Sam Haskell

Promises I Made My Mother Essay Contest

samhaskell — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:57:56 +0000

For information about the Promises I Made My Mother essay contest, click here

From the road, 11/16/09

samhaskell — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:37:39 +0000

Hello friends and family, I hope this new update finds you all happy and healthy. After spending 10 days in Kuwait and Afghanistan, visiting our military men and women with six former Miss Americas….Susan Powell, Heather Whitestone, Nicole Johnson, Ericka Dunlap, BeBe Shopp, and Sharlene Wells and a former Miss Utah, Jill Stevens, who had been deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 through her National Guard Unit in Utah, I took a week off from the book tour to catch up on my sleep and some of the non-profit work I continue to sheperd….the Miss America Organization, The Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award Young Americans’ Challenge, and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. The trip to Afghanistan was life changing. I was invited to share my book with the troops and speak to our military. The six Miss Americas and Miss Utah were VERY popular, and I was able to share in the “light” that they brought with them. I was Bob Hope, and presented them in over 12 different camps and Air Force Bases in the war zones of Afghanistan. I resumed the book tour in Meridian, Mississippi on November 2nd with a private reception and signing at the home of my dear friends Helen and Lee Valentine. Mary and I toured my friend Sela Ward’s Hope Village, which houses abused or neglected children from Lauderdale County…a terrific facility, and we are most interested in working with Hope Village to raise funds to help them continue the work that they are doing. I also spoke at the Meridian Rotary Club, and taped a 30 minute program for the local network affiliate about my trip to Afghanistan. Mary and I then drove to Jackson where we stayed with our dear friends Angelyn and Barry Cannada. Angelyn had been Homecoming Queen at Ole Miss, and Barry was President of the Student Body while we were all at Ole Miss together in the 70s. During our two days in Jackson, we worked with some of the artisans who are creating the woodwork for the new house we’re building in Oxford, I filmed several PSAs for the new statewide “Promises I Made My Mother” Essay Contest being sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Education and Rotary Clubs of Mississippi. Thousands of young people will be reading my book and competing for college scholarships presented through the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell Scholarship Foundation. Next we met with Rick Moore, President and CEO of Eyevox and Mad Genius Productions about some projects we are working on with attorney Barry Cannada. The next day I signed hundreds of books at the Jackson Junior League’s Mistletoe Christmas Luncheon, and hosted the entertainment which included humorist Jeanne Robertson. My cousin Mary Rogers, and my publicists Nancy Perkins and Beth Kellogg were there to support Mary and me. Junior League President Crisler Boone, and Mistletoe Chairman Lisa Abernathy were so awesome and fun to be with. Mary and I also got to visit with fellow authors, and old friends, Darden North and Robert St. John who were signing books as well. Angelyn Cannada then rushed us to the airport to catch our plane to New York to see daughter Mary Lane in her starring role in the NYU production of “Kiss Of The Spiderwoman”…..what a joy to see this child perform on stage. Sam IV and his girlfriend Ashleigh flew in to join us, and New York friends Laurie Stephenson, Susan Powell, and Richard White joined us as well. On Sunday, Mary flew back to LA with Sam and Ashleigh who had to resume their studies at California State University and I flew to Chicago for multiple book signings at the Elgin Rotary, the Mt. Zurich Public Library, and the Women’s Assistance League’s Books and Christmas Brunch event. Again, I signed and sold hundreds of copies of Promises I Made My Mother which humbled me greatly. Erin O’Conner, Miss Illinois 2009, was there to join me in Chicago for these events as were Scott and Yvonne Lorenz and their daughter Katie Lorenz, who had been Miss Illinois 2008. Scott and Yvonne scheduled all of my Chicago events and took me to each of them personally. They also gave me a tour of Chicago which included dinner at Carmine’s on Rush Street, and a visit to the Signature Room on top of the Hancock Building in Downtown Chicago. The views of this beautiful city on Lake Michigan were breathtaking! On Tuesday night I flew to Dallas for multiple booksigning appearances at the Adolphus Ladies Book Club, Southern Methodist University where I gave three lectures, and a return visit to Legacy Books where all proceeds of the book event were donated to Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano, Texas which is run by my friend, Cheryl “Action” Jackson. Kyle and Terri at Legacy had hosted me in July, when my book had become the number one Bestseller in Dallas, so I promised to come see them again during the holidays. My dear friend Jeanye “Tex” Irwin hosted me for those three days in Dallas….taking me everywhere I needed to be, and keeping me on schedule for the multiple appearances. Hundreds more books were sold and signed in Dallas. Tex also took me to dinner with her sister Ruth and her brother-in-law Roman Kupchynsky, and lunch with her friends Peggy Riggs and Jil Katz….both terrific, philanthropic women…not to mention beautiful and very funny. We laughed for two hours, and then Peggy hosted me and Tex for tea in her beautiful Highland Park home between my last lecture at SMU and the book signing at Legacy Books. I also was honored to go to the National Boy Scout Headquarters located outside of Dallas in Irving, Texas, and I had a meeting with National Boy Scout President Robert Muzzuca and his associates Al Kugler and Stephen Medlicott. I was an Eagle Scout as a teenager, and had respresented Mississippi at the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Farragut State Park in Idaho in 1969. The Boy Scout experience was one of the most life forming experiences of my journey. As President of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for the US, I wanted to meet Mr. Mazzuca to suggest a national partnership with the Boy Scouts which could be great for both organizations. I was so pleased to meet with President Mazzuca and his staff, and even more pleased that we have agreed to move forward with a partnership plan for the two organizations. I head back to Mississippi on Monday, November 16th to join Mary, who is finishing up the two year construction on our new home in Oxford with Architectural Designer and close friend Frank Tindall, Decorator Lynda Mead Shea, and Contractor Roy Bright. On Wednesday, I travel back to Jackson, MS for the fifth time on this tour to be a guest on the Paul Gallo statewide Radio Show, and to do the keynote address for the Mississippi Ad Federation. I then return to LA to join Emmy Winning Actors Ray Romano and Doris Roberts for a masterclass at California State University. After Thanksgiving, I head to New York for a guest appearance on FOX News’ Fox and Friends on December 3rd to discuss the trip to Afghanistan, and to pre-tape a show that will air in primetime, on Christmas Eve, that will also feature some of our video footage from the Afghanistan trip. I wish each of you a happy and healthy Holiday Season. Love, SAM…Kev, I’d also like for you to get the video link I filmed for the Essay Contest, and add it to the website as well. Thanks.

