TULANE TALK

April 16, 2010

Good Morning:

Like a thousand of you, I attended Carlos Fuentes’ talk at McAlister Auditorium Monday night.

I was intrigued not only with the great writer’s words but with the way he chose to present his message. A master of the written word, he returned to the basics, using the 26 letters of the alphabet as the jumping off point for each of his themes. “A” was for “amour” and so on.

His method impressed me so much because I am constantly searching for new ways to tell a story or communicate a concept. His approach to making his points and the powerful content of his messages are great reminders to all storytellers.

Fuentes’ appearance was the latest in the English Department’s Great Writers Series, a most impressive program that has brought literary greats such as Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie and Joan Didion to campus. Fuentes was a perfect addition to this list.

I doubt, however, that I will ever adopt the A to Z approach he used when I attempt to tell the story of the scholarship, research and community of Tulane University. There are simply not enough letters. But here is a start: “A” is for amazing, “B” is for bold, “C” is for courageous, “D” is for determined, “E” is for engaged, “F” is for fantastic, “G” is for gifted, “H” is for…

Have a great weekend,