Literary Unleashed by Carole Flynn

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all!  A few quotes from some famous authors:

"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."

Honore de Balzac

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom."

Henry Ward Beecher

"Just Call Me Anderson, Please"

I met Anderson Cooper last night at a small dinner reception prior to the lecture he delivered to a crowd of 1,700 at Central Connecticut State University.  He was being honored as CCSU's Robert C. Vance Distinguished Lecturer for 2009. 

Prior to the lecture, as we chatted, Mr. Cooper exuded even more sincerity then comes across on television.  He was thoughtful and unpretentious (not to mention that he was impeccably dressed and exceedingly handsome) and was more interested in asking questions of me rather than vice versa.  His genuinely inquisitive nature is not merely part of an "on camera" personality, but rather seems to be what defines him both personally and professionally. 

Beyond the boyish good looks is a tenacious reporter who takes his job very seriously.  The Emmy Award winning reporter says he reads almost a dozen newspapers in the morning before he officially starts his workday.  His careful preparation coupled with his impressive work ethic result in a reporting style that seems effortless to his viewers. 

Mr. Cooper talked at length about his experiences building a reporting career from scratch.  A friend forged Anderson a fake press pass (making it on a MAC computer) while Anderson bought himself a video camera.  Then Anderson catapulted himself into some of the most dangerous war zones in the world and began shooting footage and reporting.  That's how the journalism career of the son of designer Gloria Vanderbilt, and an heir to the famed Cornelius Vanderbilt fortune (America's preeminent shipping baron), built his career: by sheer hard work and determination. 

First Clear Channel One began buying his footage, then he got a job for a short time as the host of ABC's reality show The Mole.  His first job at CNN was as a morning co-anchor.  He says he learned he was fired from that job by listening to his company voice mail message which had already been changed to another person's name.  Instead of whining about the temporary setback, Anderson asked if he could be put on weekends, the least desirable news slot for any newscaster.  Eventually he was named weekend prime-time news anchor.  His years of solid reporting from the field were apparent to the CNN weekend audience; Anderson deservedly was praised for his journalism skills.  Anderson currently anchors Anderson Cooper 360 and is also a correspondent for 60 Minutes.

Read "Dispatches from the Edge" (if you haven't already) in which Anderson talks about his early days in journalism, the many wars he's covered, the early death of his father, his brother's tragic death, and reporting about Hurricane Katrina.  With a deep sense of humility, he's able to communicate the rare mixture of compassion and bravery that drives him. 

Anderson has championed human rights issues all over the globe; most recently he was awarded the 2008 Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award.  

Mr. Cooper (as I kept referring to him) allowed me to become even more informed about our world this evening and an even bigger fan of his.  Ever humble, as we talked, he insisted, "Just call me Anderson, please." 

For those who watched Anderson Cooper 360 last night, his show was a live feed telecast from the media center at CCSU right here in Connecticut.

http://www.CaroleFlynn.com

Carole Flynn is the author of Literary Itinerary and Literary Unleashed.