Sam’s Sigma Chi Book Signing at Book Soup 9/2/09

samhaskell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:09:44 +0000

Sam’s recent book signing at Book Soup in Los Angeles raised $1,000 for the Sigma Chi Fraternity Foundation

Sam’s Afghanistan Diary: October 12-October 20, 2009

samhaskell — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:44:34 +0000

Our merry little band of goodwill ambassadors left Washington/Dulles Airport at 10:30 pm on October 12th….Columbus Day. Prior to departure, my old college friend, Susan Noble Jones, her husband Robin, and best friend Cathy, helped me place Bank Plus Bookplates inside 500 copies of “Promises I Made My Mother” to take to the troops as gifts from me, the Miss Americas, and Bank Plus. Robin Jones kindly offered us the use of his law office in Georgetown, for the coordination of packing the books in eight Easton Duffle Bags weighing 65 pounds per bag, and we then headed to the airport. United Airlines was wonderful to me. Due to the fact that the 8 duffles full of books weighed 500 pounds over my limit for baggage, we had been quoted approximately $3,000 for the overage. When United found out what I was doing, and where I was going, they waived the baggage fees completely. I will always be grateful for their generosity. We landed in Kuwait at 5:30 pm on Tuesday the 13th. We had a wonderful Kuwaiti woman named Utch meet me and the six Miss Americas….Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells, Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson, Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 1981 Susan Powell, Miss America 1995 Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1948 BeBe Shoppe, and Miss Utah 2007 Jill Stevens at the Kuwait Airport to help us secure our Visas, and help us get through customs with my 8 duffles containing the 500 copies of my book for the soldiers, my two pieces of personal luggage, and all of the girl’s bags as well. Doug, our driver, and Sargeant Juan Valle, our base escort, took us to Ali Al Salem Air Force Base…known as The Rock…there we moved into special barracks prepared for us. I was bunking in with the guys, and the Miss Americas had their own barracks. We had dinner in the base mess hall, and we are scheduled to meet with the base commander the next morning at 9:00. We witnessed 12 bus loads of soldiers departing the base, headed home from Iraq. We went to the PX after dinner to pick up a few things each of us needed, and then we tucked into bed for the night. On Wednesday morning October 14th at 5:30 am, I dragged myself out of my bed. I was awakened all night long by soldiers coming and going from the barracks as shifts were starting and ending. I got up early so that I could walk to the showers before everyone else got up to use them. I was able to call Mary from my blackberry, and at 7:30 am, Juan and our new driver Brenton, arrived to take us to the mess hall for breakfast. I gifted 125 copies of “Promises” to the soldiers at The Rock that we met and spoke to on Wednesday at the Medical Facility, the Security Department, the Transportation Department, the Computer Department, and to the staff of Wing Commander, Colonel John R. Gordy…..Colonel Gordy basically runs the Air Force Division of The Rock, and he’s an awesome guy from North Carolina. He is supported by Major Rob McCabe from Sarasota, Florida. Susan Powell was always so bright and witty, Heather Whitestone was the most endearing, and 80 years young BeBe Shoppe was the most amazing! BeBe is the Grand Dame of our group. I took a walk to the computer center with Susan Powell tonight before dinner…shot some video around the base where we spent time with the soldiers today. Susan and I pondered why we didn’t find a Starbucks anywhere!!! (But we did find a Subway and a Pizza Inn). We had dinner at the mess hall at 6:30 pm, and we were joined by our new friend Major Rob McCabe who told us everything we needed to know about conditions in Afghanistan….such a great help to us! I planned to try and sleep a couple of hours, get up at midnight to take my shower, and then get ready to depart. October 15th – We left Kuwait last night at 0230 hours (2:30 am). We were all fitted with bullet proof vests, helmets, and armor, and we had to wear it all on the plane. BeBe Shoppe carried her own armor and it weighed 50 pounds. The C17 plane felt like it was the size of a football field…like Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose! We were on the plane with 150 soldiers dressed for battle. The soldiers entered the plane from a ramp up the rear of the plane….it looked like something right out of “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind”! The Miss Americas and I were seated along the perimeter of the inside of the plane, with the soldiers seated in rows in front of us. The take off was amazing, and the engines were so loud, we needed ear plugs. The three Air Force pilots invited me into the cockpit during the four hour flight from Kuwait to Afghanistan. The pilots names were Brandon, Matt, and Tony….26, 24, and 21 respectively. All young enough to be my sons….unreal!!! I loved being up there with them, and they asked me about all the bags of books that they had loaded onto the plane before take-off. When they found out I was the author, they all wanted one or two copies for their wives and/or mothers. They sent a soldier to the cargo area of the giant C17, and told him to retrieve a box of my books for me to sign to them. I then took the Miss Americas up to the cockpit, and the pilots loved that! When the plane began it’s descent to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, it was the roughest and worst landing I’ve ever experienced. Apparently quick, corkscrew landings