Inner Harmony: A Lesson From The G R E A T Shirley MacLaine

One of my all-time favorite interview subjects is legendary actress, bestselling author (and fellow dog lover) Shirley MacLaine, a luminously wise soul who brings her intuition and truth to everything she does.

Having done one interview with Shirley, together with Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, and Debby Reynolds, for the TV film"These Old Broads," we spoke again, in a subsequent interview, about the secrets of Inner Harmony, an especially useful topic to anyone who experiences the vagaries of worry, stress, and fear.
  
Over lunch one spring day in Central Park, Shirley confided that whenever she feels angry, discouraged, or stressed out, she always does exactly the same thing:
  
"I go into a quiet room, close my eyes, and say, 'Thank you.'"

"Thank you for being stressed out," I joked?
  

"Yes, that's exactly right. I have learned to say thank you for whatever it is I'm feeling angry or upset about because what I'm feeling is based on something that's unresolved in me," she observes.

"I'm thanking someone for making me clearly look at something and understand what brought up my anger. It turns out that the person or event that caused me to feel upset is really a teacher. When I probe the reasons behind it, the anger disappears. So what we're really talking about is a change in attitude toward everything that happens to you. I find that going inward through meditation is a panacea for healing depression, worry, fear--you name it. Reducing stress is really all about calming the spirit."

It's been proven, also, that having a dog also reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, calms the spirit, and shifts the focus from the self to the unique needs of our canine companion. In return, guaranteed is an endless wellspring of love.

Shirley touched on these spiritual gifts in her book Out On A Leash, all about her relationship with her dog Terry and how effectively her terrier communicates, sensing her feelings in the unique way that dogs always do.

I can tell you that in my upcoming book, Katie Up And Down The Hall, there are countless examples of times when I was sick or depressed or worried or anxious--and no matter what the problem I faced, the mere presence of my dog--and MEDITATION--were both healing balms, better than Prozac, therapy, or a piece of chocolate cake.
  

Meditation, Shirley says, "requires faith in yourself, faith in your capacity to hear your higher power."

When she finishes her spiritual routine each day, she has attained a state of inner harmony: "I don't ever feel depressed, and I don't ever feel ecstatic. I'm right in the middle--in a calm place. Maybe we have to redefine words likes 'happiness.' It isn't over-the-moon joy, necessarily. It's a humming feeling of real contentment."

In parting, Shirley shared with me her Daily Survival Kit, "necessary objects," she says "that you can keep in your purse or pocket--or in your imagnation--serving as reminders of spiritual principles." Thinking of them this way, as below, reduces stress every single time. Try it!

The Toothpick: is to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others.

The Rubber Band: is to remind you to be flexible; things may not always go the way you want but they always work out.

The Band Aid: is to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else’s.

The Pencil: is to remind you to list your blessings every day.

The Eraser: is to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it’s okay.

The Glue: is to remind you to stick with it; if you do, you can accomplish anything.

The Mint: is to remind you that you are worth a mint.

The Candy Kiss: is to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug every day, especially children.

The Tea Bag: is to remind you to relax and take some time for yourself; you’ve earned it.

A Puppy On The Move

      Years ago, when I got my first dog, Katie--the star of my upcoming book Katie Up and Down the Hall--I never actually saw her until she was three months old.

She appeared one day, as I describe in the book, fresh from the farm in New Jersey, and though she seemed rather shy and ungainly at first, almost pitiful in appearance, I loved her immediately and the rest was history.

Here she is, to the right, in her Disneyland Minnie Mouse T-Shirt, at about 2 years old.
  
But now, in the age of puppy photos and videos transmitted electronically, there's little need for suspense, new images appearing each week on the computer screen or the i phone long before you meet.

So in advance of meeting my new dog, Lucy, her growth has been faithfully documented week to week by Dolores, the wonderful cocker spaniel breeder in upstate New York.

At first, Lucy looked like a furry blonde kualoa bear, easily fitting into the palm of your hand. But seven weeks later, her transformation is astounding.
  
Take a look for yourself....

