The story of how I met Alice Walker and Gloria Steinem

So here is the story of how I met Alice Walker and Gloria Steinem:

In 1994, I think right around now, in late August, when I was pregnant with my daughter Rachel [who was born in December that year, and now, at 17, is hipster cool] Deborah Matthews, a fellow Newark native and NHS grad, was working with National Book Award and Pulitzer-prize winning author Alice Walker. She worked as Walker’s assistant as Walker wrote the non-fiction book, Warrior Marks, which is about the ceremonial “female circumcision,” or genital mutilation, of little girls in Africa. My husband Joe was Features Editor at the Newark Advocate at the time, had written a preview story about the publication of the book, and had interviewed Alice over the phone for it, and had also spoken to Deborah in setting up and doing the interview, since Deborah was assisting Alice Walker at the time.

Now, Alice Walker and Gloria Steinem are fast friends with Deborah and with one another, and Gloria was along on the tour, journaling their experiences as they promoted the book and the film they were making of the same story. Steinem planned at the time to turn her journals and experiences and notes into a book about the experience.

If you don’t know already, Deborah's mother, Fran Woods, still beautiful and feisty today at 80 years, is a pillar of the community here in Newark and in the Shiloh Baptist Church community, and a renowned cook. Deborah had come back to town to visit her mother and brought Alice along while they were touring in support of the book, and Fran hosted a big dinner and party to welcome them at the Washington Square community center, inviting lots of people she knew Deborah would want to see, including Lincoln teacher Carol Floyd, and other friends and relatives, and, most graciously, Joe and me -- an opportunity I would not have missed for anything. “)  And it wasn’t just the celebrity company; if you know Fran and the ladies of the Shiloh church, you know how awesome the food was that night. :)

That night back in 1994 was a very comfortable evening, and while Alice was so very sweet but incredibly shy, reserved and quiet, talking to Gloria Steinem was as easy as falling off a swing; we talked as easily as if we'd known one another for years; she is very easy to talk to; kind, and so very non-intimidating. And so beautiful! No picture you’ve ever seen of her quite does her justice; Gloria Steinem is stunningly beautiful.

Now flash forward to present day: Deborah has been back home in Newark for the past couple of weeks for her NHS reunion and to look after her mother, who has not been well lately, and invited me over while she was home. We had “friended” one another on Facebook about a year ago, and about a month ago she posted a black-and-white picture of herself putting lipstick on her mother, all backlit in silhouette, that was so touching and poignant that it made me cry, and I told her so. (The two of them reminded me of me and my own mother.) I wrote, Seeing this picture just makes me want to come and give both of you a big hug. When Deborah saw that, she called me and told me she was going to be in town, and invited me over to deliver those hugs.

Thus, Rachel and I met up with Deborah this past Thursday afternoon at their family home on Eastern Avenue. I did hug everyone -- and great huggers Deborah and Fran are! -- and we had a wonderful time catching up on the past and making plans for the future (more on that later). Deborah told me Gloria is still working on her book about that tour and experience.

During my years as a reporter, I was privileged to meet some famous people and to have the wonderful opportunity to talk with them, but even in that group, this night remains one of the most memorable times I’ve ever had. Before dinner, we all stood in a prayer circle, holding hands, with Joe and I on either side of Gloria Steinem, and someone said a beautiful grace, and while I cannot recall who that was, I am pretty sure that it was Deborah, who has the true God-given gift of inspiration and peace.

Anyway, I had apparently never told Rachel this story, and as she listened to Deborah and me talking Thursday, and to my questions about what Alice and Gloria are working on now, as well as projects Deborah herself is working on from her home in Berkeley California, Rachel began emanating what I call her Madonna look, with a slight secretive smile and pink, glowing cheeks. When we got in the car to come home, she said, "Mom! You never told me you had met Alice Walker! You are an amazing woman!” [They had read The Color Purple in school and Rachel adores that book.] Now, this is some mighty high praise to receive from an ultra-cool, beautiful hipster-chick high school senior, and I don't think any other praise of this magnitude has ever come towards me from this youngest child of mine.

I guess she has never really seen me be in “professional” mode before; mostly, like most kids, she sees me as mom and a buddy and chauffeur :) I’m so glad I was able to impress her. ♥

And Deborah, if you’re reading this, thank you for the lovely afternoon. And give your beautiful mom a big hug for me. ♥ And thank you so much for helping me impress my daughter.