morgaines_twin

She was my ultimate hero – she helped me survive Jr. high and early high school. My mother once threatened to ban me from watching the show, for fear the Warrior Princess would turn me into a lesbian. Too late, mom.

He spoke at my College Graduation – he received an honorary doctorate in Arts and Letters. His speech was phenomenal and very inspiring, and he led the entire graduating class in a rendition of the Reading Rainbow theme song, since we had all grown up with the TV show. As I got up on stage to receive my diploma and shake his hand, I put the rainbow lei that I was wearing around my neck, around HIS. He bowed very politely and smiled a huge smile. After the ceremony, I met my family outside of the university’s theatre building. LeVar walked by with his wife, daughter, and mother; he recognized me and said, “Congratulations!” and I yelled back, “You too!”

She came to speak about the issue of racism in the US at my college. She performed exerpts from her plays during her lecture; I had never seen anything so profound or original. I was literally moved to tears. After the lecture, the bookstore staff had set up a table for the audience to purchase books. I had exactly $7.28 in my bank account, but I wanted to meet her. So I waited in line, and when it was my turn, I asked her if she wouldn’t mind signing my ticket, since I couldn’t afford to buy a book. She leaned over to one of the bookstore guys, and asked him to get her a book -she signed it for me “Be Strong, Be Bold, Be New, Be You – Anna Deavere Smith” ... I think I said thank you, I can’t remember. I was so shocked, and so full of overwhelming gratitude I wept (again) all the way back to my dorm room. It was the MOST definitive night of my life.

The two men I’ve known in my heart the longest (besides my father) are Shakespeare and Springsteen. This sound weird, but I truly think that he helped raise me to be the music loving, socially aware person I am today.

The first concert I ever went to was the 5 1/2 Week Tour w/ Tori and Alanis. I was 17, and I had never seen anyone make love to a piano before. That was the beginning of a (so far) life-long love affair. For all three of us.

In one word: Awesome. Reservation Blues quite possibly changed my whole perception of American literature.

I want to meet Emma Thompson because she’s been one of my heroine’s since I was about 12. She is a true Renaissance woman – not pinned down by Hollywood/actor stereotypes – clearly brilliant in so many wonderful ways. And we share the same birthday. Fate? Quite possibly.