Week #1

Week #2

Week #3

Week #4

Week #5

Week #6

Week #7

Week #8

THE PERFECT BAKED POTATO: THE MAGNIFICENT KATHARINE HEPBURN

People often ask me: 'Who was your all-time favorite interview subject?'

Over a period of thirty years, having met or interviewed hundreds of celebrities--legends including Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Meryl Streep, Jacqueline Onassis, Calvin Klein, Nancy Reagan, Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters--all of them unforgettable--one radiant personality stands out in my mind as most magnificent--and intimidating!

And that would be the great KATHARINE HEPBURN, who as a child, I first saw in the movie "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?"

Growing up in Buffalo, New York,  I never could have guessed that, decades later, I'd be the one invited to dinner at the Miss Hepburn's East 49th Street Turtle Bay townhouse, discussing, as we did, my biography of the legendary Vladimir Horowitz, which she kindly read, the catalyst for our first meeting.

We instantly clicked and over a period of years, we subsequently did a number of magazine and newspaper interviews, including one titled "I'm Bored With The Great Katharine Hepburn!" for Family Circle; an 80th birthday magazine story about 'Madame' for the Daily News Sunday Magazine; another cover piece for the publication of her autobiography titled ME; and an interview for a TV movie she made with Ryan O'Neal called The Man Upstairs.

Through it all, in making my appointments to see her, I always got the same phone treatment: "Ham and cheese, 12:30," Click!

In one interview she compared herself to a baked potato: "A baked potato is fundamental, basic, nothing fancy, rough in a way." Actually, she was a baked potato upside down, I joked: "Yes, I like standing on my head. I go right up and I'll stay up for the count of four minutes." What's it good for, I inquired?

"My self-respect," case closed!

"Spencer," she added, " was a real baked potato...a great actor. Simpe. Never overdone. Unguarded. He could make you laugh. He could make you cry." So could she.

And although the wonderful Katie is no longer with us, I'm so happy to say that she appears in my upcoming book, Katie Up and Down The Hall, in a fun chapter titled: Prancing With The Stars, all about how my dog, Katie, interacted with some of those I'd interviewed, including Leona Helmsley, Farrah Fawcett, Peter Jennings, Bette Midler, Ivana Trump--and yes, even Miss Hepburn. I won't give away what happened--until September.

However, I would like to tell you my Kate Hepburn "pan story," one that illustrated the strong-minded character of another great figure in my life--the tart heroine of my book, Pearl, the octogenarian down the hall who gave me and my dog a home, a warm harbor, sixteen years of wonderful meals, a sympathetic ear, and a lifetime of companionship that I will never forget.

One day, when I was going over to Miss Hepburn's house for lunch, "Granny," as we nicknamed Pearl, baked up one of her apricot pear tarts. "She'll like this," Pearl confidently surmised, "so give it to her, but remember, bring back my pan. It was my mother's."

At lunch, Miss Hepburn did indeed love the tart, and gobbled it up. I left the lunch, returned home and told Pearl what a hit the tart had been.
  
"Where's my pan?" she inquired. Uh oh.
    
"I forgot to get it back," I told her, "but I'll buy you a new one."
  

"No!" Pearl exclaimed. "I need the pan back."
  
I called Miss Hepburn on the phone the next day and reminded her of the tart--"Oh yes, fascinating, thank you"--and told her that I needed the pan back for my friend.
  
"You're calling me for a pan?" her quavery voice challenged.

 "Oh, yes,  sorry Miss Hepburn. I'm afraid I need it back."
  
 "You can come over right now and I'll GIVE it to you!" And off I went to her house. She practically threw the pan at me--but then invited me in for some freshly home-made borscht.
  
Pearl got her pan--and all was well.

A few years later, on what turned out to be my last visit with Miss Hepburn, I can never forget what happened as I was leaving her townhouse after lunch, illustrating the chin-in-the-air charm and playfulness of the great Kate. As she walked me outside, ignoring a number of curious onlookers who stole a glimpse at this legendary actress, she looked up at me, seeming to study my face, and then said: "You know, you look better than you used to."
  
