A Conversation with Shelly Sommer
on continuing JFK's legacy and following her own dreams...
Shelley Sommer worked for the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for 15 years, first as the director of Public Relations, and then as the director of the Profile in Courage Award. Ms. Sommer is currently a graduate student at the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College. She lives with her husband and son on the South Shore of Massachusetts.
Q. Tell us a little bit about your experience working at the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
A. Working at the Kennedy Library was the best job in the whole world. I worked with smart people every day, people who really care about the world and about the things JFK stood for. It was the perfect place for a curious person. I am curious about everything, which is why I love biographies. As JFK said, they [biographies] answer that question "who was he?" (or she).
Q.Were you able to meet any prominent or influential people while working at the library?
A. Yes. The best part of being at the Library was the chance to meet some of the most fascinating people of the past 50 years. I was responsible for managing the media (on behalf of the Library) for visits by Bill Clinton (when he was president), Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and many other world and national leaders. I worked with the Kennedy family on numerous events. I was responsible for coordinating the many television interviews that Caroline Kennedy did to promote various Library programs. Both Caroline and John were deeply committed to the Library.
Q. With so many books about JFK in the market, how and why did you decide to contribute another biography to the list?
A. This book came out of a homework assignment. A few years ago, I took a class about nonfiction for young people. One of our assignments was to write a proposal for a book that should exist for kids, but currently does not, with the intention that it was to look like a "real" proposal that could be send to a publisher. Having worked at the JFK Library for so long, I was aware of how many books for adults existed about JFK but I wanted to explore what was available for kids. There were a few textbook-like biographies, but nothing current that addressed JFK's whole life and legacy. I started thinking about something my son used to ask me before I started the project - What is different about JFK? Why do we see his family on magazine covers and not the family members of other presidents? In response to this, I wrote my proposal for a JFK biography that would answer his question.
Q. How were you able to obtain the invaluable support and aid of Caroline Kennedy, JFK's daughter, on this project?
A. Having worked with Caroline Kennedy on projects in the past and knowing her interest in books, I sent her a copy of the proposal (after receiving a good grade, of course!) and suggested that she take a close look at the book. I even suggested a number of biographers I highly respected (Russell Freedman, Marc Aronson, Cheryl Harness and others) that might be perfect for this kind of a project. Her idea, much to my surprise and delight, was that I write it. So, here we are.
Q. After 10 years as the publicist for the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, you became the director of the Profile in Courage Award. To whom is this award granted?
A. The Profile in Courage Award is the Kennedy Library Foundation's annual prize to a person in public life who best exemplifies the values JFK wrote about in Profiles in Courage. It is presented around the time of the anniversary of JFK's birth - in May of each year. There is an award committee who selects each year's recipient, and my responsibility was to be in contact with people/research people who have demonstrated some act of political courage. I prepared information about the candidates and supported the committee's work.
Q. With the opportunity to meet some of the most fascinating people in the world, and working to further advance JFK's dream, why did you decide to leave the library?
A. The only reason I left the Kennedy Library Foundation was that I wanted to pursue my love for books and reading. In fact, the trait I most admire in JFK is his curiosity - which he satisfied through reading and conversation. Outside of my family, nothing makes me happier than reading a book. When I was a young girl, I used to go to my town library (in Xenia, Ohio - before a tornado blew down our house and scattered the pages of my precious books around southern Ohio) and cry because I was so worried that I had read every book in the children's room and there would be nothing left for me to do. Books literally opened up the whole world to me, and I now know that it is virtually impossible to run out of books to read with the infinite list that I have surrounded myself with.
Q. How were you able to leave the library and jump into this "love for books and reading"?
A. I had known about the Simmons Children's Literature program for many years and knew that if I was going to apply for this highly demanding program, I could not do it while working at the Kennedy Library. I now work at an independent school (where my son is in fourth grade) three days a week and have the much needed time to go to Simmons and read as much as I can. The JFK book is a dream project - combining my interest in current events, books, and inspiring more curiosity in young people.
Contributed by HarperCollins.
To learn 10 interesting facts about JFK, click here.
Reviews
John F. Kennedy: His Life and Legacy
Shelley Sommer
Introduction by Caroline Kennedy
"...(T)he torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." These words from John Fitzgerald Kennedy's inaugural address are integral to the context of this balanced portrait of the man and the president. JFK is undoubtedly an unknown for many of the intended readers of this biography. Through it, they will be introduced to a leader who ushered in the 1960s, a period of great cultural change. The author begins by introducing the reader to Kennedy's childhood and early family life. Kennedy was a sickly child, one who developed a love for the printed word "You would never seek Jack without a book in his hand" his mother, Rose Kennedy, remembered. This view of Kennedy as a man of letters one interested in poetry as well as history is a central theme. Despite his not being an excellent student, Kennedy became a published author while in college and greatly admired the intellectual capabilities of others. Balancing this is the picture of Kennedy the man. From his close relationship with his sister Kathleen to the love and fascination he had for his children, Kennedy is portrayed as someone who understood and valued what is truly important in life. The author is honest in her presentation of Kennedy as having ideals that he fought for (e.g. civil rights) while understanding and weighing the practical demands of politics. Though the publisher indicates that the book is written for children ages eight through twelve, I think the book will be best appreciated by children ten and older. These young readers will gain valuable insights into a turbulent period of American History and the life of a man who helped shape that period's agenda. For further work in social studies, the book ends with the text of Kennedy's inaugural address, a collection of his quotes and recommendations for further reading. 2005, HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 8 to 12, $16.99 and $17.89. Reviewer: Maria Lamattina
ISBN: 0-06-054135-0
ISBN: 0-06-054136-9
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