Booksmart actor contributes to fund-raiser
Friends of English hosts public reading by Charlton Heston
By Jennifer K. Morita
Daily Bruin Staff
Clutching a three-tiered stack of books to his chest, including
such classics as a 1633 edition of the Bible and "Moby Dick,"
veteran actor Charlton Heston walked onto the stage of the Korn
Convocation Center in the Anderson School Wednesday night and began
to read.
From poetry to the Sherlock Holmes mysteries of Sir Conan Arthur
Doyle, Heston read to an audience of about 180 at the year’s first
fund-raising event hosted by the UCLA’s Friends of English.
He began with Robert Frost.
"When my son was very little, around 4 years old, I began
reading poetry to him and his favorite was ‘Stopping by Snow on a
Smelly Evening’ by Robert Frosty," Heston told the audience.
Later, heaving a thick black book onto the podium and opening to
its end, Heston began to read the last chapter of "Moby Dick"
assuring the audience that he wouldn’t read all the way through the
American novel.
"I was raised in a reading family," Heston said. "I’m
particularly glad that I was raised to appreciate the beauty of the
written word, especially being that I am a Friend and I am making a
living off them. They’re my bread and butter.
"I had few playmates growing up in Michigan," he added.
So instead, he told the audience, he read, and would become the
characters in his books.
After his parents divorced, Heston moved to Chicago where he
attended public high school and became involved in the school’s
drama department. He won a scholarship to Northwestern University
and his acting career began.
"He just loves books," said Jean Stone, a long-time friend of
Heston’s, as well as a member of the board of Friends of English.
"This was a great opportunity for him to talk about his newest book
and to share something that he’s worked very hard on, with other
people."
Heston was also signing copies of his recently released
autobiography, "In the Arena."
"I didn’t know he was such a literary man," said Marcia Jacobs,
who attended the reading. "I’ve been such a fan of his for so many
years but I never knew this about him. He has such a beautiful
reading voice."
Jacobs added that, as a result of attending the fund-raiser, she
planned to buy Heston’s autobiography.
"I live across the street from a library so I swore I would
never buy another book again," Jacobs said. "But now, I’m just
going to have to."
The Friends of English, established in 1986 by Caryl Carothers,
helps to support UCLA’s English department by funding scholarships,
fellowships, faculty and student research, according to
Carothers.
"We have one of the finest English departments in the nation and
we want to share some of those resources with the community,"
Carothers said. "We want to contribute to the culture of L.A.
because this really is a cultural resource."
Other authors and celebrities who have donated their time to
Friends of English include Isabelle Allende, Patrick Stewart and
Angelica Houston.
Friends of English also holds faculty programs in which
researchers discuss their current work.
Heston’s next project is another movie version of Shakespeare’s
"Hamlet," also starring Kenneth Branaugh.
PATRICK LAM
After speaking at an English department fund-raiser Wednesday,
veteran actor Charleton Heston shakes hands with Bryan Stevens, a
first-year environmental science student.