"Miss Hepburn!" I laughed. "Is that a compliment?"
  
"You can take it any way you want."

And off she went. And that was the last time I ever saw Miss Hepburn.

She eventually moved to her family home in Connecticut, gave fewer interviews, stopped appearing in movies, and, sadly, her health failed. But I will never forget this legend who had meant so much to me--and, of course, her first name had a special significance, as I named Katie after her.

How About A New Holiday called "SISTER'S DAY?!"

Although I frequently write about my famous interview subjects and celebrity friends, I never mention the one star in my life who shines greater than any other--someone I speak to virtually every day, a person of impeccable values who I trust and can count on no matter what.

She's a best friend, advisor, and confidante all rolled into one. You won't find a better listener, someone who has mastered the art of shining the spotlight on others.

She's my SISTER--Debby, and there ought to be a holiday invented for sisters (and brothers). She's especially on my mind as she's visiting here today in Battery Park City, taking a break from her quieter life in upstate New York.

As a little girl, Debby was so adorable with those huge brown eyes and plump cheeks. I carted her around, showered her with hugs and kisses, and we laughed (and sang) hilariously about anything and everything. Five years younger than me, she was nicknamed 'the baby' by my Mom, the most good-natured, accommodating, easy to get along with person you've ever met. (I was admittedly a bit more difficult as was my older sister Joanne). 

Even as a child, Debby had a special talent--caring for others. For example, as a little girl of eight she was already baby-sitting kids in the neighborhood, with a string of toddlers up and down the block vying for her attention.

Our grandfather, whom we nicknamed Papa, adored her and I once found him placidly sitting in a chair while Debby plastered down his hair, putting it into ringlets. Debby was just as close to our grandmother, Nana, and they were soul mates to the end of her long life. Likewise, both my mother and father rely on her greatly and she's the most devoted daughter imaginable.

Through my life, through so many ups and down, she's always been there. And I can say that I now truly understand the expression about blood being thicker than water, because the kind of unconditional love you can experience from a sister or brother, or parent, or grandparent, or family member is unlike any other relationship. Few friends or romantic partners can be that loyal or understanding. And fewer still last a half century.

I can tell you that my dog, Katie, felt the same way about Debby as I do. She'd crawl into her arms and fall soundly asleep, blissfully content. Debby would sometimes dress her up in a red coat and green hat and take her outside in winter; and in the summer, she'd throw Katie's blue ball down our long red-carpeted hallway, and Katie would scoop it up in her mouth and throw it back at Debby, ready for another round.

As I think of both Debby and Katie--I realize that both have been my best and most loyal friends and companions--so on this sunny spring day, maybe you'll think of your brother and sister and pick out a special card or gift that expresses the preciousness of a gift we call family.

IVANA TRUMP AND HER GREAT MOM: AN UNBEATABLE TEAM

The effervescent high-energy IVANA TRUMP, who makes a guest appearance in my upcoming book, Katie Up and Down the Hall, is  known for her sparkling charm, athletic prowess, and bubbly sense of humor. In the chapter of the book titled "Prancing With The Stars," Ivana, a passionate dog lover, befriends my dog Katie and marches her right into a board meeting at the Plaza Hotel!

Super-disciplined and always on the move, Ivana, a former Olympic skier and model, remains timelessly glamorous whether seen racing down a ski slope in Switzerland or hosting a charity benefit at her pristine town house in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

A seasoned businesswoman with her own perfume, cosmetics, and jewelry, Ivana is resilient and strong-minded, a survivor of many of life's ups and downs, some of which she wrote about in her book of a few years ago titled The Best Is Yet To Come: Coping With Divorce And Enjoying Life.
  
As Ivana told me in a Family Circle interview, one of the secrets to surviving any challenge is the strength and comfort derived from her wide circle of friends, though her best friend of all, she confided, is her mother, Maria Zelnicek, who lives in the Czech Republic.

The distance between them hardly keep them apart: "No matter where I travel," says Ivana, "we spend about nine months together a year. My Mom is very loving and caring. And she's a strong woman. Her priorities are her grandchildren, (Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric) and me. That's what she lives for."

