Despite the morning thunder-bumpers that rattled locals with memories of the past Thursday’s slam-bang-theater, Monday, October 6th’ evening was picture perfect.
Perhaps former First Lady Barbara Bush had negotiated the deal with Mother Nature.
Even though Barbara wasn’t on site, her presence was felt at the Meyerson from the VIP reception, presentation in the McDermott Hall to the light supper in the lobby.
George P. Bush, Lynne and Roy Sheldon
Mandi Bush and Shelby Boyuls
Having lived through husband George “41” Bush’s 90th birthday and his parachute leap of faith from overhead to preparing for her own upcoming 90th birthday (she guarantees that no parachutes will be involved with the celebration), Barbara sent in the heavy hitter jump generation Committee Co-Chairs Mandi and George P. Bush and cousin Pierce Bush to host the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy‘s Celebration of Reading.
Pierce Bush
The trio B’s had just arrived from Ellie LeBlond‘s (Doro Bush Koch‘s daughter, Barbara’s granddaughter) wedding in Kennebunkport with photos showing off 41’s burgundy colored socks.
While Celebration of Reading guests gathered in the lobby for the readathon, authors Kelly Corrigan, Eric Draper, Emily Giffin, Gary Haugen and Brad Meltzer and VIP’s attended a private reception in the lower level suite.
Benaye Rogers, Gerneise and Terry Flowers
Mandi reported that baby Prescott was turning 16 months and the perfect baby as she made the rounds with Shelby Boyuls… George P. across the room looked like Santa the day after Thanksgiving as guests lined up to chat with him. He looked right at home, but had an associate advising that politics were verboten for the evening…Lynn and Roy Shelton were celebrating his recent “medical” challenge and their 37th anniversary…After revealing to Marianne Staubach that she had left Contact Hotline to be development director at St. Philip’s School and Community Center, Benaye Rogers joined Gerneise and husband/St. Philip’s headmaster Terry Flowers at the reception…. Margaret and Lester Keliher brought along her 90-year-young dad Jim Coleman. When told that he still goes to work every day, the question arose, “What’s his secret?” Margaret answered, “Exercise.” Jim simply said, “Keep moving.”…Mary Jalonick was catching up with Lyda Hill, who had spent the summer in Colorado…While waiting for wife Jan to arrive Trevor Rees-Jones chatted it up with author Gary Haugen…Author Emily Giffin was thanking Michelle Staubach Grimes for introducing her to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy…Red-haired Pierce Bush proved that he had not lost his spunk for making friends. After doing volunteer work at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Houston and meeting Little Brother Jaylyn, Pierce traded in his corporate job to become executive VP of the Houston organization.
Margaret Keliher and Jim Coleman
Liza McFadden
Barbara Bush Foundation President/CEO Liza McFadden pointed out that 36M U.S. adults are only at the most basic literacy level, and that 40% of Dallas parents dropped out of high school. She added that 80% of poor readers in the third grade are predicted to drop out of high school. To help the literacy problem, the foundation will be opening 20 new programs in Dallas.
Jim and Debbie Francis
Holly Reed and Craig Holcomb
Before you knew it, Mandi, George P. and the authors disappeared. Just as their absence was noticed by the roomful of guests, the chimes alerting the crowd to move to the main event in the McDermott Hall. There they joined folks like Debbie and Jim Francis, Holly Reed, Craig Holcomb and Carol Reed.
Then the show commenced with heady types like President Barack Obama joining former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush via video. Each admitted that Barbara Bush and her project had indeed made a big difference in the lives of children and adults.
Then the program began. More than 40 kids from The Combined Show Choirs from Richardson ISD, Legacy from Richardson High School and Forte from JJ Pearce High School, sang Pharrell’s “Happy” song. George P. arrived at the podium and reported that George H.W. is “already saying when he turns 95 he wants to [jump] again.” He introduced Liza, who in turn introduced Kennedy Anderson, 14, a ninth grader at Uplift Academy in Fort Worth. In a very grown-up way she briefly told how the literacy program had changed her life.
Then Pierce came out telling an anecdote about being recognized as looking like George W. in Venice Beach, Calif. Though at first complimented, he was sorta taken back when the fella said, “That must piss you off!”
He then ended his comments saying that his grandmother would want him to cut it off. So, he introduced author Kelly Corrigan. Sounding a bit like a 21st century Erma Bombeck, she read from her book, “Glitter and Glue.” At one point the word “kegel” was mentioned. Looking at the deaf signer at the edge of stage, Kelly wondered aloud how the word would translate. All eyes shot in the direction of the blushing female deaf interpreter, who made a sign that all understood. The gals giggled and the guys rolled their eyes.
Emily Giffin and Michelle Staubach Grimes
Bringing the room back to some sort of decorum, George P. introduced Eric Draper, former White House photographer, who described both a personal and professional view of being a photographer of the George W. Bush era. With photos on the screen behind him, Eric told how he got the job and the ups and downs of being a camera away from the first family for eight years.
Mandi introduced Emily, who talked about lunching earlier in the day with Laura Bush, whom she now calls “Aunt Laura”, and watching the Cowboys win a game with the Staubachs. Unlike her predecessors, Emily didn’t read from her book, but just talked about it. Known for her “chick literature,” she congratulated Kelly for having mentioned “lady parts.” The usual frothy Emily had a serious tone in her talk stressing the importance that literature had played in her life.
Trevor Rees-Jones and Gary Haugen
Next up was Gary Haugen of “The Locust Effect”, who told how 4 billion people live outside the protection of the law. He started by telling of his idyllic childhood in California and earning his B.A. from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Chicago. It was serving as director of the United Nation’s investigation of the Rwandan genocide in 1994 that changed his life and led to the creation of the International Justice Mission.
Mandi introduced the evening’s final speaker, Brad Meltzer, who in addition to writing thrillers like “The Tenth Justice” also has produced children’s books. She claimed that 16-month–old Prescott had already read “I’m Rosa Parks.” But shoot! With Barbara Bush genes, who was going to quibble? Brad did. He said jokingly: “The last time I saw Prescott, he was totaling reading ’The Fifth Assassin’ ” (another book Brad wrote). In his talk, Brad advised, “We are starving for heroes.” He told of nugget of history that are included in his children’s books. For instance, a young Abraham Lincoln standing up to a group of youths piling hot coals on the back of a turtle (“let the turtle go”) and youthful Amelia Earhart’s first airborne flight thanks to her building a roller coaster structure (“I was flying!”).
To close the evening, the choir returned to the stage performing a couple of patriotic tunes with a background of videos of America.
With that the thousand-plus crowd adjourned to the lobby for dinner and discussion of the evening. As they headed home, they had gift bags with books for more food for thought.
