyers Journal. creating Public Affairs Television Inc. with Moyers in 1986. In 1988 Ms. Konner joined Columbia, becoming the first woman dean of its Graduate School of Journalism.
Al is an independent television producer and has been producing programming for over 30 years. Prior to forming his own company, he served as NBC News Vice President and earlier as Director of Public Affairs Programming at WNBC-TV. Al originated more than 100 PBS documentaries and is the recipient of six Emmys. One of the couple’s most acclaimed works was a six part series, Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers. Their most recent two-hour documentary, The Mystery of Love, shown on public television this spring, was previewed and discussed at a recent Palisades Library lecture.
Joan’s latest endeavor is a newly released book titled, An Atheist’s Bible: An Illustrious Collection of Irreverent Thoughts, published by Harper Collins.