AROUND TOWN: Our Year in Learning – 2019

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.”
― Abigail Adams, in a May 8, 1780 letter to her son, John Quincy Adams

Our purpose on Earth is to love and to learn – and one of the smartest things I’ve done is to fill my life with people smarter than me. My husband. Our friends. Our co-workers. Pros who excel in their field. In 2019, Robert and I have been lucky to learn from many creative human beings – writers, artists, magicians, musicians, scholars, journalists, moguls and activists. Among the most thought-provoking:

Our year began with Rebecca Makkai (“The Great Believers”) interviewed by Ernesto Munar at Howard Brown Health. Julia Borcherts, who is at the center of Chicago literary life, first told me Rebecca’s novel was the best book she had read in a long time – and, boy, was she right.

On a summer evening, Audrey Niffenegger (“The Time Traveler’s Wife”) was interviewed by Don Evans for the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame at a house party hosted by Ed Underhill and Liam Nolan. The evening’s celebrity chef was the writer Billy Lombardo, who cooked a delicious Italian meal for everyone. And the party ended with an enlightening nightcap conversation on Ed and Liam’s rooftop deck about the role “rate of reveal” plays in storytelling.

In the fall, performance poet and Milwaukee Poet Laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton challenged over 400 movers-and-shakers to think deeply about whether we should still be celebrating having to do anti-poverty work another 50 years from now. Hamilton was appearing at Next Door’s 50^th Anniversary Gala at Northwestern Mutual Tower. The evening also featured JohnQuell Tucker, a child welfare worker who attributed his success to his parents and to starting in Next Door’s Early Head Start program when he was 3 years old.

Our autumn included Olympic Champion, Equality Champion and America’s Sweetheart Adam Rippon (“Beautiful on the Outside: A Memoir”) interviewed by Owen Keehnen for the Book Stall at the Music Box Theatre. Adam was a delight. Owen and NPR’s Terry Gross are my favorite interviewers these days; their questions are always spot on – and they actually listen to the people they’re interviewing.

Our friend, the painter and jewelry-maker G.L. Smothers, was interviewed as part of the “Abstract Does Not Distract” panel discussion at the Smart Museum in Hyde Park this past Spring. I love studying the colors and shapes in G.L.’s work.

Sometimes a dinner conversation can stimulate the most thinking. Robert and I were lucky to enjoy two long, winding dinner conversations this past year with master magician Max Maven at the Magic Castle. Max is one of the all-time great raconteurs. Plus, we relished the opportunity to twice watch Max perform for the public, in Santa Monica and here in Chicago. What’s more, Robert participated in a special, intensive four-hour workshop Max recently presented for magicians at Magic, Inc.

Jazz musician Patricia Barber is pushing the artistic envelope in inventive ways with her new album, “Higher.” Plus, Patricia is our favorite saloon singer, appearing regularly on Monday nights at the nearby Green Mill Cocktail Lounge in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Each performance doubles as a master class for jazz aficionados.

Actor and oral historian Anna Deavere Smith knocked it out of the park this past Spring during the “It’s Good Business to Invest in Young Children” luncheon hosted by Ounce of Prevention in Chicago. During her performance, Smith channeled Stephanie Williams, an “emotional support teacher” who worked with an 11-year-old boy who, in a rage, yanked an entire tree out of the ground; and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson, who helped to open the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Alabama. The museum honors more than 4,000 African Americans lynched in the United States.

Filmmaker Werner Herzog introducing “Meeting Gorbachev,” at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. Robert and I were joined by our favorite filmmaker, Michael Caplan. Fascinating to learn more about glasnost from a non-US perspective.

One of my favorite activities each year is One-Day University, co-sponsored here by the good people at the Chicago Tribune. The session I attended earlier this year with Nicole Gotthelf featured:

• Brown University’s Wendy Schiller discussing, “What Would the Founding Fathers Think of America Today?”
• Georgetown’s Sam Potolicchio discussing “The Changing Face of 2020 America.” During the Q&A, Potolicchio also became the first person I heard tout Pete Buttigieg’s longshot-but-real chances to grab the Democratic nomination for US President; and
• Fairfield University’s Orin Grossman discussing, “Three Musical Masterpieces Every American Should Know.” By the way, the three are: Aaron Copeland’s Appalachian Spring, Duke Ellington’s Ko-Ko and Richard Rogers’ Waltzes, from Carousel. One-Day University was held at Northwestern University’s Thorne Auditorium.