are standard operating procedure for combat zones. It was like riding the worst rollercoaster you’ve ever been on, all inside of a whale! The Great American Scream Machine (infamous roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia) has NOTHING on the US Air Force! I broke out into a complete body sweat…was drenched, and I was so nauseous, I didn’t know if I would make it. I willed myself not to throw up….literally willed myself. Susan Powell told me that I turned a pale (ARMY) green. Nicole Johnson was very attentive and gave me a bottle of water. Jill Stevens kept asking if I needed anything……but I held it together. Once off the plane, we went through customs, and retrieved our luggage, as well as the hundreds of books I had with me. The Base Commander, Henry “Buck” Buckley was there to meet us, give us our itinerary, and then take us to our barracks. And guess what? When Commander Buckley introduced himself, he said….”You’re Sam Haskell”, and I replied, “Yes, I am”, and he said, “I’m Buck Buckley and I graduated from Ole Miss, too, and I know everything about you!”. Needless to say, he took great care of me and my Miss Americas. Our first stop in Afghanistan was Camp Montrand, home of the 7th Special forces group, where we met up with the guys from Platoon 220 -the Mississippi National Guard of Jackson, and they were so glad to see me, and I was thrilled to see them. A couple of them had already received a copy of “Promises” from their Moms back home, but I made sure each and every one of them had a copy before we left them. We then toured the Base Hospital and spoke with the entire emergency team of doctors and nurses there. A young man had just been brought in with extreme injuries to his right leg, as was a small Afghan boy who was the victim of an explosion. As we were leaving, a helicopter with three more victims of the explosion were arriving. The head of the ER let us watch the surgery to save the leg of a local Afghan man. Our Miss Utah Jill Stevens, a combat medic, was allowed to scrub in. In a lighter moment, many of the doctors relieved their stress by trying on Heather Whitestone’s Miss America Crown, which she brought with her. October 16th – We were flown on Blackhawk Helicopters to Camp Phoenix in Kabul where we met extensively with the Georgia National Guard Unit, and then we were flown out to Camp Black Horse outside of Kabul to meet with the Marines and have lunch. These guys loved meeting the Miss Americas, and each one was given a copy of my book. As we were putting on our combat gear (each of us was fitted with a set of bullet proof armor, vests, and helmets), we started making a run for the Helicopter to be flown to the next FOB (Forward Operating Base). A young soldier chased after me, onto the tarmac with his unit leader, asking if he could please have a copy of my book. He told me that he had missed the Miss America presentation and my book signing, and that his friends had already started reading the book, and he wanted one too. I stopped right there, reached into my duffle bag full of books, and signed one for him. The girls posed for a photo, we hugged him, and off we went to New Kabul, the location of the Afghanistan War Command Central. When we arrived, Miss America 1985, Sharlene Wells, (I was one of her judges that year), took us to Major General John McDonald’s office for a meet and greet. He brought his entire team of officers in to brief us. We also got to meet Lieutenant General Daniel Rodriguez who is a personal friend of Miss America 1948, BeBe Shoppe. Generals Rodriguez and McDonald are the #2 and #3 Generals, under General McCrystal, in the Afghanistan War leadership hierarchy. I signed copies of my book for both Generals, we did a meet and greet and book signing for over 100 members of their staff of military officers, and we flew the Blackhawks back to Bagram. There we were whisked away immediately to meet the F15 Air Force Fighter Squadron, manned by the Seymour Johnson Air Force Pilots of North Carolina. Our guides were two incredible Pilots/Heroes with the call signs “Wickie” and Chronic”…..much like the call signs Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer and group used in the film, “Top Gun.” The Miss Americas all got a chance to sit in the cockpit of the F15’s, and pose for pictures. Susan Powell is the funniest woman I’ve ever known. She had every soldier and General wrapped around her little finger. Ericka Dunlap, the youngest of the Miss Americas traveling with us, has really been a “main attraction” for the guys. She’s also currently starring in CBS’s “The Amazing Race,” and all of the soldiers have recognized her. Heather Whitestone, our only deaf Miss America, has been the most inspirational person on our trip. When she spoke to the men, and told them that her three boys asked her to come to Afghanistan to “give the soldiers hugs,” they couldn’t line up quickly enough. Nicole Johnson, our only diabetic Miss America, was also an inspiration…not only for her strength and conviction, but for sharing her stories of her father and his lifelong career in the military. Jill Stevens Shepherd – Miss Utah 2007, is a nurse who actually served in the Utah National Guard for 8 years, and served in active duty in Afghanistan in 2005-06. Her example was eagerly admired by every soldier she met, not to mention the admiration for her beauty! The next morning, Saturday October 17th, we were awakened at 3:00 am to fly to FOB Fenty at Jalalabad. Because this is war, the best time to travel is in the wee hours of the morning. Colonel Randy George, Base Commander, met us at the airfield and took us on a tour to meet his men. He presented us with special service certificates and his personal medal as thanks! I signed several