Press Release

Gillibrand Honors Frank McCourt

Jul 20, 2009

Washington, D.C. – As New Yorker’s remember and honor the revered author, educator and Irish-American Frank McCourt, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement:

“Frank McCourt was a literary giant, who turned his life story into one of the most powerful memoirs of our generation. A Brooklyn native, he captured his tragic childhood and the struggles of his Irish immigrant parents, who had hoped to build a better life into an epic novel.

“As a New York City public school teacher for three decades, Frank shared his gift of storytelling and received the respect and admiration among his New York City students and peers. We honor this larger-than-life New Yorker for the readers he touched, the students he mentored, the city he loved and the world he inspired. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”