(Tuesdays with) Morrie Schwartz: Lessons on Living and Dying

(Tuesdays with) Morrie Schwartz: Lessons on Living and Dying

Ted Koppel Nightline Interview

A Film Screening and Guided Conversation

Sunday, June 21 | 3:00 to 5:00 PM 

The Lighthouse at Emberlight in Swannanoa, NC

RSVP HERE

When Mitch Albom wrote the book, Tuesday with Morrie, before the film, there was a camera and a man willing to be seen.

In the early 1990s, ABC Nightline anchor Ted Koppel conducted a series of intimate interviews with Morrie Schwartz, a sociology professor living with ALS who chose to spend his remaining time teaching the world how to die well. These conversations became some of the most quietly radical television ever broadcast, and they gave rise to one of the most beloved memoirs of the last century: "Tuesdays with Morrie."

Emberlight invites you to watch a one-hour curated segment from the original Nightline series, featuring highlights from Morrie's arc and the deepening relationship between Morrie and Koppel. What unfolds on screen is not about dying. It is about what becomes possible when someone faces mortality with honesty, humor, and an open heart.

Our special guest is Curt Worden, the Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and cameraman who was behind the lens for these original Nightline segments. Curt filmed Morrie and Ted Koppel directly and brings a rare perspective: what it was like to be in the room, to witness those conversations unfold in real time, and what stayed with him. 

Why now?

Morrie Schwartz did not wait for permission to speak plainly about dying. He leaned in with curiosity, one of Emberlight's core values, and that curiosity became a gift to everyone watching.

This screening is an invitation to ask the same questions Morrie asked: What have I given? What have I received? What does a life well-lived actually look like? We will hold space after the film for a guided group conversation so you can bring your own answers, questions, and reflections into the room.

What to expect:

• Welcome and introduction by Curt Worden, including his personal reflections on filming the original Nightline series

• One-hour screening of curated segments from "Lessons from Morrie," the ABC Nightline series

• Guided group discussion and Q&A with Curt

About Curt Worden

Curt Worden is a two-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and broadcast journalist with over 45 years of experience. He has covered some of the most significant events of the modern era, including the Gulf War, where he was the first to broadcast live from the battlefield the liberation of Kuwait, and has had access to five U.S. Presidents beginning with the Ford administration. He has directed and produced more than 60 broadcast documentaries for ABC, CBS, PBS, NBC, and others. His work on the Nightline Morrie segments placed him at the center of a story that would change how millions of people think about living and dying.

100% of proceeds donated go to support the mission and vision of Emberlight: Center for Conscious Living and Dying

This event is open to all, with a suggested donation. No one is turned away for lack of funds, and we welcome everyone to attend who feels called to share in this message. 

RSVP HERE