This is one of those six-degrees-of-separation events.
Pulitzer-prize winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is scheduled to speak at 8 p.m., Nov. 19 at the University of Texas at Arlington’s Maverick Activity Center, 500 W. Nedderman Drive. Her talk will be part of the UT-Arlington’s Maverick Speaker Series.
I know Doris, sort of. When I was in college, I had a summer job as a milkman. And Doris was one of my customers. I don’t remember most of my customers, but the Goodwins stood out. First of all, they had a huge house in Concord, Mass. - think barn-size. They also had a long driveway, which was a real pain to navigate in my clunky old truck. And they had a young, stunning Irish nanny or babysitter or whatever, who would greet me in a bikini. You can imagine that made quite an impression on a 19-year-old. It was among my favorite stops.
Doris was the one who would always meet me and pay the bill. At the time, Doris wasn’t the famous one. Her husband, Richard, adviser and speechwriter to presidents Kennedy and Johnson, was. So I was always hoping he’d sign the check or join me in the kitchen as I hauled in their milk. Years later, Doris became the media darling, appearing on all sorts news shows. And I would say: “Hey, I know her.”
So I plan to cover her speech. I can only hope she’ll remember that college kid who seemed real impressed with her taste in nannies.
Want to join me? The event is free, but tickets are required. Click here to get them.
I met Doris Kearns Goodwin about six or seven years ago -- maybe even longer--about the time she was writing her book on Lincoln. I was working at WFAA-TV at the time and she was appearing that day on Good Morning, Texas. I'd never sought out any other celebrity -- ever -- but I went to the Green Room to tell her how much I had enjoyed her books. We wound up talking about -- baseball. We commiserated about her love for the Red Sox and my passion for the Atlanta Braves. "Now, did you like them BEFORE they started winning pennants?" Yes, yes, I did, I assured her -- ever since they'd moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta when I was a child. We then chatted about why women love baseball (usually a dad is involved) and how rewarding it is to stick with a team for years and finally see them clinch the World Series. Even now when I see her on MSNBC or CNN talking about the Kennedys or the Roosevelts (also favorite subjects of mine) I am reminded her of insight about baseball. Maybe ESPN should call upon her for some spring training reports.
Posted by: Barbara | November 12, 2008 at 12:46 PM
God, I love milk. And bikinis.
Posted by: Barton H. | November 12, 2008 at 08:14 PM