“Hello Darkness, My Old Friend” – A Special Friendship from Art Garfunkel’s Life

Art Garfunkel and Sanford Greenberg in their younger years.

“Hello darkness, my old friend” – not only the opening line of “The Sound of Silence,” but also the title of a book that tells a remarkable story from Art Garfunkel’s life.

Art Garfunkel and Sanford Greenberg met while studying at Columbia University in New York. They were fellow students and roommates. From this meeting grew a friendship that continues to this day.

When Sanford Greenberg lost his sight in 1961, he returned to Columbia University at Art Garfunkel’s urging. During that time, Art Garfunkel supported his friend in his daily academic life. He read textbooks to him, accompanied him around campus, and helped him find his way around New York.

Many years later, Sanford Greenberg documented this shared history in his autobiographical book, “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend: How Daring Dreams and Unyielding Friendship Turned One Man’s Blindness into an Extraordinary Vision for Life.”

The book was published on June 30, 2020. Art Garfunkel wrote the introduction, offering his personal perspective on his longtime friendship and shared history with Sanford Greenberg.

The complete audiobook, narrated by Art Garfunkel, was released on September 29, 2020, in American English. With his unmistakable voice, he tells the story of his longtime friend himself, giving the autobiographical account a direct personal connection.

Now the story is also being brought to the screen. Wayfarer Studios announced the film adaptation of “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend” in August 2024. The screenplay was written by Tony Spiridakis, with Tony Goldwyn directing. The story focuses on Sanford Greenberg’s early years, his time at Columbia University, and his friendship with Art Garfunkel.

Filming began in New York in the summer of 2026. The story is now returning to a very special place: Columbia University, the shared alma mater of Art Garfunkel and Sanford Greenberg.

This is where their unusual friendship began more than six decades ago. Here, two young men met without knowing how deeply that encounter would shape their lives. And now, at that very same place, the story of their friendship is being brought to the screen.

And so a remarkable circle comes full circle. What began at Columbia University has remained part of Art Garfunkel’s life for more than six decades. A meeting during their college years became a friendship that continues to this day – and now its story returns to the place where it all began.