Mr. Thorkelson, the teacher, at New Dimensions High School; photo by Matt Asner.
“Best high school teacher I ever had […]. Tremendous empathy.” - former student Mark, commenting on a Monkees Live Almanac blog post (2018)
![Mr. Thorkelson at New Dimensions High School; photo by Matt Asner.
“Peter was a great teacher and friend to me in 1977-78 in Los Angeles. He was my History and Music teacher 5 days a week and was the most wonderful, patient and real teacher I have ever had. I learned so much from his kindness and talent.” - former student David, MLive dot com (2019)
“Sometimes the kids [I teach] get on me at first. ‘Why study history? Who cares?’ And I tell them, ‘Well, if you go out of your house every day and every day you stub your toe on the same brick, then you’re not learning from your past experiences. And that’s why we study history, to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.’ That’s what my history teachers used to tell me, too. Except they never postulated a movable brick to allow for evolving world conditions.” - Peter Tork, Soho Weekly News (August 11-18, 1977)
“[A]s a teacher, I realized that in order to teach something well you need to understand what your student is going through as they try to learn.” - Peter Tork, The Journal Times Online (August 12, 2005)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:g4yg7i72z4nj26ln6ewk3npq/bafkreigck2h4rfwabd2vtu4v4xhwoulrkonjuujs6jrypfc6otezrfif4a)
This Lovin’ Time
@thislovintime.bsky.social
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A fan page in appreciation of Peter Tork. @thislovintime on Instagram, Tumblr & Facebook. Curated by @akirstenrobbins.bsky.social.
![Photo by Michael Ventura.
“Peter was just — you know, he always played the goofy guy in the show, but in real life, although he had a goofy side, he was incredibly intelligent, enormously articulate, kindhearted, always nervous and on the edge of, you know, catastrophe. You know, somebody who had dealt with a fair amount of childhood trauma, the specifics of which I don’t even really know. He sort of got his life together in his thirties, but it really took him kind of the rest of his life to find some [peace]. […] [He was] a magnetic personality, a truly special soul.” - Michael Levine, Monkee Mania Radio interview show (April 2023)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:g4yg7i72z4nj26ln6ewk3npq/bafkreicbjnhcokkssqjx7dgoe4evsazabo6semngdtdyr4na65xxvxezhm)
![“An estimated 12,000 screaming, frantic pre-teen-age and teen-age girls piled into Olympia Stadium Sunday afternoon to see the Monkees. […] Hearing is another matter. Forget it. The screamers drown out everything but the sounds of their own shrieks. […] [Micky and Davy] do the jumping around on stage that really turns on the kids. Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith are more subdued.” - Loraine Alterman, Detroit Free Press (August 15, 1967)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:g4yg7i72z4nj26ln6ewk3npq/bafkreidc32o7v234ccy7skg2fcgb4bweakfrldwehd3ld3433kuopad3ya)
![“Peter is an excellent musician and can play anything from harmonica to trombone. […] The [TV] show is 50-60 percent ad lib. Peter is more intelligent than the role he plays. I lived with Peter for eight months and he’s really got a brain.” - David Pearl to Loraine Alterman, Detroit Free Press )January 20, 1967)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:g4yg7i72z4nj26ln6ewk3npq/bafkreic26xm37ljjlhzipfwmlz4fse7ojxfw5d7amccptf7vnhkahkczwu)
![Peter Tork with fans Diane Porter and Barborah Hazlewood backstage at the Dallas Memorial Auditorium on August 8, 1967. Photo from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries.
“Monkee Peter Tork had a warm and winning welcome for Barborah Hazlewood [on the right in the above photo] […]. She was one of the two Tarant County girls who won KFJZ disc jockey Mark Stevens’ ‘Meet the Monkees’ contest by correctly answering questions about the teen-agers’ television idols. […] [The other contest winner was Diane Porter.] [Stevens] took Diane and Barborah to a suite in the hotel where they had a 15-minute visit with Peter and a quick encounter with Davy.
Diane had worked since June on paper mache replicas of drums and guitars which she gave her television idols.
And Mrs. Hazlewood said Barborah had gone around for days with her transistor radio plugged into her ear so she wouldn’t miss the questions she had to answer to win the contest.” - Fort Worth Star-Telegram (August 11, 1967)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:g4yg7i72z4nj26ln6ewk3npq/bafkreid4ccri7a4nwhipcmglrll3prberi6qzk3atxtpunzqts6zg6kns4)
