Meet Sidney Poitier's Dinner Guests

A high school English teacher from Williamsville, New York, Lisa says she originally picked up The Measure of a Man because she is the mother of sons and because she had always admired Sidney Poitier.

As she read, she began to make personal connections. "I found myself weeping at times while I read the book because of the sameness of the human condition. For so long in my life, I have carried so much shame over ridiculous teenage behaviors, my divorce and my unkind moments, yet this is in direct contradiction to not only who I want to be, but also to my role in my community," she writes. "How can an imperfect person who has made so many mistakes continue the pretense of being a role model for others? What a wonderful thing it was to read the words on page 214, '…if the image one holds of one's self contains elements that don't square with reality, one is best advised to let go of them.' A major lightbulb moment for me!"