Boston Bureau

Petraeus: A General for All Wars

General Petraeus Woos and Wins the Heart of Harvard
But they won't let him forget he's a Princeton Grad

By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for Cape Cod Today

Even though his chest was covered by medals and military ribbons, there was no sign of arrogance in Petraeus-only self-deprecatory humor.

While Spring is trying very hard to push some buds out of the barren branches of trees in New England, General David Petraeus (Commander, U.S. Central Command) sat down with David Gergen (Director, Center for Public Leadership and CNN political analyst) in the hallowed sanctorum of the John F. Kennedy Jr. School of Government for a rare conversation about 21^st Century Leadership: Lessons from the U.S. Military.

Packed for Petraeus

Understandably, the Forum was packed by the largest media coverage thus far. The security was tighter than for the former president of Iran, Katami, a couple of years ago. The press had to arrive an hour earlier than the 4:00 pm deadline on April 21. There was a security sweep of our equipment and bags. Then the hordes of students, military, and guests filled the seats and bleachers. A few minutes before the start, some celebrities slipped into front row streets. They were Doris Kearns Goodwin, her husband Richard Goodwin, and Tom Ridge, the former head of Homeland Security. The Governor of Minnesota was also there.

"I admit to that one blemish on my resume, but I also admit, I'm a Yankee fan."

Bagpipe and Color Ceremony

As Petraeus and Gergen entered through a red velvet curtain, everyone stood and clapped. It was a standing ovation of welcome and one of obvious respect. A sole Scottish player of Bagpipes strutted in his dark green kilt. He was followed by the March of Color of five flags placed on the small stage behind two chairs. Allison Shapira sang the National Anthem acappella.

Harvard vrs. Princeton

Seth Moulton, a 2001 graduate of Harvard (and now a joint degree candidate), served four tours in Iraq-two as Petraeus' assistant. Moulton showed honor and respect to his General, but then razzed him for his Masters and PhD in International Relations from a small college in New Jersey, called Princeton.

On Afghanistan: "It will get worse before it gets better."

Yankee fan

"I admit to that one blemish on my resume, but I also admit, I'm a Yankee fan," he said. Everyone laughed and forgave him for a second blemish. Even though his chest was covered by medals and military ribbons, there was no sign of arrogance in Petraeus-only self-deprecatory humor.

David Gergen fed the General a series of questions. "What are the leadership lessons learned?"

With the help of Power Point, Petraeus outlined his working plan. "Here are the tasks for the U.S. Military:

• 1. Big ideas.
• 2. Educate our leaders.
• 3. Execute those big ideas.
• 4. Identify lessons learned and make the best practices.

How to Secure and Save:

• 1. Live with the people
• 2. A comprehensive approach.
• 3. Unity of Effort.
• 4. Pursue the enemy relentlessly
• 5. Hold the area and work with local commerce and promote reconciliation.
• 6. Separate the irreconcilables from the reconcilables.
• 7. Be truthful first and admit our mistakes.
• 8. Live our values.
• 9. Initiative is everything.
• 10. Learn and adapt.

"How do you change strategy?" asked Gergen.

Changing strategy

"Treat it as if it's your last job!" Petraeus replied. The audience and Gergen laughed. "Sit with leaders and start nation building with ideas and energy."

"Is there any risk in running a flat organization?" asked Gergen.

Contact by email

"I can contact my juniors by email and they can email me back," said Petraeus. "We find out if our concepts are working. Feedback is important. But we do need a hierarchy for recommendations. Teams of teams and unity of effort."

At this point, Petraeus complimented Doris Kearns Goodwin for her historical perspective and for her brilliant book about Lincoln, "Team of Rivals."

Dealing with locals

"The Anaconda Strategy versus Al Qaeda in Iraq means we have to deal with political and tribal groups and separate the terrorists from the rest. The root cause of insurgency in Pakistan is the threat of extremists. It is the key in Pakistan."

"In Afghanistan, we do what is culturally appropriate. We don't move into the villages-only to the edge of them. They don't have the money or the muscle in the central government," he said.

Time only allowed for six questions:

Q: Is Afghanistan doable?

A.Only in the context of assessment and putting in resources. It will get worse before it gets better. Afghanis need a legitimate government without corruption. There is no debate as to the reason we are in Afghanistan. 9/11.

Q. Is Afghanistan like Vietnam and will we have to negotiate with the Taliban?

A.One has to negotiate at the local levels. We have experiments in operation now.

Q. How do politics in D.C. affect your plans?

A.It will only be effective with a bi-partisan approach.

General Petraeus said that as a soldier, he was used to going through mine fields, but the questions at Harvard were a more difficult minefield!

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New Sport Captures Cape Skaters

SK8  GR8  (translates into Skate Great!)
Cape skaters love this special sport called SYNCHRO

  Here are the Bourne shaters in costumes on the ice. See them in SYNCHRO at the bottom.

                        By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for Cape Cod Today

The newest fad, the newest passion, and the newest sport is Synchronized Ice Skating or SYNCHRO as it is nicknamed. This sport is sanctioned by the U.S. Figure Skating Association. The Bourne Skating Club's synchro team is called "Icing on the Cape" while the Lower Cape Figure Skating Club has a synchro team named "The Starletts." The Nantucket Skating Club's synchro team is titled the "Island Waves." All synchro teams swing up and down the east coast competing. Team spirit counts high in all competitions.

The Bourne Skating Club

Coach Cheri Rigby

The Lower Cape's "Starettes."

The Nantucket "Island Waves."

History of sport

Well, Synchro is not that new. The sport emerged out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the 1970s and became a global obsession. The world champions today are from Finland, Sweden, and Canada. The top championship team in the United States hails from a Boston suburb--Lexington, Massachusetts. They are called the Haydenettes, composed of high school and college students, who practice many hours a week, and travel all over the world in competitions and making star appearances in ice shows. Girls in their tweens and teens aspire to audition for a place in the Haydenettes. They are known for their precision, costumes, and spectacular choreography. One of their three coaches is from Finland. Synchro lovers long to make this an Olympic sport.

