What Sports Could Teach Washington: Thoughts From Former Virginia Senator George Allen

George Allen grew up around football. His father, also named George Allen, was famously an assistant coach with the NFL’s Chicago Bears, and later head coach for the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins.

Spending a lot of time in that atmosphere shaped the young George Allen’s worldview, especially after he entered politics.

First as a State Delegate in Virginia, then as the state’s Governor, and later one term as US senator. There was even a little talk about Alan running for president.

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Allen frequently used sports analogies when talking politics, or making a point.

So, unsurprisingly perhaps, his 2010 book was called what Washington Can Learn From The World of Sports. I met him one day that summer in his office in Alexandria, Virginia to talk about it.

So here now, from 2010, George Allen.

George Allen is 73 now. He lives in Virginia Beach.

The Memoir of The Puppeteer Who Brought Elmo To Life

If you’ve had a small child in your life anytime in the last 30 years or so you know this voice. That’s Elmo, the furry red monster from Sesame Street and one of the most popular Muppet characters ever.

The puppeteer who made Elmo and his giggle famous is a Baltimore native named Kevin Clash.

Growing up in the ‘60s Clash was entranced by everything from Kukla Fran and Ollie to Captain Kangaroo and Sesame Street. At age 10 he started making his own puppets.

At 19 he was so skilled he joined the Captain Kangaroo show as a puppeteer.

And in 1984 he joined the cast of Sesame Street. Elmo came along a year later, and for the next 27 years Kevin Clash was 3-year-old Elmo.

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In 2006 Clash wrote an autobiography, a book he called My Life As a Furry Red Monster. That’s when I had the chance to meet him.

So here now, from 2006, Kevin Clash.

Kevin Clash will be 65 this fall. In 2012 he publicly came out as gay

The Magic And Charm of Loretta Lynn: A Conversation With A Music Legend

Most of the interviews I did over a 30-year span were aimed at extracting information of one kind or another from my interviewee. An interesting anecdote, perhaps, or some inside scoop about Hollywood or politics or dports.

But on rare occasions, I just threw my notes away and just had a fun conversation. And one of the most fun interviews I ever had was the ten minutes that I had on the phone one day in the fall of 2002 with the great Loretta Lynn.

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She had just published her second autobiography, called Still Woman Enough. When I was offered a 10-minute slot with her, I couldn’t wait.

So here now, from 2002, Loretta Lynn.

Loretta Lynn died in 2022. She was 90.