hundred books at FOB Fenty, and the girls signed hundreds of photos and posed for pictures. Heather Whitestone and I were taken back to command headquarters where we got to meet, once again, with Three Star General Daniel Rodriguez – #2 Commander of the American Forces in Afghanistan. Colonel Randy George was having the General speak to the joint staffs at Jalalabad, and when the General saw me and Heather, he came right up to us, told me he was enjoying my book so much, that he loved Ray Romano’s Forward, etc. Heather gave him a big hug which he loved. We posed for pictures, and Heather told him how much she admired him and respected him. He was taken with Heather’s courage as a deaf woman, to be experiencing this. He had a huge smile on his face as he thanked us for our service to his men. We then got back into our helicopter’s and flew out to the northern border of Afghanistan and Pakistan to visit the soldiers at FOB Bostick. Bostick is the forward operating base where the survivors of the COP Keating Fritsche Bravo Troop from the 4th Infantry in Ft. Carson, Colorado were now stationed. Eight of their brothers were killed in a Taliban ambush two weeks ago. Though still a bit shaken, the men told us the story of their 12 hour battle, witnessing the loss of their men, the lack of ammunition, the aftermath, the lockdown for 48 hours, and finally the US bombing of their own facility and entire camp at Keating Fritsche, to destroy anything that could help the Taliban…something I never knew needed to happen after an attack on an American Camp. We flew back to Jalalabad for lunch and a meet and greet with the men there. We got to spend time with Specialist Ty Carter, another one of the survivors of the Bravo attack at COP (command operating post) Keating. He has been nominated for the Medal of Honor for his heroic life saving tactics during the ambush. He cried, and so did we, as he recounted his story to us. We then boarded our helicopters and flew back to Bagram. We were taken to Bagram’s Joint Operating Command (JOC), where we met with the outstanding men and women who run and monitor the computer tracking system for each and every command post. If an attack happens, JOC is responsible for initiating immediate reinforcements and back-up. There were 60 men and women working at the JOC, and it was so impressive. We also got to meet General Carey, General Byrne, and General Chris Scaparratti…..who heads the command forces of the 82nd Infantry at Bagram. I signed copies of my book for each of the Generals, and 150 of their men that evening. The Generals thanked Commander Buckley for bringing us to meet them, and each of them presented us with their personal COIN….a real honor we learned later. We had also received similar medals from Generals Rodriguez and MacDonald, and three other Base Commanders the day before. Sharlene, Bebe, Susan, Ericka, Heather, Nicole, and Jill were so awesome with the guys. They never faltered, though they were exhausted, and they greeted every soldier as if he or she was the most important person in the world. Susan’s comedy, Heather’s kindness, Nicole’s class, Ericka’s confidence, and Sharlene’s interview skills showed the guys that these women were more than Beauty Queens….although they loved that aspect as well!!! Bebe’s great line, as the grandmother of the group was: “You may not know my name boys, but trust me, your Grandfathers did”! The boys loved that. Jill was recognized by most of the soldiers based on her press as Miss Utah 2007-the soldier! They were proud that one of their own had become a finalist in the Miss America Pageant. That night at dinner, as we entered the mess hall at Bagram, it was packed with soldiers, and there really was no place for us to sit. A Lieutenant Colonel motioned us over, and he had several of his men move to make room for us. As Commander Buckley, Heather, Jill, Susan, Nicole and I were seated, we started recounting the events of the day. The officer asked me who we were. After telling him all about our trip, he asked each of us where we were from, and when I mentioned Mississippi, he got the biggest smile on his face, and he said, I’m from Meridian, Mississippi and I graduated from Ole Miss. I was astounded. His name was Lieutenant Colonel Archie Godwin. It warmed my heart that the nice man who made room for us to sit down, was none other than a fellow Mississippian! I also want to add something about our meals. The food was terrific, many freshly prepared choices, and everything was so clean. On Sunday morning, several of the girls joined BeBe and Sharlene at church, and then we said goodbye to Commander Buckley, Thea, and Justin, (our Bagram Security Team)and flew on another C17 from Bagram back to Kuwait. Our flight to Kuwait had been canceled the day before, and Sharlene was on the phone for hours reworking our flight schedules. We got a good night’s sleep, and then hit the ground running the morning of the 19th, as we proceeded to have meet and greets with every command post on the Ali Al Salem Air Force Base…an awesome opportunity to spend time with the men and women stationed there. We found out that very few of the Armed Forces Entertainment groups ever do this. For our last night in Kuwait, the girls had to share a barracks with four Army women, and I shared a barracks with 7 other men. You’ll never guess who my bunk mate was! His name was Lieutenant Colonel Bill Clarke from Biloxi, Mississippi, and HE graduated from Ole Miss as well. We had dinner at the mess hall, watched Ericka Dunlap’s appearance on CBS’s The Amazing Race, and then we were driven to Kuwait International Airport to fly back to DC. We arrived in DC at 6:00 am on Tuesday October 20th. We all hugged and cried as we said our goodbyes!

