The title of David McCullough’s sold out lecture last night in the Cole Auditorium at Greenwich Public Library was “You Are What You Read.” The lecture, which was free to the public, was part of our local library’s Distinguished Lecture Series, made possible by the generous contributions of private donors. McCullough is exceptional, of course. [...]
The title of David McCullough’s sold out lecture last night in the Cole Auditorium at Greenwich Public Library was “You Are What You Read.”
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The lecture, which was free to the public, was part of our local library’s Distinguished Lecture Series, made possible by the generous contributions of private donors.
McCullough is exceptional, of course. He’s one of the most successful and honored historians of all time. He’s a best-selling author who’s won the Pulitzer Prize twice, and who has so many other awards and accomplishments that one could write a whole book about the guy.
Speaking for an hour and a half, McCullough covered all kinds of topics.
, and the context in which our Founding Fathers operated insofar as the role of books, intellect, and honor. and Ben And Me., which he says proved — against conventional “wisdom” — that kids not only can read- but also desire to read complex language., because they’re well constructed, that is, durable, and inexpensive.)All of this was very inspiring.
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Since I had been first in line when they gave out the free tickets for the event, I got to sit in the front row of the 300 seat auditorium. It felt like college!
Being up front, Cassandra (my wife) and I had the pleasure of sitting next to David’s wife Rosalie, who it turns out, is as fascinating as her husband.
We found out they live on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, which is where Cassandra and I got married (in Oak Bluffs). And David is from Pittsburgh, which is where I went to college (at Carnegie Mellon University). So we became fast friends.
They make a great couple, the McCulloughs, which you’d know already if you had seen that 40-minute special documentary film, Painting With Words, about David and his personal life, that aired on HBO not long ago. But you didn’t need to see that film to appreciate them, because it was so obvious from the way they interacted with each other even while he was lecturing.
“She’s the star that guides me,” he said from the stage. They’re just truly, genuinely in love with each other and that was heart-warming and refreshing in and of itself.
After the lecture there was a private reception for the McCulloughs at a local spot (the Belle Haven Country Club) hosted by the Trustees of the Greenwich Public Library.
That’s where I had a chance to chat with David one-on-one. (Cassandra continued her lovely chat with Rosalie.)
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He’s a very face-to-face kind of a man, the kind who grabs and clutches your forearm while he’s talking, and the more exciting the topic, the more firmly his clutch. It’s as if he wants to snatch and embrace and savor each word and moment. That’s probably what makes him a great dancer, which he is, according to Rosalie.
(Rosalie has the same personable manner, by the way.)
So we were both standing there grabbing each others’ forearms and getting goose bumps talking about history, and old Pittsburgh, and politics, and the Black Fives Era, and the story of what I’m doing, and the stories within the stories. Like two kids, that’s what it felt like to me.
The beautiful synchronicity of all of this is that when I first began writing history, the first reference book I purchased — as a superb example for how to do it right — was The Path Between The Seas
Back to the reception, David was so generous with his time that he inscribed my copy of John Adams, which I brought with me for that purpose. And he was so there, so present, that he wrote “Make History Now!” as part of his inscription, even though I had only mentioned that phrase (our Black Fives brand slogan) conversationally.
He even put me in touch with a couple of his friends in Pittsburgh.
How cool is that?
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And how cool is it that Rosalie grabbed my camera to take this photograph below?
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David and Rosalie McCullough know how to make history now.
(Tomorrow: highlights from John Isaacs and the John Henry “Pop” Lloyd Awards in Atlantic City, New Jersey this past weekend.)
UPDATE (10/17/2008):
The Greenwich Citizen covered this event and you can read their write up here.
David and Rosalie McCullough, with Cassandra and me.
Hello Claude:
What an inspiring evening and opportunity to meet with such an extraordinary couple as the McCullough’s are! I got goose bumps just reading about it. Thank you for sharing and I will always keep in mind ” You Are What You Read”.
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How very interesting! Thanks so much for sharing.
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Hi Claude:
Your words are a confirmation to persevere and not settle.
It is all about Making History Now!
I thank you for myself and for the generations to come.
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We Have been about the business of interesting young people at the Detroit Northwestern High School in the idea of how far good reading habits can carry a person. This solidfies the topic very well in deed, and I will share this and other remarks with them concerning the reknowned David McCullough.
We have embarked on a new project called the “Northwest Success Project” and have gotten some extraordinary help from such eminent folks as: the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Judge Greg Mathis, Federal Judge Damon Keith, and sponors such as: UAW International Union, MLCC (Michigan Labor Constituency Council); New Detroit, Inc., NAACP, City Year, Michigna State AFL-CIO and others.
Thank you for your in depth and glorious report!
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Excellent write-up on what sounds like a tremendous event. David McCullough is also one of my favorite authors. Thanks for sharing!
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Hello Claude,
Thank you for sharing the events of your evening with an such an inspiring couple.