Busloads of teams

This past weekend sleek, shiny buses came from Maine down to Virginia to compete in one of the most prestigious locations in Morristown, New Jersey, at the Mennen Skating Arena for the "2009 Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships." Some winning teams will qualify for the Nationals in Portland, Maine, in early March to enter International and World Championships.

Anyway, the buses disgorged gaggles of girls (and a few brave boys), wearing matching team uniforms in red and black or blue and black. Their hairdos were either in bouncing ponytails or sophisticated chignons. Excitement was running high. Their rolling bags were retrieved from the storage area of the buses. These are not your ordinary airport traveling bags. They are shorter and square, containing skates, snacks, costumes, and hair equipment. They are pink and blue and multi-colored. There are sparklers on the wheels and flashing lights on the blade covers. There are pins from every place where they have competed, and they trade pins with other teams the way baseball cards were traded.

Expensive Sport

This is an expensive sport. Figure skates can cost from $400 to $1,000. Other equipment and costumes are costly. The mothers are constantly fundraising to pay for road trips and hotels. The only place where the skates can be professionally sharpened is in Dennis, Massachusetts, at the Tony Kent Arena.

Getting to New Jersey

The mothers for the Bourne Skating Club volunteered their SUVs and off they drove from the Cape to Morristown. A mother with spongy chalk wrote SK8 GR8 on the back windows with a drawing of one white skate and the name of the team "Icing on the Cape." On the side windows were written, "Synchro Rocks!"

Hunger

After practices, the teammates were always hungry. The mothers came prepared with yogurt, bagels and cream cheese, sticks of cheese, and water. "Icing on the Cape" had two practices on Thursday afternoon against 12 of the 25 teams competing in the Pre-juvenile Group A category before their competition on Friday afternoon, January 30. The cheering section for the Bourne group was slender with a few fathers, moms, and a grandmother. But there were posters and loud cheering when the twelve "Icing on the Cape" skaters appeared. There was one boy, Stephen Murray, who had been with the group since Kindergarten days and didn't mind being the only boy. He was one of the team.

Star Time for "Icing on the Cape"

They had two minutes or so to skate their routine before seven judges on Friday afternoon. Maurice Chevalier sang "Be our Guest"  as their skating song. One little pint-sized skater had plenty of spirit and never admitted to being tired! The girls wore sky-blue flouncy costumes, trimmed in white lace with a yellow bow at the back. The boy wore a powder blue bell hop suit with a double row of gold buttons. His black hair was plastered down and he looked like a young Louis Jordan. Sadly, they placed seventh. If they had been sixth, they would have skated at the finals on Saturday. They didn't seem to mind and were satisfied with their performance.

Other competitors

Other teams skated to the Beatles, Elvis, Boogie Woogie, and a host of songs. "Over the Rainbow" was unrecognizable to a rock and roll beat. The team names ranged from the "Team Reflections," the" Saint Sensations," the "Shimmers" (who placed first), the "Pittsfield Pinwheels," the "Synchroettes," "Chill and Grace," and other intriguing names. Costumes were turquoise and pink, orange and yellow, canary yellow, sparkling copper, plain black, pink and black or pink with black polka dot skirts.

Team members from the Bourne Club in the Pre-juvenile team come from Falmouth, Sandwich, Sagamore, Plymouth, and as far away as Duxbury. They are Caroline Duffy, Kali Flaherty, Caroline Horwood, Amanda Jones, Gracie Kennedy, Theresa McMahon, Stephen Murray, Cassy Pagliarani, Emily Sholi, Gabrielle Utti, Emily Walton, and Allie Way. Cheri Rigby is the main coach, assisted by Kiva Leibowitz--a former Lexette from Lexington and now a student at Wheelock College. Catherine Walton is president of the BSC. Nancy Horwood is the team manager, who is in charge of all schedules and planning for the season. The manager and mothers are indispensable to the coaches.

The Morristown competition marked the end of the season for the Bourne Skating team. Since August, the team has met every Sunday night for three hours of practice with their coaches. Although not mandatory, the coaches expect the team members to practice two to three hours in their nearby skating rinks with a coach to hone their skills in between each Sunday night.

Tears of Goodbye

As the competition at Morristown drew to a close, there were tears of joy and sadness--sadness about not seeing their teammates until the next season.

And there you have a taste of Synchronized Skating.

  Here's another photo of the Bourne skaters in a performance.

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War Stories of Campaign

Campaign War Stories Shared at Harvard by Dems and Repubs
Wounds of loss are healing and sweet victory is still being savored

            By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for Cape Cod Today

In the past two days, the bombshell from the specter of Chicago-land politics has sent shock waves across Illinois and the nation. On the brink of an Obama honeymoon, it is sobering. Perhaps Democratic Campaign manager David Axelrod and chief strategist David Plouffe were somewhat relieved to escape the fallout from the incriminating tapes, capturing expletives and insatiable greed from the Illinois Governor, who wanted to sell President-elect Obama's senate seat to the highest bidder.

The two David Democrats

"At the worst moments, Obama is at his best."
              - David Axelrod

The two Davids, Axelrod and Plouffe were relaxed and in fine humor. The burdens of the race had been shed. There appeared to be no rancor between the Democratic strategists and the Republican campaign manager, Rick Davis (whose Alabama drawl surfaced here and there) and Republican pollster, Bill McInturff.

Excitement inside the Kennedy Forum

During a winter's night on December 11 under spitting rain at 31 degrees, a long line of umbrellas formed outside the John F. Kennedy, Jr. School of Government near the Charles River. Harvard students had entered a lottery to secure a seat on the second and third floors. Fortunately, the press could slide through another door to find their places on the press riser or on a limited number of folding chairs. The television cameras were stacked at the back and to the side. This was a prime event. Laptops were open. There was a buzz in the air. The students filled every bleacher and hung over the iron railings from above. Security police were in all corners.

Panel of rivals exchanges war stories

Once the panel of four, plus moderator Gwen Ifill of famed Washington Week and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, marched onto the stage, a hush fell over the audience. The first laugh came from Gwen Ifill, who referred to the fact that she was on the platform with four white guys.

