In the News
In January 2026, An exciting new resource has become available. The International Stained Glass Centre, located in Chartres, has developed "Reading the stained glass windows of Chartres," smartphone application that uses artificial intelligence (available for both IOS and Android), that, when completed, will enable vivid detailed color display on each participating smartphone of all of the Chartres stained-glass windows and expanded views of the individual panels thereof, with explanations and links to a library of research articles. In early 2026, the application launched, and is now available to the public for free, and already covers 50 of the 172 bays of the stained-glass windows. The Centre is a nonprofit organization that is asking for donations to complete the development of the application. See and download the App onto your phone and see the following links for more information:
Vist the International Stained Glass Centre: https://www.centre-vitrail.org/en/
Visit the fundraising site at: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/centre-international-du-vitrail/collectes/de-l-ecrin-a-l-ecran
Upload the smartphone application at: https://apps.apple.com/fr/app/lire-les-vitraux-de-chartres/id6745028295 or at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chartres&utm_source=na_Med
Visit “bluedechartres” on Instagram for a stream of amazing photos of the cathedral, its interior and its environs.
Events
In January 2020, I gave a talk about my book to members of the Sertoma fraternal club gathered in a meeting in Littleton, Colorado.
On May 26, 2020, I gave a talk about my book via zoom to members of the Jewish Federation of Utah.
On June 10, 2020, Cynthia Brian, founder of an empowerment program, and Authors Guild member, interviewed me on her June 10 Voice of America network radio program called Starstyle—Be the Star You Are! She's been assisting authors whose book launches have been cancelled due to Covid. I am grateful she did so for me too. The interview is available as a podcast at: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/123790/saving-the-light-at-chartres-reading-love-prepping-for-college-admissions and at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starstyle-be-the-star-you-are/id669630180?mt=2 with my portion of each starting at15:31.
On July 25, 2020, Vick Mickunas, host of the long-running Book Nook radio program on WYSO.org 91.3 FM (NPR affiliate), was kind enough to interview me about my book Saving the Light at Chartres (Stackpole Books 2020) for his July 25 program, available on demand at https://www.wyso.org/show/book-nook/2020-08-08/book-nook-saving-the-light-at-chartres-how-the-great-cathedral-and-its-stained-glass-treasures-were-rescued-during-world-war-ii-by-victor-a-pollak or as a podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-nook/id1113636483.
In August, 2020, author Kathleen Kelley Reardon, Professor Emerita of Management and Organization at USC Business School, and author of many books including a new crime mystery Damned if She Does, included my virtual interview on her Visiting Authors Blog page at http://www.comebacksatwork.com/?page_id=2689. Thank you, Kathleen. Kathleen has published 10 nonfiction books and two novels. She’ll be participating in the Dublin (Ireland) Writers Festival. Kirkus Reviews described her latest book - Damned if She Does - a MeToo crime mystery that takes place at a Manhattan academic conference and throughout NYC - as “informed and searing.” They have selected it for their September announcement of “Great Indie Books Worth Discovering.” It’s a sequel to her debut crime mystery, Shadow Campus, which takes place in Los Angeles and opens with a young female professor hanging in her office, nearly dead, on the eve of her tenure decision. Forbes described it as a “fast-paced” and a “masterful debut.” She is working on the third crime mystery in the trilogy, which will take place in West Cork, Ireland where she currently lives.
Also In August, 2020, I was featured in an Authors Guild Spotlight, The Writing Life, at https://www.authorsguild.org/the-writing-life/member-spotlight-victor-a-pollak/.
In December, 2020, my book was featured by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture in its “One for the Books: The Year’s Suggested Architecture Books for Gift Giving AASL Column” as one of the “notable architecture books” of 2020, calling it “A compelling story that adds new insight into what has been written about how France’s cultural heritage was saved from the ravages of World War II.”
In 2021. I seek to adapt my book into a TV series or feature film. My synopsis entry (with no character development) for Saving the Light at Chartres was recognized as one of the 175 semi-finalists among 1,400 entrants in the ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition for 2020-21, and in 2022 was on the Red List as #16 for all time among historical book/manuscripts currently being tracked by CoverFly.
In 2022, in March, I participated in the Indie Author’s Pavilion at the Tucson Festival of Books on the U. of Arizona campus.
In December, 2025: An important milestone: An organization that provide substantial support to the Chartres windows is American Friends of Chartres, a nonprofit organization based in the U.S. In December 2025, the organization celebrated its 25th anniversary. Over its lifetime, it has raised more than $1.5 million for the conservation of the cathedral’s stained glass, sculpture and painting, and for the organizaiton’s cultural and educational program. Please consider supporting it. See https://friendsofchartres.org/
Future events
For 2026 and beyond, I’m available to present zoom talks and readings. If you or your group are interested, please contact me using the contact form on this website.
I’ve received gratifying feedback on the book. If you read the book and would like to write a review, please do so and post it on Amazon, Goodreads or some other site, and please send me a link.