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| Katherine and David Bradley |
by contributor Donna Shor
Photo credit: "©James R. Brantley
Several million dollars worth of talent took the stage of the Folger Shakespeare Library when the Pen/Faulkner Foundation held its 23rd Annual Gala.
Eleven authors of renown - prize winning and best selling - had been given the theme,” Writing on the Wall,” as the take-off point for an essay they would compose to read at the gala.
Master of Ceremonies was Roy Blount,Jr. - the Southern humorist who has published twenty-two books - and whose latest is “Alphabetter Juice: or the Joy of Text.”
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| The Pillsburys |
The first two readers were local students, Maxine Davis of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School and Laneisha McCauley of Cardozo Senior High School. They were chosen from 100 entries by a committee of authors. Both participate in Writers in the Schools, Pen/Faulkner’s outreach program.
When the eleven professional authors read their pieces, they were as different as the eleven themselves. Some were dramatic, some touching, some funny, a few held sadness.
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| The Honorable Ann Brown, Mary Haft, Willee Lewis, former Chief of Protocol Molly Raiser |
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| Ludmila and Conrad Cafritz |
Pen/Faulkner supporters and directors spotted in the audience included Willee and Finlay Lewis, Ludmila and Conrad Cafritz, Robert and Mary Haft—her twenty-third year of serving as co-chair, Marie Ridder, Kay Kendall and Jack Davis, Gina Adams, Septime Weber and the Honorable Ann Brown.
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Authors David Ignatius, Ken Ludwig, and James McBride listen to Andrew Sullivan |
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| Francesca Craig, food pioneer Nora Pouillon |
Judging by the dinner following the program, lovers of fine literature evidently love fine food as well. It was excellent, starting with a stack of roasted tomato, quinoa and avocado, then champagne and peach-glazed chicken and caramelized polenta. Dessert brought little warm chocolate tarts with malted milk ice cream and sent everyone home happy.