Thanks to my work at Buffett Early Childhood Fund I am privileged each year to learn from the best and the brightest about issues affecting young children and their families. 2019 was a banner year:

• University of North Carolina’s Donna Bryant and Noreen Yazejian, in a day-long conversation with my foundation colleagues in Omaha.
• University of Nebraska’s Marjorie Kostelnik keynoted the national Educare Learning Network meeting, held this past April in Lincoln, Nebraska.
• Early childhood guru Joan Lombardi spoke on “Communities Coming Together for Young Children.” Plus, Joan joined a panel discussion with Julia Zhu, Grace Araya and Cristina Pacione-Zayas, in May at Erikson Institute in Chicago. (As I’ve stated before, Joan has attained One Name Status in the early childhood field. Say “Joan” and people know you mean Joan Lombardi.
• University of Nebraska’s Helen Raikes provided the keynote at the “Thriving Children, Families & Communities” conference in Kearney, Nebraska, this past fall. Over 400 people from 92 Nebraska communities. Sam Meisels from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute also provided substantive opening remarks.
• Princeton University’s Eldar Shair spoke on “scarcity” and Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha spoke on the Flint Water crisis and advocating for social justice at the Alliance for Early Success annual summit in Atlanta.

My friend and former boss Dan Pedersen is another of the all-time great raconteurs. Dan reminisced about his career in journalism in a podcast hosted by John Dechant – and what a journalistic career it ‘twas: overseeing the first Iowa poll for the DesMoines Register, working for Newsweek in LA and Houston and Atlanta, serving as Newsweek’s London Bureau Chief during Thatcher’s reign and Diana’s death, and being the only Western journalist present the night the Berlin Wall fell.

Anand Giridharades, author of “Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World,” offered some challenging perspectives on philanthropy during an interview in Omaha this past Spring. Anand’s book is a must-read.

Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger at Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders’ Meeting in Omaha. Their marathon, 6-hour Q&A with shareholders, journalists and financial experts is always an insightful, inspiring, energizing event. If you want to learn about business, learn from the best.

GOP consultant Kevin Madden and Democratic consultant Sean Sweeny discussing early childhood, the 2020 election, and the future of America during a dinner hosted by First Five Years Fund at Charlie Parker’s Steakhouse in Washington, DC. (Kevin and Sean have since moved on to other positions.)

Amara Enyia at a house party hosted by Dennis Puhr during the Chicago Mayoral election. One of my favorite rabble-rousers, Susan Strong-Dowd, invited me to attend.

Former US Representative (and Ted’s son) Patrick Kennedy, Parkland shooting survivor and activist Mei-Ling Ho-Shing, Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx, mental health expert Linda Rosenberg, musician Travis Atkinson, social worker James Wallace and Thresholds CEO Mark Ishaug at Thresholds’ 60^th Gala Dinner this past May at the Chicago Hilton.

A lunch conversation with Marie Newman, who is seeking to unseat conservative Dan Lipinski in the US Congress. A few of my other favorite rabble-rousers – Nancy Shier, Ed Underhill and Angela Hubbard – joined Robert and me in getting to know Marie this past Spring at the Cliff Dwellers Club. Thanks to Shannon Hunt-Scott for introducing us to this smart, formidable progressive champion.

Tracy Baim 35th Anniversary Tribute at Sidetrack. The place was packed with changemakers – and Tracy is a giant among them. She was interviewed by none other than Cheryl Corley.

Celebrating award winners Owen Keehnen, Lori Cannon, Paul Highfield, and Carrie Maxwell and hearing from the great Victor Salvo at the Legacy Project unGala in October at Chez Event. Plus, Liam Nolan and Ed Underhill joined Robert and me at this historic event celebrating LGBTQ history.

Thom Clark, Katy Hogan and Michael James invited Erikson Institute’s Cristina Pacione-Zayas and me to preach the early childhood gospel on their Heartland Radio Show this past November. Want to feel better about the future? Get to know Cristina.

And I closed the year by learning this past Monday (along with nearly 1,000 other guests) from powerhouse Stacey Abrams at the Girls, Inc. annual luncheon in Omaha. Want to feel better about the future? Get to know Stacey, too. And register to vote – and vote!