Governor of Illinois is first question

"When did you have your last chat with the Governor of Illinois?"

She aimed her real question to David Axelrod. "When did you have your last chat with the Governor of Illinois?" The second roar of laughter. Axelrod danced around the question and said it was a painful development, which he hoped would go through a process to select a new Illinois senator.

Republicans lost

Ifill turned to McInturff, the Republican pollster, and asked if he thought a few more days might have changed the outcome of the election. McInturff replied, "No, we did not run out of time. WE LOST! And I'm happy it's over." A huge wave of laughter and applause followed his line. They were off and running.

David Plouffe's conclusion after 22 months of campaigning was that their candidate's message was consistent and the economy was important. They also looked carefully at the prism of each state.

Core of campaign

Axelrod added that the campaign was unique because of the coverage, not only at the convention, but through the debates. The message of CHANGE was at the core of the race and was defined by the incumbent leaving office. Rick Davis underlined that John McCain was a risk taker, but that the war in Iraq associated him with Bush.

Economy overrides war

David Axelrod immediately answered, "War was not the issue--the economy was. Also, John McCain was aligned to the Bush tax cuts." Rick Davis replied, "John McCain is an optimist--that's why he said the fundamentals were strong in the economy. But the economic news was seismic and was like a 'death spiral.' "

Axelrod again plowed into the center of the controversy. "Bush was oblivious to what was going on in the country. From September 15 to 26, we essentially won because of the economy."

Jeremiah Wright and race

Gwen Ifill asked Plouffe about Jeremiah Wright. He said, "We failed to do full research and were surprised at the ferocity of the reaction. Barack knew he had to respond. We didn't think it was necessary." Ifill wanted to know if Barack Obama was nervous about giving the speech on race?

Memorable speech

"He was not nervous," said Axelrod. "He wanted to write the speech himself. During a grueling campaign schedule, he wrote it on a Sunday night from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am. Within 12 hours he gave the speech. Because of my confidence in him, I went to sleep. It was an emotional moment when he gave it."

Gwen wondered if John McCain was intimidated by running against a woman and an African/American. Rick Davis assured her that it didn't matter. He also confessed that the Democrats were more disciplined than the Republicans.

Palin: hurt or help?

Ifill asked if Sarah Palin helped or hurt the Republican ticket? McInturff answered, "We were losing in July and August. There was a big field to pick from and we thought she could do a better job of giving the campaign a surge."

"In other words, you get what you pay for," quipped Ifill. "I don't think I'll touch that!" Another swell of laughter.

Axelrod stated, "Our opponents stressed that our candidate had celebrity, but no experience. Then, it backfired because Palin became a celebrity. Biden was a balance for our ticket and worked all the battleground states." Gwen rolled her eyes, remembering that she, Biden, and Palin were the satirical subjects of Saturday Night Live.

Questions

There were eight questions. Some were about public and private polling, Michigan and Florida, the field campaign, data and performance, and discipline.

One question was about Obama's steadiness, which he compared to that of Nelson Mandela. Axelrod cited his candidate's steady hand on responding to the economic crisis in September. David Plouffe referred to his colleagues as "family."  "There was no back-stabbing or infighting. They would rise and fall as a team."

Finale

Axelrod said, "At the worst moments, Obama is at his best."

It was over. Students crowded around the panelists and then disappeared into the rainy night.

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Sally Quinn Talks to Harvard

Writer Sally Quinn Wows Harvard Audience on Faith

 From atheist to believer, she describes her journey

By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau of Cape Cod Today

Under a tent behind the Harvard Yard, students of all faiths gathered to celebrate the end of Ramadan for Muslims, who fast from dawn to sunset during the ninth month. When sunset turned to evening on September 23, Arab food of hummus, salad, nan (bread), rice, and samosas, along with fruit and brownies, was provided cafeteria style. It was open to anyone who wanted to join the festivities. The young Muslim men were ravenous after fasting and stood in line two and sometimes three times to fill their plates.

Harvard has 36 chaplains of every denomination to cater to the spiritual needs of all students. Some of them were there throughout the day to answer questions and welcome those of their own denomination.

Entertainment first

But the evening was filled with entertainment before the featured speaker. A large chorus sang Goombah, Jamaican music, reminiscent of the 1890 blues in America in the "call and response" of plantation workers. "Everything will be All Right" was the theme repeated again and again. Then a band played and a guitarist sang.

Sally Quinn shares her story

It was time for Sally Quinn to make her debut. They had signed her up a year ago for this occasion. She had a captive audience under the tent. In Arab terms, a tent is where only hospitality is expressed even to bitter enemies (perhaps American politicians should take note of this custom).

Rebellion and Bribery

Quinn, who is married to Harvard-educated Benjamin Bradlee-famed editor of The Washington Post during the Watergate Scandal-stepped forward in her desert sand pantsuit and riveted her audience with her personal evolution from atheist to a maverick believer. The young listeners were shocked to hear her admission that she had been an atheist since the age of six. There were childhood encounters with her military father (one of the originators of the CIA) that may have ignited these early feelings. Her parents were Episcopalians. At the age of thirteen, her father brought her a pair of exotic high heels from London and would only give them to her if she would go to church. She succumbed to bribery and sat in the front pew, so everyone would see her new shoes.

Journalist by accident

After graduating from Smith College, Quinn headed into Ben Bradlee's office to apply for a job. When he asked if she had ever written anything, she said "no." His reply was a simple, "Well, nobody's perfect" and hired her. She became a feature writer for the Style Section and had an acerbic turn of phrase that was compelling to readers.

Marriage and a challenging child

Obviously Bradlee was smitten with this Smith beauty and married her. They moved in high-powered circles. Once their child, Quinn Crowninshield Bradlee was born, she gave up her job for sixteen years to attend to his physical and mental disabilities. Sally continued to wear her badge of atheism, leaving her neighboring parents to read Bible stories to their grandson.