"Ivana is my only child, so she's my jewel," says her Mom. "She's hardworking and gives so much. But sometimes people take advantage of her and that hurts me too. Ivana has a good heart."

And though some may not know it, the jet-setting Ivana has a more introverted, private side as well:  "People think I'm out to a party every night. But I'm actually a loner. Sometimes for three or four days, I don't call anyone. I'm just with my mom. I trust my close friends, but there are certain things I discuss only with my mother. She knows everything about my life."

While her divorces have been painful, it was Ivana's mother who provided the greatest solace: "I don't think I could have gotten through it without her.We were always close, but adversity has forced us to help and protect each other. My mother is like an angel looking over me, making sure everything is O.K."

Also a great source of joy is a newer member of the family, Ivana's toy Yorkie Tiger. He's as energetic as Ivana! "He is a love of my life, and all mine, until my Mom arrives!" she laughs. As for my dog, "KATIE reminded me of the many dogs I've had over the years, and how they bring a family and friends and total strangers together in a warm, harmonious way."

Indeed, when Ivana read my KATIE book, her comment on it reflected one of the book's main messages, about the power of friendship and the ability to be open to people, even in a city of nine million.

As she observed: "Whenever anyone says New York is a city of strangers, I strongly disagree. After reading KATIE I know why we're a city which loves our pets. Katie is a great neighbor and the true definition of a New Yorker--intelligent, adventurous, assertive, protective, warm, loving, kind, generous--and a joy to know."

Katie would be very flattered with this compliment, coming from a fellow blonde!

THE HAPPIEST WOMAN IN HOLLYWOOD: The Indomitable Betty White

How many 88-year-old actresses experience a resounding renaissance in their careers decades after they've mastered the entertainment business from A to Z?

There's only one.

It's the supersonic bubbly-spirited BETTY WHITE, defying all odds with her spectacular run of recent triumphs.

Let's see, there was her brilliantly funny turn as Ryan Reynolds' kooky grandmother in The Proposal, the 2009 film also starring Oscar winner Sandra Bullock; the hilarious Super Bowl Snickers commerical that had her tackled and thrown into the mud, watched by the largest television audience ever; not to mention the  Golden Globe Lifetime Achievement award, which she accepted with the grace and wit that have become her trademark. Bullock joked that she finds White annoying, to which White shot back: "Isn't it heartening to see how far a girl as plain as she can go?"
    

And now, with a new fan base following her every move, Betty, a longtime Californian, is heading east to host Saturday Night live on May 8th, after being the subject of a super-charged Facebook campaign to get her the gig. In short, she's hotter than ever.
      

In between all this, as a passionate animal advocate and dog lover, Betty actively champions the fantastic Morris Animal Foundation, acting as its President Ermeritus, while also tending to her beloved five-year-old Golden Retriever Pontiac, who has an active career himself as a Guide Dog. 
      
Where is Betty finding the energy for all this? I can tell you that the former Golden Girl and Mary Tyler Moore alumnus is startlingly youthful in appearance, her demeanor and energy disarming. "I have lots more things to do!" she booms happily, posing on the red carpet for photographers. 
    
What's her secret? In a classic Family Circle magazine interview with me, she shared it: "My animals definitely help keep me young," she says. "I just don't have time to get older! Between the show business side of my life and the animal side, there isn't a lot of time for sitting around and atrophying. Pontiac is set for 6:00 A.M. "Hey, Mom," he says, "It's another day, let's go!"
     
"It's been scientifically proven that having pets--stroking a dog, for instance, lower your blood pressure and reduces your stress level. I find animals fascinating, and I didn't know how I would exist without them. When I feel stressed, I put my dog in the car and drive up to my house in Carmel and sit and look at the ocean for three days--and my priorities fall into place again.
   
"Also, I'm blessed with good health, and that's the bottom line. I don't think I felt this good at 25! It's embarrassing, but I'm deeply grateful. My mother, Tess, passed away at 88 , my dad, Horace at age 64, and the secret of their longevity was their sense of humor and genuine love for one another. So the energy I feel is genetic--it's not false energy.
    
