Last Tuesday journalist and novelist Pete Hamill was the last speaker for this year’s William N. Skirball Writers Center Stage series at Play House Square, and he did a great job of doing what you see him often do on various T.V. shows, entertaining the audience with stories from not only his life as a writer but his life growing up as one of seven children of Irish immigrants in his beloved New York City.
Whether it was coincidence or not, Hamill spent much of the evening talking about libraries, both the important place of libraries in the world today, and the affects of the libraries of his youth growing up poor and unable to afford his own books (the series is coordinated by the Cuyahoga County Library Foundation). He gave some interesting observations on the future of the print word in the digital age, he’s optimistic about journalism but not for newspapers; told the back story of his relationship with Bob Dylan that led to a Grammy Award for writing the liner notes for “Blood on the Tracks”; and, like a lot of journalists who have seen too many of them up close, sprinkled in some very serious anti-war comments.
Hamill is a natural speaker, and had, for the most part, the audience listening all the way. The best story was how his father met his mother. His dad had a wooden leg because of an accident, and his soon to be mother saw him sitting by himself at a dance. She walked up to him and asked him to dance, he turned and showed her his artificial leg and replied, “I can’t.” She smiled and replied, “Either can I,” and, as Hamill put it, grabbed his hand and danced into his life.
The 2011/2012 writers series was announced at the end of the show and will include Michael Pollan and Annie Lamott. For more information go to www.writerscenterstage.com.
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