Much has been said about our military involvement in Afghanistan. I have pondered the same questions that everyone else has. Why are we there? How long should we stay there? What good can come of this war from the point of view of the American people? How many lives do we have to lose before we pull out? All logical questions. Here are my thoughts. This war is not a political war. This conflict must continue until the Afghanistan people who are NOT part of the Taliban can take their country back under their own “educated” influence. We must help train their soldiers, educate their people, and teach them how to use modern techniques to grow their own food, create new industry, mine their natural resources, and help them understand that everything that they need to survive, can not be imported. I spent many hours last week talking to our soldiers….intelligent, strong men and women….some even teenagers, who honestly believe in what they are fighting for. I spent an hour talking to a soldier whose sole responsibility it is to teach the Afghanis how to grow their own food. He explained that their techniques are more than 300 years old! I talked to the soldiers who are training the Afghani men to be soldiers. He told me that these men need understanding and friendship more than they need hard core discipline. They have no self esteem, and that’s the way the Taliban wants it. The only way for the Taliban to take control again, is if we leave too soon. If General McCrystal needs 40,000 more troops in Afghanistan to allow these people to declare their independence from the Taliban and the War Lords, then I think he should be supported. The United States has always represented the leadership of the free world. Without a US involvement, the Afghanistan people will never be free. Pakistan is just waiting for us to leave too soon.