What a great treasure to have David’s autograph! He showed that he not only talks – he also listens.
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Thank you so much for sharing this story! Mr. McCullough is one of my heroes- I’m so excited that I’m going to go to one of his speeches this fall. Your experience sounds out of this world. I must say, I’m completely jealous. Thanks again for sharing this. I hope to have a similar experience. I want to tell Mr. McCullough how much he has changed my life. I’d like to be an historian, so maybe I will get the chance!
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Small world again.
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Mr. Johnson,
Once again, you have hit a home run as you give an inspiring recollection of absorbing and sharing information. I share Mr. and Mrs. McCullough, as well as the Johnson’s love for reading and writing. The look into the world of reading as seen through your eyes via the writings of Mr. McCullough has opened the eyes of many folks who responded to your article.
I’m going to make sure I pick up a few of the recommended books for my personal consumption. I’ll make sure my wife Joan and I are in the audience when David speaks in New York City or New Jersey. Once again, thanks for making the Blackfives site a wealth of treasured information as you continue to make history now!
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I was also lucky enough to meet David and Rosalie McCullough at the Library’s event. Your description of these two special people, who are so overtly, and touchingly, loving towards each other, is a story within your story, and I commend you for writing about this personal dimension of a man who has been widely honored for his literary oeuvre. David McCullough is revered as a historian who brings his subject matter alive, and is therefore FUN to read. It was FUN also to read your blog, and thank you for spreading David McCullough’s message that “you are what you read.”
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Claude—Just loved your account of your evening with David McCoullough (and each of your beautiful wives). I have sent it to many people as I found it very inspireing. With all that is going on in the world it is refreshing to Know that intelligence and integrity are still to be cherished. This came at a great time. All the Best-Llorin
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Claude – I am a fan of David McCoullough, most recently with the John Adams series which was wonderful. I admit that I’ve always found it challenging to read history, and plod through because I thoroughly enjoy and value what history has to offer. McCoullough makes history easy and fun and fascinating. Yes, we are what we read. We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” Well, intellectual nourishment is no different than physical nourishment. We need it continuously to keep up our strength and make sure we grow properly. I’ve always been perplexed by how people graduate from college and 10, 20 or 30 years later still haven’t taken another course in anything. If you stopped putting food into your belly, you’d suffer – so it stands to reason that if you stopped putting new information into your mind, you’d suffer also. As a side note, I read Horton Hatches an Egg and Ben and Me as a kid, and passed the same copies of these books to my own daughter. At age 23, she has them on her bookshelves and I imagine will pass them on to her kids (one day in the distant future!) These are good, solid, nourishing mind food. Thanks for sharing your account with this wonderful man.
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Claude-I really appreciate you sharing this story. I watched the HBO mini series and thought it was exceptionally well done and enlightening. I will be adding the childrens’ books mentioned earlier to my daughters reading list and his book will be added to mine.
Thanks again.
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Reading your account of your evening with David McCullough made me think about a little town in East Texas, Bivins to be exact, and how a group of newly freed slaves understood, even in the 1860′s, the importance of literacy and education as they established the first Black Independent School District. Their commitment and sacrifice for their community, the desire that they imparted for knowledge in their families and others lives on today. It is my prayer that the history that we make today will feed and inspire our families for generations to come. Thanks for taking the time to share.
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He has been one of my heroes for a long time. You will treasure this evening forever.
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Thanks for sharing.
Also, nice suit!!!!!
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again thanks for sharing /you have another look about you.
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carl, it’s the suit! A brotha’s gotta have at least one good suit, just in case!
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thanks, claude…i, too, have great respect for david mccullough, and for what you’re doing as well. two classy dudes doing important and though-providing work!
–Pat
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thanks, claude…i, too, have great respect for david mccullough, and for what you’re doing as well. two classy dudes doing important and thought-provoking work!
–Pat
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Great story, Claude. Mr McCullough’s Panama played its part in the Black Fives era. Along with building the Panama Canal West Indians sent Johnny Isaacs’ family StateSide. Rens founder Bob Douglas hailed from St Kitts, and Bill Yancey took a sabbatical from the Rens to coach basketball and baseball in Panama, probably in Colon (something we should one day pinpoint). Panama was an important cog in West Indian Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line plans; one wonders how well Douglas knew Garvey. We know Garvey influenced the fathers of Malcolm X and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — another hoopster of West Indian heritage.
I’ve thought about buying Path Between The Seas for years. Does Mr McCullough make mention of many West Indian workers by name? Lots of these pioneers and their descendants went to live where we do, in Costa Rica, and thus missed out on making Black Fives history in NYC.
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Hey Laura, in my opinion in order to become a historian you don’t have to wait around for a “chance” to be one, but rather you just decide one day that you “are” one. The rest takes care of itself. Best wishes and I’m certain that you’ll enjoy his lecture!!
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