"Plastic surgery? I'm just chicken and have a very low pain threshold. It's not for me. I've seen so many women with their skin pulled tight over the skull, and they all look alike. If you suddenly look gorgeous, you've lost an essence that was you before. You've worked a long time to get all those lines!
    
"My mother taught me at her knee that age is so unimportant. I get so furious with people who say, "My God, I'm 30...soon I'm going to be 40! They waste a whole decade. We're so age-conscious in this country, it's ridiculous! Life isn't over at 22. There are many rewards to aging. You get automatic respect. You don't have the same physiological demands on you that younger women have, such as menstruation and pregnancy. Granted, in the entertainment business, people say it's harder to get a job as you get older, but if you hang in there and roll with the punches and don't mind playing grandmothers, you get work. For me, remaining busy is the key to staying young.
   
"But physically, you do see the horizon of your limitations. And a lot of people might say you're approaching death. But that doesn't bother me at all...that's the next adventure. I always loved Mom's idea about death. She called it the "big secret." We're all going to find it out one day. In the meantime, as long as life is this much fun, I'm going to stick around!"

A Great Novelist And A Passionate Dog Lover: BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD

For any writer, one of the most enjoyable parts of creating a book--is FINISHING one! No doubt about that. Then, once the book is done, it's time to hope that people who read the manuscript in advance will actually like it--giving it a literary thumb's up, which is certainly the best feeling in the world.

Anyone who has written a book knows, of course, that completing a book is just the start of the work, as mapping out the marketing and advertising campaign is essential to any book's ultimate success. And one of the necessities of book promotion is procuring advance testimonials from prominent people with the idea that their quotes appear on the back of the book, enticing readers to take a second look and buy it.

With this goal in mind, for the last two months, I've been collecting such quotes and have been very lucky that celebrities I've interviewed in the past have kindly offered to read KATIE UP AND DOWN THE HALL and provide their viewpoint on it.

    

One of my all-time favorite interview subjects is the great novelist BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD, the master storyteller who knows a good plot when she creates one, a true woman of substance.

Her latest novel, BREAKING THE RULES, is breaking bestseller records, as her novels always do, and it features a mysterious new heroine, along with some of the familiar faces from the dramatic Harte series. But never one to rest on her laurels, Barbara is also hard at work on PLAYING THE GAME, a novel to be published in October of this year.

  

A few weeks ago, after many years of not seeing her, I ran into Barbara at a sparkling reception in her honor hosted by LIZ SMITH, a party at Michael's that was a benefit for Liz's great charity, Literacy Partners, of which Barbara and her husband, film producer Bob Bradford, are both champions and generous contributors.  That night, I asked Barbara if she would read my new book and offer a quote. And since she's on deadline for the new novel before departing for a summer trip to Europe, I would have completely understood if she didn't have the time to do it.

  

So you can imagine my pleasure about two weeks later when I came home from dinner and heard this message on my machine: "Hello Glenn, it's Barbara Taylor Bradford! I just wanted to tell you how much I really loved your book Katie. It was very touching--and I couldn't put it down. I'd be very happy to give you a quote. Please call me."

Subsequent to this, we had a long talk about our mutual love of dogs, and the recent sad loss of one of Barbara's beloved Bijon Frises's. We shared the depth of sadness that happens when one of our "children" leaves us. It's a very empty feeling that only a fellow dog lover completely understand.

After finishing talking to Barbara, inspired by what she said, I went back to the interview we did for my book, Turning Point: Pivotal Moments In The Lives Of America's Celebrities, and it was fascinating to see that the seeds of greatness in Barbara were planted so early. 

As she told me: "I sold my first story about Sally and her little pony at age eleven to a magazine for seven-pounds-six. And my destiny was sealed," she laughed. 