Gradual conversion

While young Quinn made his way through special needs schools and attended Landmark College for those with learning disabilities, he declared that he believed in God. His mother was still struggling with her own beliefs. Several years ago, she suggested to Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek and a religious scholar, that they do a blog on faith. He turned it back on her and said that she should do it. "I'm an atheist," she replied. "I couldn't." His reaction was that the word "atheist" had a negative connotation. Quinn mulled over his comment. She had always been a positive person and this analysis gave her pause. Meecham gave her a pile of books on religion and away she went to read.

A crash course

Quinn went around the world to 13 countries and interviewed everyone about their religions. When she came back, she went to California and was invited to walk within a labyrinth. At the center, she found the most beautiful tree with branches that reached out to embrace. To her this special tree represented her son, Quinn. She felt at peace. At her farm in Maryland, she built a labyrinth of concrete, where she can go to meditate.

Discussions about religion in D.C.

When Jimmy Carter became president, religion, which was once taboo in D.C. social circles, came back into conversations. Then, George W. Bush and the evangelicals hi-jacked religion away from the Democrats, according to Quinn. In the recent campaign, Democrats seem more relaxed in talking about religion. "I think that you have to be educated about all religions in the world to have an intelligent discussion about religion," Quinn observed. Young people of all faiths nodded their heads in agreement.

Her grown son today

The Bradlees'  24-year-old son has written a book called "A Different Life" about his life as someone with learning disabilities, which will be published in February of 2009. He will be starting a website soon. Naturally, his mother is especially very proud

Blog "On Faith"

Now, Sally Quinn writes a blog, called "On Faith" for Newsweek and The Washington Post. Although her growing faith doesn't have a denominational name, she says, "I wake up every morning grateful. Gratitude. I am grateful."

To resounding applause, her talk to Harvard students was over. This reporter asked her if she were planning to write a book about her own spiritual evolution. "I'm not there yet," she answered. Obviously, she is thinking about it.

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Famous Author Summers in Sandwich

Famous Author Resides Incognito in Sandwich
Paul Theroux loves the soul of Cape Cod

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today

Paul Theroux entrained researching the Ghost Train to the Eastern Star.

"Cape Cod has kept its soul," said renowned author Paul Theroux of Sandwich and Hawaii. "Where there is over-development, perhaps the Cape has lost its soul." Theroux has been coming to the Cape every summer since 1970. Because he grew up in Medford, Massachusetts, his parents often visited the Cape when he was a boy. In fact, his 97-year-old mother is still a lively woman and lives in West Dennis and proudly reads her son's books.

Lifelong friends from Peace Corps

When Theroux graduated from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he joined the Peace Corps and became a teacher from 1965 to 1967 in Malawi, a far-flung country in central Africa (once called Nyasaland). There, he made lifelong friends with fellow teachers. Every summer between twelve and fifteen of them come for a reunion at his home in Sandwich. This year they arrived in mid-July.

"They love coming to the Cape because it doesn't change. To their delight, there are no fast food places in Sandwich. Since they come from Mexico, California, Georgia, Louisiana, and D.C., it is refreshing to find this kind of zoning to preserve the surroundings. They have become a mutual support group. It used to be that we did a lot of beer drinking, but now some have died and divorced. It is a big event for all of us to keep current with each other. Among other things, we play an Italian game of bowls, called ‘Bocce' (pronounced ‘Bachee'). I found an Italian priest at a church on Route 151 who had a design for the court and I found someone in Falmouth to copy it. My buddies and I play and talk. We usually make a trip to Martha's Vineyard."

Over thirty years after The Great Railway Bazaar (above), his seminal travelogue on India, Paul Theroux reprises his journey in the Ghost Train to the Eastern Star (below).

Living outside the 48 states

Paul Theroux has lived outside the borders of the 48 states for decades. "I fell in love with an English woman and we lived in England for twenty years and then parted ways. I moved to Hawaii and married a woman from there," he stated. Perhaps that explains the hint of a British accent entwined with his Massachusetts brogue. He recalled going to high school in Medford and being in boy scouts with Michael Bloomberg.

Fiction versus non-fiction

Theroux's oeuvre includes 27 books of fiction, 15 books of non-fiction, and a book of literary criticism. "I am happiest in fiction where it doesn't have to be factual, but exists in the imagination-speculation. A travel book is outside yourself and fiction is within the writer. When I travel, I go alone because I would be boring company. I read or write or talk to people all the time. On the Trans-Siberian Railway, there are eight long days of looking out the window. I needed a project. I wrote three novellas, called ‘The Elephant Suite.' Then I wrote a memoir about my father who died in 1995. It took me a long time before I could write it."

His latest travel book

In the latter part of September, Theroux begins an eleven city book tour to launch his latest book, "A Ghost Train to the Eastern Star," which retraces his 28,000 mile journey by train from "The Great Railway Bazaar," written 33 years ago and placed him on the map as a best-selling author. The trip started in London, landed him in Japan, and returned him to Europe on the Trans-Siberian Railroad. "When I think that Barack Obama and Senator John McCain have been on the campaign trail for 19 months with only a week's vacation, I can't complain," he said.

Emotional scars

Emotional scars still linger from the trip he took for "The Great Railway Bazaar." While he was away for three and a half months, his wife took a lover. Jealousy and anger drove him to write the book in an emotional fury when he returned home. References appear in both books about the incident. On the first trip he was homesick, but on the second one, which took seven months, but was divided into two trips because of an operation, he was never homesick. A good relationship with his second wife may have been part of it. He also had a Blackberry to text message her when there were network connections.

Biggest changes in Vietnam

"When I was in Vietnam in 1973, the war was still raging. The railway tracks had land mines and bombs were detonated along the road--not unlike Iraq. The Vietnamese lost more than three million troops, compared to our 58,000. Seven million tons of bombs were dropped on them along with 20 million tons of agent orange, causing untold devastation. Yet, today they are a productive and thriving nation. Once President Clinton lifted embargo sanctions on Vietnam in 1994, they prospered. They don't forget what we did to them, but they forgive."

Country with no change

"Burma has not changed since 1973. It is still a military dictatorship. China could have helped, but didn't during the recent cyclone devastation. America offered to send aid, but it was refused. There is a direct road to Burma from China's Kumming. They could easily have helped. Burma or Myanmar is very much like North Korea. Ang San Sui Ki, who was democratically elected, was put in prison and will probably stay there because neither the dictatorship nor China cares."

