Lecture series has wide variety of speakers
Star Tribune · December 1, 2003
By Delma J. Francis
Whether you're into glitz and glamour, current events or politics, the 2004 Star Tribune Women's Lecture Series has a speaker for you.
Now in its eighth year, the Wednesday night series will present Goldie Hawn (Feb. 18), Mariane Pearl (March 24), Mary Matalin and James Carville (April 21), Jehan Sadat (May 19) and Sharon Stone (June 9).
Because "virtually all tickets are sold as a series, organizers aim for variety - people and subject matter that will be appealing to broad audiences," said Tom Rainey, the Star Tribune's director of partnership marketing, who is responsible for much of the planning.
"We've got a little bit of Hollywood, international, current events and the current political climate," he said. And with the appearance of Carville, "We're venturing into new ground with a man for the first time ever."
Hawn, an Academy Award-winning actress known as Hollywood's sweetheart, will speak about something she knows well - comedy - with a speech titled, "Laughter is the Best Medicine."
Mariane Pearl, widow of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, will speak about her new book, "A Mighty Heart: The brave life and death of my husband Danny Pearl." Pearl was kidnapped and killed last year in Karachi, Pakistan, by a radical Islamic group.
Husband and wife James Carville and Mary Matalin managed to fall in love and get married, despite their 180-degree political differences. Matalin, one of the most popular conservative voices in the country and Carville, an integral player in many Democratic elections, will share political insights in their talk, "Politically Incompatible."
Jehan Sadat, widow of assassinated Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, has worked to carry on her late husband's quest for peace in the Middle East. Her speech: "The Price for Peace."
Hollywood leading lady Sharon Stone will discuss her belief that celebrity comes second to family, wellness and spirituality. Having recovered fully from a brain hemorrhage, she will talk about the power of self-healing in "Sharon's Instincts."
Tickets for the series, sponsored by Herberger's, Abbott Northwestern Hospital's Center for Cosmetic Care and Byerly's/Lunds, as well as the Star Tribune, go on sale Wednesday.
"The series does so well here, we usually sell out before the first lecture," said Rainey. Single tickets aren't likely to be available, he added, but if they are, they'll go on sale before the first lecture.