All my best,
SAM

P.S. The night after we left, the Taliban attacked Bagram Air Force Base, where we had spent the last 3 nights. Thankfully no one was killed. God is good.

Notes from the Road, 9/21/09

samhaskell — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:44:21 +0000

Greetings friends and family, I’ve just completed another successful series of book signings in Boston and Framingham, Massachusetts! Much thanks goes to Valerie Clemens, John Hatcher, Bill Haggerty, and all of the volunteers who made my visit to the New England Book Signing Conference such a success. The weather was perfect, the leaves were just starting to turn, I loved making a joint appearance with Miss America 2009, Katie Stam, and I appreciated the many supportive people who attended my signings and who purchased copies of Promises I Made My Mother. One of the highlights was my visit to the Boston Commons and lunch at the original Cheers Bar with my friend John Hatcher of The Hatcher Group in Portland, Maine. I spent many nights at NBC/Paramount tapings of episodes of the series Cheers, so it was a real thrill to have lunch in the original Boston bar that literally inspired it all! I’m now heading to Mississippi to see Mary for a few days, where she’s working on our new house in Oxford, then lunch with the Bitch Patrol, and then I’m off to Virginia. Promises I Made My Mother just made the Los Angeles Times Bestseller list for the 7th Week. The rainbow book tour continues. Love to all….I’ll check in again when I get to Virginia!!!!! Love, SAM

Back out on the road again…(8/28)