"I was not surprised that the Russians rolled into Georgia. They had cut off electricity to the Georgian people in the past. The people of Georgia are Russophobic. They thought we would help them and humiliate the Russians. But we have soldiers everywhere."

Democratic Georgia
"I was not surprised that the Russians rolled into Georgia. They had cut off electricity to the Georgian people in the past. The people of Georgia are Russophobic. They thought we would help them and humiliate the Russians. But we have soldiers everywhere and are too stretched to help them. All we can do is talk. Not many people know that Gori in Georgia is the birthplace of Joseph Stalin," Theroux said.

Most memorable incident
"In Burma I returned to a hotel where I stayed in 1973 to find the hotel was run by the son of an 80-year-old man who had befriended me. He was so happy that I wrote about him in my book. Also, in Singapore where I had taught English Literature, I enjoyed renewing connections. Another highlight was meeting Turkey's national writer, Orhan Pamuk. He's a wonderful fellow. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature and is charismatic."

Style changes in 33 years?
Theroux was reluctant to analyze his writing. He revealed his pattern of note-taking. "On the first trip, I wrote in four 9 by 12 notebooks. On the second trip, I filled seven notebooks. It took 8 or 10 months to write the 496 pages for"A Ghost Train to the Eastern Star," but two and a half years altogether."

For this reviewer, the style of writing for "The Great Railway Bazaar" seems choppier and a cross between Marcel Proust and William Faulkner. "A Ghost Train to the Eastern Star" seems smoother and mellower with deeper observations. He shows us the scenery through his words and lets us see the seamier side of cities as well as the glamorous side. We rock with him in his iron cradle of trains and visualize all the people he meets along the way. He confesses that with age and maturity, he no longer feels invisible or like a ghost. With all his aversion to large cities, he is considering an apartment in the exciting city of New York.

The style is not like anyone else's. It is definitely Paul Theroux. By the way, two grown sons are also writers. Louis Theroux has a TV show and Marcel Theroux has written three novels.

(This was a 40 minute telephone interview on Sept. 2, 2008)

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Star Speakers for Obama Fundraiser in Truro

Truro Fundraiser Rakes in $50,000 for Obama
Adrian's Restaurant offers snacks and view and a book

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today

On a bluff in North Truro, there is a sweeping view of Cape Cod Bay. Here resides The Outer Reach Resort and Adrian's Restaurant, run by the Adrian Cyr family: Adrian, Annette, Julian, and Marissa. They are experts in Italian and French cuisine.

Late Sunday afternoon on August 10, a high-powered fundraiser for Barack Obama was scheduled at an entry fee of $250 dollars. Over 200 people came and didn't blink at the cost. They made over $50,000. Adrian's Restaurant provided exotic hors d'oeuvres and a free bar. Handsome and attractive young men and women served the trays of food to all the guests.

Near the entrance, this reporter, author of "Barack Obama: Voice of Unity, Hope, and Change," was selling her books to the converted, giving a portion of the sales to the campaign. Larry Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury and former President of Harvard University, bought one as did Alan Solomont, head honcho of the New England Steering Committee of the Obama campaign.

Clearly, everyone was there to hear remarks from Summers, Solomont, and Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz from Pennsylvania.

As speech time approached, everyone moved to the deck, embracing the spectacular view of the Pilgrim Monument at one end of Cape Cod Bay and the ballet arm of coastline at the other end. A parade of sailing ships formed puffy clouds and hovered above the horizon with a swath of cloud above the restaurant deck in the shape of a dove, spreading its white wings while a half moon in white hung along the beak of the dove as the afternoon turned into early evening.

Alan Solomont

Alan Solomont (on right with Barack Obama in New Hampshire) opened by asking, "Are you fired up?" A resounding "Yes" was the answer. He expressed gratitude to the members of the Lower Cape Community and the volunteers for Obama. Solomont traced Obama's political career from Illinois state senator to U.S. Senator. In the early days of deciding to run for president, Obama asked Senator Richard Durbin (D) of Illinois if this was the moment for him to seek the presidency. Durbin replied, "The moment chooses you." Solomont went on to describe the generational changes overtaking the Baby Boomers. He cited the days from radio to television to the internet. Solomont said, "People ache and long for change."

"Obama runs the campaign like a business. No drama for Obama. It's expensive. In 54 primary contests, $250 million were spent. The general election will cost more," stated Solomont. "The only way to win is through the electoral votes. There are 18 battleground states. Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado, Georgia, and Virginia are critical."

Larry Summers

Then, it was Larry Summers' (on right with President Bill Clinton) turn to speak. In casual attire, he was articulate and forceful. He did not mince words. "The future course of this country in economics is in peril. This is the worst time since the Great Depression. We are in a recession now. Are we going to rebuild or cut taxes for the wealthy? Credit card abuses are part of the problem. Consumers need to be protected. The way to do that is to have a Democratic President and Congress," he said. "Financial problems are cyclical. One percent of the population can enjoy their income. Eighty percent of the population has fallen behind. The tax system is regressive. Programs similar to those of the GI Bill, GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), and the Marshall Plan (rebuilding Europe after WW II) need to be renewed for the 21^st century."

Applause

"We need to maintain a free market, but start healthcare reform, and look at every form of energy in a global environment. We must enter into the spirit of renewable energy. Obama knows that he would have to start very quickly on these issues. The last clear mandate for change was in 1964 when these programs were enacted: Civil Rights Act, Medicare, voting rights, education, and healthcare for the poor. That was half a century ago. Let's move to elect Barack Obama."

Allyson Schwartz  - More applause

The final speaker was Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (on right at Drexel University with Hillary Clinton) from the 13^th Congressional district in Pennsylvania. She hoped that stem cell research could move forward under a new president and she heralded the need for healthcare insurance for children. Her concerns centered on the two existing wars and a possible third one in Georgia/Russia. However, she was counting on the ingenuity and talent of Americans with a change of leadership to do things differently.

