Local author Steve Sheinkin recently visited Greenville High School where he presented to several classes about his journey as a writer, and the compelling true story behind his book Impossible Escape.
Knowing he always wanted to do something creative with his life, Sheinkin began his career as a filmmaker, making movies with his brother. They ventured as far as Texas to produce a low-budget political comedy. However, after receiving a one-star review on the film they worked so hard in, the two chose separate career paths.
His next move was writing educational textbooks, with the hope of making history more engaging for students by incorporating “fun and crazy” stories. Unfortunately, the publisher had different ideas and continuously omitted the stories that Sheinkin loved most. This frustration led him to a new path as a writer, giving more time to the untold stories that he discovered along the way. Fast forward 20 years, and Sheinkin has made a career out of telling these stories, including the one of Rudolf Vrba, better known as Rudy.
Impossible Escape is a non-fiction novel that tells the harrowing true story of Rudy’s escape from Auschwitz during World War II. After his escape, Rudy immediately went on to tell the world about the mass murder happening under the Nazi regime. His first-hand accounts are detailed in the 33-page Vrba-Wetzler Report, which is credited with persuading Hungry to stop the deportation of Jewish people to Auschwitz, thus saving nearly 200,000 lives.
As a nonfiction work, Sheinkin had to adhere to strict guidelines to ensure the work was historically accurate. He explained that every detail in the book, including the dialogue, is from a documented source. This required extensive research, including interviewing Rudy’s relatives and visiting locations described in the report.
Part of this research included retracing Rudy’s 100 mile escape on foot from Auschwitz to Slovakia. Navigating with a group of 40 people through the rural terrain, forests, mountains, and hidden paths, Sheinkin walked the route that Rudy traveled nearly 80 years earlier to better understand the magnitude of Rudy’s feat.
Once his research was complete, it was time for Sheinkin to put his pen to paper. He drew on his screenwriting background, using a storyboard to organize his thoughts - his favorite part of the process. He admitted that writing, especially first drafts, is his least favorite part of the process. Revisions, he noted, are far easier. Sheinkin described the two-year long process to be both exhausting and rewarding.
After answering many questions from students, Sheinkin encouraged them to try their hand at writing. “You don’t need to know a lot about something to write a book, you just need to be curious.” This experience offered students a unique glimpse into the art of storytelling, and the power of history.
Prior to Sheinkin’s visit, students visited the library for a World War II museum curated by Library-Media Specialist, Kylie Conley. The exhibit featured stories contributed by community and staff members, offering students a personal glimpse into how the war impacted individuals and families. Each story was displayed on a poster with a QR code leading to a 2-3 minute audio recording, bringing the experiences to life.
Each student received a signed copy of Impossible Escape thanks to a grant from the Greenville Educational Foundation. Both events were attended by students from Mrs. Palmer’s ELA 9 and Young Adult Literature classes, Mr. Morelli’s ELA 9H class, Mrs. Bourgault’s ELA 9 class, and Mrs. Palmer’s Creative Writing class. A huge thank you to Kylie Conely for working tirelessly to bring this multi-faceted learning experience to fruition for our students.