She brazenly quite high school at sixteen, bought a trench coat, and joined the typing pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post. Over the years she wrote for magazines and newspapers, dreaming of one day fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a novelist. Finally, in l976, she hatched the idea about a woman of substance. Within a few hours she had the whole sixty-four year history of Emma Harte's story in her head. "The whole world loves a survivor, someone who uses adversity to make herself stronger. I put emotion on paper well."

   Did she ever. A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE was an overnight bestseller, spawning Harte sequels and TV miniseries for each successive book.

     

"I tell a good story," she merrily shrugs. 

Indeed she does. 

And I can't thank Barbara enough for what she generously wrote about my story: "I picked up this book to glance through it and suddenly found myself unable to put it down. This warm, touching, tender and loving memoir is probably the best book I've ever read about a dog. Glenn pulls you into this moving story instantly. Even people who are not crazy about dogs will love this tale." 

New York Legend, Global Phenomena: The Unbeatable Donald Trump

   Mega Achiever  DONALD TRUMP, who I've known for twenty years, doesn't need much sleep--and he doesn't get much, overseeing a multi-billion dollar empire that includes vast real estate holdings, his NBC hit reality series, The Apprentice, and countless other business ventures--including the Miss Universe Organization, Trump University,Trump Entertainment Resorts, even menswear and bottled water!--all if it keeping him busy from dusk to dawn.

The most meticulously organized person I've ever known, Trump also, more privately, devotes himself to his family--to his exquisitely beautiful (and very nice) wife, Melania (debuting later this month on QVC with a costume jewelry line), their four-year-old son, Barron, and of course to his older children, Donald, Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany.
  

 One of the amazing things about the multi-tasking Donald, I discovered when I first met him, is that his mind misses nothing, and that he's eerily calm as he goes about his day, accomplishing more in a 24-hour period than most people could manage in a month.
    

I first met Donald during my Daily News years, for a cover story titled "Man Of A Thousand Deals." As I write in my upcoming book, Katie Up and Down The Hall: Tall, and intimidating at first, he turned warm and witty once relaxed behind his desk at Trump Tower for what turned out to be a series of long talk, first to the News, then a multisession marathon interview for Playboy. This Playboy interview drew headlines due to his comments on Leona Helmsley and feelings about women and marriage.

Trump also expressed his very human, more reflective side when expressing grief for the death of his executives in 1989 helicopter crash: "I lost not only brilliant, key players in my company but true friends--and I couldn't believe it. At first, I was shocked, called their wives, just kept functioning...My own sense of optimism and life was greatly diminished. I never realized how deaths outside the family could have such a profound effect on me."

Donald, one of the most resilient figures in American culture, has, of course, also survived the ups and down of the economy and his own fluctuating fortunes, now at their zenith, though he always bounced back bigger and better, unbeatable, and most importantly, an example of what can happen with discipline, imagination, and a vision that knows no limits.

He's also tough: As he told me: "I study people and in every negotiation, I weigh how tough I should appear. I can be a killer and a nice guy. You have to be everything. You have to be strong. You have to be sweet. You have to be ruthless. And I don't think any of it can be learned. Either you have it or you don't."

The answer is clear.

The Indomitable Mary Higgins Clark Does It Again

Last night at celebrity hot spot Elaine's, in came the Queen of Suspense, the great MARY HIGGINS CLARK, looking radiant in a fur-trimmed evening wrap at the publication party for her latest thriller, a fantastic book titled The Shadow Of Your Smile. It's all about a deceased nun who's a candidate for sainthood and 31-year-old Manhattan pediatrician who becomes the target of those who don't want her to inherit a fortune, the taut story featuring many of Mary's trademark twists and turns. 


As always, it's a guaranteed hit that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The indomitable Mary is like a boxer who never loses a match, for each of her 42 books have become instant bestsellers, with more than 80 million copies sold in the United States alone. Paid $64 million for a four-book contract in 2000, she's hardly resting on her laurels, continuing to be just as productive and hard-working as ever. 


It must run in the family because also appearing last night was another incredible mystery writer, Mary's daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, with a great new book of her own debuting yesterday titled Wrecked (A Reagan Reilly Mystery) that will also hit the bestseller list, as her books always do, the apple definitely not falling far from the tree.  