The event was over. Although some lingered to talk with the key speakers, most guests departed as a perfect Cape day cast its sky patterns and late sunlight over the Lower Cape.

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Kennedy School Plays War Game over Oil

Reverend Wright versus Kennedy School of Government

Men in dark suits (and two women) gather to play War Games at Harvard yesterday. That's former Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin gesturing as the oil price per barrel reaches $140 and the price per gallon $4.55. Above, from left: Joe Lockhart (portraying Counselor to President), Meghan O'Sullivan (as Sec.of State), Lawrence Summers (as Sec. of Treas.), Robert Rubin (as National Security Advisor), Ashton Carter (as Sec. of Defense), Philip Sharp (as Sec. of Energy), and Joan Dempsey (as National Intelligence Director).    Photo by Martha Stewart

Wright is entertaining; Harvard is theatrically brain-scratching

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today's Boston Bureau

While Reverend Wright was seizing center stage at the National Press Club in D.C. on Monday April 28 and stealing the spotlight from all three presidential candidates, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government was playing a War Game, called "Oil Shockwave" on Monday evening. The Reverend was entertaining, but the Harvard Forum theatrics were sophisticated and brain-scratching.

A fictional cabinet meeting

Under the sponsorship of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard's Forum was playing to an audience of mostly males in dark suits and ties. There were a few women and a handful of students scattered here and there, but a crowded press riser.

The setting was a simulated cabinet meeting of seven cabinet members with an hour and a half to report and recommend to the president on two crises. There were seven high-backed leather chairs behind the arc of joined desks. Behind them were three high-tech panels in orange and red, displaying a map of the world on each panel. Portraits of  the stars of the panel were rotating in the center panel.

The cast

The cast was star-studded, drawing upon members from Bill Clinton's cabinet, Bush appointees, and other luminaries from Harvard's Kennedy School and Belfer Center.

From left to right, here they are:

Joe Lockhart (former Spokesman for President Clinton) playing Counselor to the President

Meghan L. O'Sullivan (former Special Assistant in Security to President Bush) played Secretary of State

Lawrence H. Summers (former President of Harvard) played Secretary of the Treasury

Robert E. Rubin (former Treasury Secretary for Clinton) played National Security Advisor and moderator.

Ashton B. Carter (former Assistant Secretary of Defense) playing the Secretary of Defense.

Philip Sharp (former U.S Representative from Indiana) playing Secretary of Energy.

Joan Dempsey (former Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board for Bush) playing National Intelligence Director.

The first fictional crisis

There were two crises, reported by GNN (Global News Network) from video screens. They were both fictional. Off the coast of Turkey, there was an oil tanker hi-jacked and sunk by terrorists in the Bosporus Straits, which leads to Russia and Europe through the Black Sea. Another ship full of civilians was sunk also. The fictional cabinet has 90 minutes to discuss what they will report to the American president.

Exploring solutions

Robert Rubin, seated in the center, posed the questions to the six other cabinet members. Immediately, Ash Carter as Secretary of Defense gave a briefing, elaborating on the attack. He informed them that three million barrels of oil a day pass through the Bosporus. He calculated that it would take until 2010 to surface and reroute the tankers through the shallow waters. By January of 2009, he estimated that the cost of a barrel of oil would rise to $160.

Rubin asked the panel, "What do we do now? Do we dispatch troops or suggest conservation or consult the world and bring them with us?"

What do we do?

As Secretary of the Treasury, Larry Summers offered a slick and immediate response. "Let's not do anything stupid. We don't have to establish price controls, but we could use a bio-fuel strategy. What will happen if the price rises? By the way, I think the price will soar to $210 a barrel. We should quietly work with the Saudis for more production. But most of all, we should stay cool," he warned.

As Secretary of Energy, Phil Sharp advised, "Defer a decision and get ready. The Europeans will put restraints on right away."

Media reaction

Meghan O'Sullivan, playing the Secretary of State, said, "We have to consider the media's reaction and what the behavior will be in the Middle East. We need to determine our policy while making sure that domestic politics in Turkey do not get inflamed. We want to know what the embassies out of Brussels will say."

Carter jumped in, "What will our position be long-term with a chain of events. We need to act to secure other oil sources."

Summers says no price controls

Rubin suggested rationing. Summers rejected the idea of price controls. "It would be a big mistake by lowering prices and going into our reserves because people and traders will hoard. Let the prices go up-people will figure it out."

Global problem with global solutions

As a group, they decided that oil supplies are a global problem and require a global solution. All agreed that the president should not act quickly, but with caution. The one suggestion for conservation that they all rejected was to enforce the speed limit to 55 miles an hour. They also agreed that strong leadership was the key, giving the country and the world reassurance while consulting with the world about reserves.

Summers said, "Don't drop bombs. Higher taxes would reduce dependence."

Second fictional crisis

The next fictional crisis came from GNN, which reported that there was a terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia, attempting to overthrow the House of Saud. Rubin asked the group whether to act immediately or wait?

Let Saudis do it

Ash Carter suggested, "We would have to depend on the Saudi Army to secure the oil fields. Only as a last resort would the Saudis ask for our support."

O'Sullivan thought the president should talk with King Abdullah before taking action.

Summers jumped in, "Don't evacuate Americans right away. Some want to stay. It's harder if we evacuate. If we show that we are "for" the Saudis that also makes it harder. We have to be careful how to manage diplomacy."

Strong leadership

Lockhart said, "The president should look at his legacy and change his energy policy and explore other sources of energy. We have to get used to higher prices. The president has to get serious. We should advise the president of the gravity, but he must show flexibility and strong leadership. Let the president be the agent of change."

Questions

There were six questions and then the War and Oil game was over after two hours. Apparently there are six scenarios that are offered to professors to use in their college classrooms to make young people aware of our vulnerability and to do something through these virtual tour exercises. These scenarios were developed by Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE).

Over and out from the Forum.

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Cape author writes Obama bio

Obama is the Real Deal

By Libby Hughes (author of an upcoming biography on Obama)

Barack Obama may be a gifted and eloquent speaker, but he is authentic-the real deal. Forget race, forget party allegiance, and look at character. What you see is what you get.

