GLAMOUR WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS

"Glamour is profound. Glamour says I have enough responsibility to take responsibility for myself and the time and spaces that I occupy. That's Glamour. Saying I want to be as beautiful as I can be. To myself first, and then Anybody else who has enough sense to see me." -Maya Angelou

Carnegie Hall last night for the Glamour Women of the Year Awards. as I was sitting (for the first time) in Carnage hall where the Philharmonic played until the 60s (and was moved to its current home in the Lincoln Center). I was sitting in my third tier balcony seats (with all the working girls... we were a set... and about half of us were working on our phones during the event. (a woman in front of me had three phones in her lap). I was looking at the regal theater and watching these mothers and daughters and WOMEN file in. I thought about all the people who have sat here for decades. I watched and got ansy as people did not take their seats. I did not know it was going to be a very moving night.


Bill Clinton introuduced Maya Angelou* and the 81 year young (as bill said). She came to the podium escorted and hunched and sat on a stool. She personified the short film that preceeded her speech. You could literly see her gain stregnth from words as she spoke. She started facing the floor, the top of her head to the audience. As she spoke the words REALLY gave her power as she was up and then siting taller and speaking of rainbows and how she saw women as rainbows. She redefined Glamour (the quote above I am sure the magazine editors are going to be reusing in their magazine in the future). And in the Power of her words she was no longer an old woman but a vehichal, the poet, transmitting some greater truth.

Maya Angelou as a young woman

I have met both Maya Angelou and Bill Clinton before an.d Bill was also at the event where I first met Maya. It was a fundraiser for John Edwards who was then running for North Carolina Senator. I had braces and was very nervous and I went to the corner of the tent (after getting my picture taken with Clinton Edwards and mygrandfather- he always says that it looks like Bill is grabbing my ass in the picture). I sat with Maya Angelou. And I did not know she was famous but I knew she was special. She told me about energy and the power of excitement and in class, if I get excited.... about any little thing in the lesson. My classmates with start getting excited and spouting ideas and my teacher and magic happens. I remembered that. I know what summer I met her because I remember taking her advice in the classroom and at dinner parties and everything.

I met Bill in Charleston South Carolina when I was very young at a conference with my family. Bill was running for office and Dad was at the conference to speak about possibility of newspapers on the internet and his dedication to help make the internet useful and accessible for people other than scientists. And I found friends and ran off and was trying to figure out how to use a payphone for the first time to let my mom know I Was going up to Mrs Americas daughters hotel room to play nentiendo. I also had no money and I asked the first crotch that came out of the bathroom (I was so young I was about waist height to adults) to help me. And Bill did.

He spoke last night of Maya inducting him into office with her poem and that how she wrote it was by holing herself up in a hotel room for a month (prolly exaggeration of time) but with nothing but a bible a thesaurus and a lot of sherry and filled 5 legal pads with words.

Jane Aronson a pediatrician who is super involved in the Worldwise orphans Foundation was introduced by Katie Couric. Jane was so moved.... she made Kate come to the microphone and was silently crying that she did not know what to say... then they brought out all these orphans (all ages) who live in the city that she has helped and she immediately -- you could see it-- was so comfortable and it was a magnificent call to give her the award... what a woman who has effected so much change.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling

While it was Catherine Zeta Jones who rather mildly introduced Euna Lee and Laura Ling (the journalists for Current TV who were jailed for stepping into North Korea, trying to report on the problem of human trafficing and the problem refugees face. Bill Clinton also mentioned them when introducing Maya. (he was the one who personally negotiated their release.) They did videos of each of the honorees... background, clips, interviews with other people talking about them, whatever. And I loved the message they presented for these women.... which was really about a dedication to tell the story for those who cannot tell the story themselves. I love it

Marissa Mayer, google vice-president and the was introduced by Matt Lauer of the today show, I thought he did an ok job of introducing her but once again the video was great... playing on google and our familiarity with their products. She spoke about organizing the worlds information when she accepted her award and I really felt the presence of a strong business woman who was shaping and creating my world (as I type this on gmail and google everything as I write). She was super cute as well. and I thought her outfit was good... (orange top and Purple skirt, fabric that caught the light and looked really good with her blonde hair and christian loubitians and the bright red award she held while speaking)


Tyra walked up. Standing so tall and looking so good in a tan below the knee but not floor length kaki jersey dress. She killed it. opened with an analogy of the physical power and presence of sarenas body (at the wax museum) and used that analogy of power and presence to sarenas work. Sarena Williams came to take the award. and I really could feel that she is going to ROCK our world in the future (first on the video I was most impressed with her falling from #1 to #140 in rankings and then busting her ass to get back to the top). When she accepted her award she was touched etc but she said (and I could really feel it) that this was nothing, she feels like she hasnt doe anything. (and as she said that I watched heads in the ground floor (the special and honored people) all nodding... and that is what people who do so much thing... this is nothing compared to what I can and will do. Future. moving forward. LOVE IT!