samhaskell — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:03:26 +0000

Hello family and friends,

I’ve just spent a wonderful week in Los Angeles catching up on office work, tax preparation, dinner with friends, and celebrating Mary’s Birthday! Sam IV started his junior year at California State University Northridge in the Film Division Curriculum this week, and Mary Lane just returned to Manhattan and NYU/Tisch for her third year. Mary and Mary Lane drove a 16 foot Penske Moving Truck, full of furniture for Mary Lane’s apartment, from Oxford, Mississippi to Manhattan….Mary drove serenaded by Mary Lane..so proud of my very independent girls. Mary and I are now in New Orleans for some antique shopping with our dear friends Marsha and Frank Tindall and Gary and Glenda Grubbs from Mississippi. Saturday, Mary and I will be honored in Biloxi, Mississippi by Governor and Mrs. Haley Barbour with a children’s playground that is being dedicated in our honor for our work, in Mississippi, post Hurricane Katrina. My book tour continues in Los Angeles on September 2nd with another great signing event at Book Soup in Hollywood at 7:00 pm. I then head to St. Louis and Framingham, Massachusetts for two more book events. Promises I Made My Mother has reached national Best Seller status, and I am both thrilled and humbled. I was doing a radio interview last week and I was asked what I was personally viewing and reading in August. Here are the answers……I’m reading the new biography on the lives of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert entitled, “Just We Two”, and Kathryn Stock’s novel, “The Help”, about maids and their employers in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1950s. Mary and I just saw Meryl Streep’s new movie, Julie and Julia, co-starring Amy Adams. Don’t walk, run to see this film. It’s the best motion picture I’ve seen all year, and Amy Adams and Meryl Streep are both superb! Meryl Streep is clearly the best actress of our time! Her portrayal of Julia Child was spot on! Mary and I LOVED this movie….we laughed and cried. In addition, I’ve been listening to two great CDs….Brad Paisley’s “Mud On The Tires”, and Michael Feinstein’s Frank Sinatra Collection…..both incredible! I’ll be back in touch next week!

Love to all!

SAM

Interview with Sam in the Memphis Flyer

samhaskell — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:33:44 +0000

Click Here for the Interview

Sam this past week (7/26)

samhaskell — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:54:03 +0000

Hello family and friends….it’s been an incredible seven days!! We sold almost 1,000 copies of Promises I Made My Mother in book signings in Vicksburg with Pat Hopson at the 2009 Miss Mississippi Pageant (Anna Tadlock was crowned the 52nd Miss Mississippi), in Yazoo City at Essco Drug Store with Max and Rita Sanders and my friends Steve and Ginger Roark and Dora Lee Clark, in Jackson where I spent three days with my mother’s sister’s child (1st cousin Mary Rogers) – signings at Barry and Angelyn Cannada’s gorgeous home, where they hosted an incredible book signing party for me with all of my Ole Miss/Mississippi friends from years gone by…Dennis Legate, John and Emily McVey, Nancy White, Marsha and Frank Tindall, Besty Ritter, Kathryn Sams, Susan McNamara, Courtney Love, Joy Aden, Helen and York Craig, Helen Valentine, Paula Hood, Pamela Houchins, and Pryor Graeber…..also spoke and sold books at the Jackson Junior League Sustainer’s Book Club, and the Blair Batson Children’s Hospital (sold 500 books at the hospital fundraiser). I then flew to New York to tape two episodes of Iron Chef with Chairman Mark, Chefs Symon and Morimoto, Julie White, John T. Edge, and Tia Carrera, then to LA to see Mary’s last performances as the lead in the LA Regional Production of “Light In The Piazza”….she was INCREDIBLE…brought the sold out audiences to tears and then to their feet. Lily Tomlin, Doris Roberts, Marilu Henner, Joan Van Ark, Jewelers Mitch Edwards and Perricles Rellas, Fox Studios Marketing President Tony Sella and wife Peggy, KCET’s Mare Mazur and husband John, and 2009 Miss America Katie Stam joined us for the final performances this weekend. And finally today, I spoke at two services at Dr. Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, where I was introduced and interviewed by my special friend Kathy Ireland, and we signed books for two hours afterward. The services were taped for “Hour of Power” airing August 9th. It was a wonderful week. Next up…multiple book signings at the Natchez Food and Wine Festival, a trip back to New York to appear live on the Sean Hannity Show on August 4th, and dinners with my agents, publishers, and former Miss Americas Gretchen Carlson and Susan Powell. Stay tuned! Love, SAM

Follow Sam on Twitter!

samhaskell — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:25:40 +0000

http://twitter.com/samhaskell

Sam’s Previous TV Appearances

samhaskell — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:16:23 +0000

Sam’s TV Appearances
Hannity	Bonnie Hunt	Huckabee

Tavis Smiley	Tammy Haddad(pt1)	Tammy Haddad(pt2)

Greta Van Susteren	The 700 Club	Larry King

Money For Breakfast	Fox and Friends	CBS Early Show

Morning Joe	Access Hollywood	Extra!

	Hour of Power