      
Yesterday morning, Mary's assistant, Nadine, kindly wrote me a note, inviting me to the party. And chatting with Mary about her technique for creating those  intricate plot lines and colorful characters, I was struck by her youthfulness and bright outlook, her buoyant energy filling the room. 


Seeing her again reminded me of our first interview a number of years ago, which appeared in my book, Turning Point: Pivotal Moments In The Lives Of America's Celebrities. In it, she describes her incredible rise to fame as a 26-year-old New Jersey housewife of modest means, busily tending to her home and five kids with the dream of one day becoming a successful writer.

     
"Honey," her husband Warren remarked, watching her bent over the Formica kitchen table, "think of it just as a hobby." She agreed until l964 when Warren, who smoked three packs a day, suffered a third heart attack and died. 


Then, at just age 36, with five children to raise, she was left with a $13,000 mortgage and a few small insurance policies. "I had to work. I began writing radio scripts, twenty dollars a script." 


Then one day, looking over at her bookcase at the mysteries she loved reading, she had hunch that she would write what she loved to read. The result: the l975 bestseller Where Are the Children? a terrifying tale of a childnapper. 


"I knew that anytime a child is missing, the whole world cares." It sure did, and the rest was history.
      
Saying good-bye last night, Mary was kind enough to tell me that she was in the midst of reading my upcoming book, Katie Up And Down The Hall, not a mystery, for sure, but a story that will hopefully touch her heart. I was so flattered as I headed home to get under the covers to read HER book, which kept me up until 2 a.m. 

The Mystery Of The Phone: You Never Know Who's Calling (if you don't look at caller ID)

A few nights ago, at 9 p.m., the phone rang and, when I absently picked it up, there, to my utter surprise and delight, was the unmistakable voice of the great MARLO THOMAS, my frequent interview subject and friend, still known to millions as THAT GIRL, the spunky, upbeat, always-independent heroine who won the heart of a nation.

Unforgettable in that role and many others since, Marlo is also a philanthropic powerhouse, working tirelessly for her father's great charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the top children's cancer center in the nation. As the National Outreach Director for St. Jude, Marlo also hosts A Place Of Hope, an hour-long television special that documents the lifesaving work of St. Jude, which provides free medical services to desperately ill children while also devoting itself to research and new treatments.

     Marlo was kindly calling up to congratulate me on the upcoming publication of my new book, Katie Up and Down The Hall--while also mentioning her upcoming book, also being published in September, titled Growing Up Laughing, (Hyperion), a brilliant memoir about her childhood and the star entertainer friends of her father, comedian Danny Thomas. It will feature childhood memories from Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart and other contemporary comedians and it will be a must read.

Marlo, a great comedienne, says her own experiences made her want to learn how the seeds of humor got planted for other entertainers as well.

And speaking of great entertainers, I thought back to one of our classic interviews together that appeared in my book Turning Point: Pivotal Moments In the Lives Of America's Celebrities which centered around her loving and supportive Dad, the legendary Danny Thomas.
    In the book, she reminisced about the time she was an eighteen-year-old fledgling actress appearing in a production of Gigi when some audacious interviewer asked her if she'd ever be as good as her Dad.

    "That was stupid and insensitive and I felt terribly upset by it," she told me. "Daddy said, 'Don't let them do that to you. I raised you to be a thoroughbred--and thoroughbreds run their own races...they just put on their blinders and run!'
   "Long ago," she said, "on that opening night of Gigi, Daddy sent me a box with old horse blinders in it. His note said: "RUN YOUR OWN RACE, BABY!"

       And so she has, and brilliantly so. Toward the end of our recent phone talk, I invited Marlo and her husband, the great PHIL DONAHUE (who I had the pleasure of once interviewing for a Family Circle profile), to come to the KATIE launch party in September, to be hosted by Joan Rivers and Mario Buatta, a benefit for Guide Dogs For The Blind.
       Marlo said she'd love to come--and I can't wait to see her and Phil, two icons in American television, both indelible in our collective memories, and most personally, in mine.