Stella McCartney I have not always jumped to in the past. I do not know why. She was introduced by Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon; Olivia Harrison, widow of George; and Ringo Starr's wife, Barbara Starkey and I watched these women speak about watching Stella grow up from a little girl and talk about how they knew her as a little girl and contrast this to the video interviews where Kate Hudson is laughing about how Stella makes babies and the female strength that is passed down through generations. (I also thought of some small connections, my friend Augusta, daughter of the late Maureen Starkey , Ringo Starrs first wife and her struggle to really take hold of her life like the marvelous women we were honoring. I also wondered about the sister Mary McCartney whom I met at her photography exhibition at the Goss Gallery (GossMichaelFoundation in Dallas, which is owned by George Michael and his boyfriend, Dallas native, Kenny Goss). She seemed like a reserved woman, I loved her pictures and I was marveling at the creativity of that family.

Amy Poehler was introduced by her producer and when she accepted her award, I could feel her energy and life. She has a show called "Smart Girls at the Party" which is about "extraordinary individuals who are changing the world by being themselves." She had everyone in the audience think back to when they were 10 years old (she said the adult me is surprised that I have this award but the 10 year old in me always knew I would get this award.) She also talked about how important incredible friends are, and mentioned that her friends made her a CD of Shania Twains "I feel like a Woman" (36 tracks of I feel like a woman) and they listened to it the whole way to the ceremony.

Michael Douglas (goal of nuclear free world) introduced Susan Rice , our Ambassador to the United Nations. She had been our assistant Secretary for African affairs before this and during her video they focused on her work with Rwanda. The film showed sited I recognised. And I teared up for what seemed like at least the 10th time that evening- seeing coffins and remembering speaking with Virgin (at that site) who lived in hiding for 30 days after her family had been killed in front of her and seeing pictures of Murambi and the Church (I cant remember the name now) where people were slaughtered inside and around. Also showed pics of the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Susan spoke of being in Haiti and the Congo recently and the strength of her voice had so much conviction and power and I was so inspired by her as well.

Rihanna, so young at 21, took the stage after being introduced by model Iman. So young to be receiving the award and so cool, so cool, I am sure that her work with bone marrow transplants and becoming a symbol of domestic violence (after her interview with Barbra Walters the domestic abuse hotline callers JUMPED 59%) but what stood out to me from her video is a young girl who had such internal power and would not let an industry that manufactures people as product turn her into anything other than herself. inspiring.

Christine Amanpour introduced the Woman of Iran One Million Signatures campaign. (legally a woman is one half of a man there) and the video showed the terrible struggle and courage and dissonance they deal with. The arrests the killings and the struggle. What they did not mention (and what I know from studying Iran) is that this is something that these woman had imposed on them AFTER a very free life where women had rights such as we had here---- jobs, clothes, divorce, legal. Women HAD human rights. And those rights were taken away. A few of the women few over and the one who spoke was obviously nervous and shy in front of so many people but she had that fire. that conviction. working for something so RIGHT. I stood to applaud in my section where not really anyone was standing at first.

Maria Shriver was the last woman to accept her award. And let me preface this by saying that I am and have been for a long time, OBSESSED with Maria Shriver. Well obsessed is the wrong word. I greatly admire her. The work she does is tireless and I cannot believe that she has not been a woman of the year before now. "motherhood 24/7 on the front lines of humanity" is a phrase she coined that was not mentioned but I loved a few years ago... she was bringing attention to the work it takes to raise people. She was introduced by Diane Von Furstenburg, whom I also GREATLY admire. Her energy and personality transcends magazine pages and television and radiated up to the third tier balcony. She mentioned all her accomplishments and that motherhood is probably Marias most valued accomplishment. When I first was sitting in the audience watching everyone take their seats (I was early) I was looking through the booklet and texted lisel. talking about being with all these women who have affected so much change. and HELPING OTHERS.

Maria Shriver closed the evening with almost word for word the same things that I sent out to lisel/you at the start of night. She also redirected our thoughts. Many of the recipients had been talking about being your authentic self etc. etc. and Maria brought the focus back around to HELPING OTHERS. And what you can get from that.

Also she spoke and her video spoke about her mother who started the Special Olympics (Arnold and Maria actually stayed in my grandparents house when the Special Olympics was in North Carolina... and I always miss them in Sun Valley... I WILL meet Maria at some point in my life.) BUt there was a theme of women... generation to generation. and the creativity and strength that is passed between women (mother/ daughter but also through REAL friends).

I called Juju (my grandmother) immediately after. I am lucky that she was actually in town and we weren't going to see each other that evening (they had a dinner) but met for a drink right after the ceremony and I got to share my evening with her and we spoke about women. Together. and I was inspired.

*(all introductions not in the order they happened in real life)