My main vocation in life is writing biographies about international heroes and heroines for young adults. These are people they can admire and hope to emulate. The list is not very long. Obama is the 13th, and there are only two women: Margaret Thatcher and Benazir Bhutto (recently translated into Vietnamese). The one on Obama is titled Barack Obama: Voice of Unity, Hope, and Change. It will be out the end of May or early June.

Like many Americans, I was wowed by Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention (on right) in Boston. He was a fresh voice with some unifying ideas and memorable phrases. When he announced his candidacy for president, I knew this was a role model for young adults (and adults, too). Thus, I embarked on the research.

But what drew me even more to the biography were some common ties that made me feel connected to Barack Obama. He had lived in the enchanted land of Indonesia as a boy from the age of six to ten. Barack's mother had met her second husband, Lolo Soetoro, at the University of Hawaii. After they married, Ann Dunham Obama Soetoro and her young son followed Lolo to Jakarta, where they lived in primitive conditions on the outskirts of that capital city.

My Indonesian tie to Barack

I, too, had lived in Jakarta the same year Barack and his mother arrived in 1967. My former husband was writing a book about the coup of Sukarno, who had flirted seriously with communism. Temporarily, we moved with our babies from Hong Kong to the heart of Jakarta in an embassy official's house to do the research.

At their home in Jakarta Barack's mother, Ann Dunham, poses in this undated photo with her second husband, Lolo Soetoro, their daughter, Maya, and a young Barack Obama.Indonesia has a mystique about it. At night, the frangipani bushes and trees fill the air with a sweet fragrance similar to our honeysuckle. At that time, the street lamps were a soft yellow, leaving people, bicycles, and cars in shadowy silhouettes. The Indonesian people radiate such a sweetness and are soft-spoken. They are irresistibly likable. The turmoil of the coup (which happened in 1965) and the students, who had protested so vigorously, had subsided.

When young Barack landed at the Jakarta airport and drove with his parents to their new home, he would have seen what I did-the water buffaloes sloshing through rice paddies; he would have sniffed the fragrant air and felt the humid days; he would have seen the women in colorful batik long skirts and blouses and men in batik shirts; he might have attended shadow puppet shows at dusk and heard the gamelon (like a xylophone) orchestras playing as they sat cross-legged behind their instruments. It was all very mysterious and romantic.

Barack's mother found a job at the American Embassy, teaching English to Indonesian businessmen. Her greatest concern was for her son's education since they couldn't afford to send him to a private school. First, he attended a Catholic school and then a public Muslim school. The religion was of no interest to her, but the academics were. To supplement his learning, Ann Soetoro sent to America for education tools. Every morning she would awaken Barack at 4:00am to work with flash cards. Barack yawned, but cooperated through most of these sessions.

Finally, when Barack was ten-years-old, Mrs. Soetoro decided to send him back to Hawaii to live with her parents. There, he went to the Punahou School to complete his high school education. Like many teenagers, Barack had some identity problems, but eventually outgrew them as he attended Occidental College in California, Columbia University, and Harvard Law School.

My second tie was Kenya

The other common tie I felt to Obama was to Kenya, the land of his father. We had lived in Africa six years and in Kenya a couple of times. So, I was familiar with the landscape. Outside of Nairobi is a hilly area called the Highlands where coffee and tea farms grow in abundance. Barack Obama senior began his childhood in a village near Victoria Falls. He was part of the Luo tribe, known for its superior intelligence. Eventually, he moved to Nairobi to attend a British school. Then, because of his intellect, two American ladies wrote 26 letters to American universities to find a scholarship for him. He was accepted at the University of Hawaii where he met 18-year-old Ann Dunham in a Russian class. They married and lived with her parents. Young Barack was born in August 1961. Then, Barack won a scholarship to Harvard University in economics. The family couldn't go with him. They divorced. Father and son met only once after that when Barack was ten-years-old. He missed the father figure desperately.

And so, in the biography, there is some history and description of Indonesia, Kenya, and Hawaii-the backdrops to Barack Obama's extraordinary life thus far. Caroline Kennedy has endorsed Barack Obama because she claims that his political values are closest to those of her father. A landslide of endorsements have come for that very same reason.

You should know that Barack Obama can turn a bitter enemy into his best friend. The last line of my book refers to his nickname, "Healer-in-Chief." Whether he wins or not, his future will be spectacular, be it in the Oval Office or elsewhere.

Libby Hughes is an author of 17 books and 45 plays. Her musical about Ginger Rogers was produced in Palm Desert, California, in February and will go to LA in 2009. She writes columns for Cape Cod Today as their Boston Bureau chief and drama critic.  See her website.

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Cape Playhouse Plans Music, Music, Music for 2008

The Cape Playhouse: Grande Dame of Summer Theatres
Holds her head high for upcoming 82^nd season

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Drama Critic

The golden days of the summer "straw hat circuit" brought magic and excitement to New England theatres in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. When plays and musicals closed on Broadway, they were packaged with stars and spent a week in each of these theatres: the Ogunquit Playhouse and Skowheg Playhouse in Maine; North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA; South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, MA; Falmouth Playhouse on Cape Cod; Cape Playhouse in Dennis, MA; Westport Country Playhouse in CT; and the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA; and sometimes the Melody Tent in Hyannis, MA. It was a true summer theatre circuit.

No straw circuit today

Today, in the 21^st century, the circuit of old doesn't exist. Each theatre does its own thing either with a repertory company or packaged shows out of NYC. Audiences in each area have different tastes and the theatres cater to them. During the straw hat decades, stars could easily be paid at least $50,000 a week for their appearances.

Star system once upon a time

And the Cape Playhouse in Dennis was no exception. When this reviewer started covering the Cape Playhouse in 1977, a parade of stars from Ginger Rogers to John Ritter to Jean Stapleton marched across the boards, commanding large salaries. Every week, the legendary Margaret Adams, Publicity Director, held press conferences in the stage restaurant for interviewing the celebrities. This was great copy for the daily and weekly newspapers. Stories about celebrities sell newspapers as they do today. One could never be overwhelmed by a star because there was a story to write and a deadline to meet. It was at the Cape Playhouse I met and interviewed Ginger Rogers. Eleven years later, she tracked me down and asked me to come out to her house in California to edit her autobiography.

