Contact: Steve Zalusky
Communications Manager, ALA Public Information Office
(312) 280-1546
szalusky@ala.org
NEWS
For Immediate Release
May 20, 2008
Ron Reagan, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, Diahann Carroll, Jamie Lee Curtis, James Frey, Khaled Hosseini featured at ALA Annual Conference
CHICAGO – A provocative array of newsmakers and best-selling authors will appear at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., June 26-July 1.
Ron Reagan, journalist and television news correspondent, will keynote the Opening General Session from 5:30-7 p.m. on June 29. He will discuss what’s ahead on the ever-shifting political horizon, as well as his work on behalf of stem cell research.
He will also discuss his work with the Creative Coalition, a non-profit, non-partisan social and political advocacy organization that aims to educate its members – often well-known artists – on such current issues as first amendment rights, public education and arts advocacy in an attempt to use their influence to educate others and promote change.
Reagan has interviewed many newsmakers over the years. His work on networks such as MSNBC, CNN and AirAmerica has made him a popular communicator with a large following.
From a young age, Ron Reagan has been part of the political spotlight. Ronald Wilson Reagan, his father, ran for President in 1981and served two terms. Because of his “view from the inside,” Reagan presents a unique perspective from both sides of the political world.
A strong advocate for stem cell research, he has toured the country, discussing the importance of its funding, and spoke about the issue at the 2004 Democratic Convention after his father’s death from Alzheimer’s.
The conference also will feature authors Don Borchert; T.B. (Berry) Brazelton, MD; Jamie Lee Curtis; James Frey; Khaled Hosseini; Vernon. E. Jordan, Jr.; Dean Koontz; author/philanthropist Greg Mortenson; writer/producer Stephen J. Cannell; astronaut Sally Ride; and Tam O’Shaughnessy.
During the ALA President’s Program, “Supporting Native Children’s English and Native Language Literacy,” from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on June 29, ALA President Loriene Roy will examine the importance of early literacy and service to patrons of diverse backgrounds. Special guests include Roy Boney, Jr., a Cherokee digital animation/claymation artist; educators from a tribal schools; and Mary Haggerty from Boston’s WGBH-FM.
The conference will close with famed actress Diahann Carroll from 11 a.m. to noon on July 1. Carroll will discuss her new book, “The Legs Are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, Mothering, and Other Things I Learned Along the Way,” as well as what it’s like to be an aging star in Hollywood and how it feels to be an icon.