Cape Playhouse is the Grande Dame

The Cape Playhouse is something of a star itself. It is the oldest summer theatre in America and deservedly is called the Grande Dame. In 1927, a young theatre enthusiast, Raymond Moore, landed in Provincetown to fulfill his dream of becoming a landscape painter. Instead, he joined an acting group. Intense competition existed between his group and the famed Provincetown Players with whom Eugene O'Neill was associated. On a whim, Moore bought an old Unitarian Meeting House, bought it for a few hundred dollars, and moved it to a three and a half acre cow pasture in Dennis. Beneath a torrential rainstorm on July 4, 1927, the Cape Playhouse opened its doors. The rest is history. The only time it closed was between 1942 and 1946.

Transitioning to non-profit

In the past few years, the Playhouse has been transitioning between a commercial venture to the 501 C3 non-profit status along with the rest of its campus compatriots: the Cape Museum of Fine Arts and the Cape Cinema. This non-profit status has caused a difficult financial strain on the Playhouse. They will now be dependent on grants, patron gifts, subscribers, and ticket sales to keep them afloat. With a roller coaster economy and the price of tickets climbing, the task has not been easy even though tickets are half or even a quarter the cost of Broadway. Nevertheless, their confidence has not been dampened in the face of some financial bumps.

At a press reception on April 17 for nine Board members, patrons, and the press, James Wilson, President of the Board, said, "We are making an early announcement of our 82^nd season at the Cape Playhouse, and we are broadening the Cape Center for the Arts and making it more diverse with the Cape Museum of Fine Arts, the Cape Cinema (where they did simulcasting of eight operas from the Metropolitan Opera during the winter.), the Stage Café, internships at the theatre, and the Dennis Walk for the Arts. The over-all thrust seems to be for educational projects.

Evans Haile outlines season

Artistic Director Evans Haile drove up from NYC for the reception and introduced the upcoming season of four musicals and two comedies that run from June 23 through Sept. 13. "Tired of the political debates and want to experience joy with friends?" he asked. "Music is the way to escape from politics. Why should you come to the theatre? Because it's something you can't see at home. It is live right in front of you. You see it as it happens."

Then, Mr. Haile introduced the man from the opening show, "Marc Salem's Mind Games." Salem entertained the reception group with a sample of his mind games: memory, money, consonants and vowels, espionage, and watches. Amazement and applause for his magical and humorous tricks from a trained psychologist. It promises to be a different and entertaining kick-off to the theatrical season.  The playhouse website.

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Rotarians learn about Muslims in Massachusetts from Bilal Kaleem

Young Muslim Talks to Rotarians about Islam
There are 120,000 Muslims in state and 70,000 in Boston

By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau of Cape Cod Today

The Rotary Club of Boston meets weekly at the 80-year-old Boston Park Plaza Hotel in the heart of the city. Beneath gold leaf ceilings and ornate chandeliers, history oozes from the footsteps of celebrities and U.S. presidents who have crossed through its lobby. Every meeting room on the fourth floor has the name of some historic personality such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Rotarians meet in the Alcott Room, named for the 19th century author and teacher of transcendentalism, Bronson Alcott. His daughter, Louisa May Alcott, was equally famous as an author of the classic novel "Little Women."  These philanthropic and dedicated Rotarians invite speakers of interest and note for its members and visitors.

After a three-course hearty luncheon on April 16, their speaker, Bilal Kaleem (on right), Executive Director of the Muslim American Society, Boston Chapter, gave a brief overview of Islam and Muslims in the Boston area.

Personal biography

With a pronounced American accent, the young and handsome Mr. Kaleem gave a biographical sketch of his life thus far. His parents came from India, He grew up in Zambia and Nigeria before living in New York between the ages of nine and eighteen. He majored in computer science at M.I.T and worked for Oracle and Goldman Sachs briefly before becoming involved with the Muslim American Society.

Muslims in the West

Kaleem gave an honest assessment of Muslims living and working in a Western Society. "Muslims are not engaged in public service. Usually, they are doctors and engineers, but absent from the media or law or politics. Although they are masters of religion, they are struggling to find their identity," he acknowledged.

As Executive Director of the Muslim Society, Kaleem is attempting to change that dynamic by organizing a community for guiding young Muslims under the age of thirty. A Freedom Foundation would engage in civic affairs. Finally, an Outreach Center would be responsible for educating others about Islam, including Hollywood and the media.

What is Islam?

In a short time, Kaleem tackled the big question, "What is Islam?" "There is a Creator that brings meaning and purpose to life and allows us to grow to our full potential-spiritually and morally-by seeking guidance through God. Improving ourselves and serving others is worship. By coming closer to God means complete justice and accountability. Every prophet has brought core teaching within this framework," he said.

Muslims in Massachusetts

After giving this capsulated definition, Kaleem moved on to more localized comments. "In Massachusetts there are 120,000 Muslims and in Boston, 70,000. Some are indigenous-coming as slaves from West Africa. From 20% to 40% of those slaves were Muslims. The rest of Muslims here today are more diverse and come from Pakistan, India, Bosnia, Turkey, and other distant places," he stated.

Muslim desires

Muslims want to be educated and use their talents. "If they work hard, Muslims feel that they can get ahead. Fifty percent of Muslims make over $50,000 in a yearly income and feel they have achieved the American Dream. However, Muslims are very materialistic and want the finest things in life," he admitted. "Only six percent of polled Americans feel they have achieved the American Dream."

Selfless service

"We want to help the elderly, young people, and to become involved in the political process, but we have challenges. In a survey by Gallup,  40% of average Americans feel that Muslims should have ID cards. The public has a lack of perspective about these challenges," he said.

Recommending a book

There were several questions. One questioned whether Muslims educated in the West can be correctly compared to Muslims living in the region of the Middles East."There are no easy answers," he replied. However, he did recommend a book, titled What do a Billion Muslims Really Think by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, based on six years of data from Gallup polling.

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