An exciting development

An audience member informed me that Regina Andrews' assistant librarian from the Washington Heights branch, Enda Law, is still alive. I plan to contact her.

My Presentation

Last week I gave a presentation to the retired librarians from the New York Public Library. I had a wonderful time. Many of the audience members knew Regina Andrews or had heard about her. One audience member is working on a collective biography of the head librarians during the first 50 years of the 20th Century which includes Andrews. Some of the librarians also remembered working with my sister, a former NYPL librarian. The host, Becky Koppelman put together a lovely program, great refreshments, and interesting questions from a large audience.

Re: A presentation

Before I go to Denmark, I will visit my family in New Jersey and catch a bus to New York City. I was invited to do a presentation about Regina Andrews for the New York Public Library Retirees Association. I am really looking forward to this presentation.

Re: Writing and Writing

I have not written lately because all I have been doing is writing and writing. I am trying to complete another draft at home in Madison, WI and writing grant applications to fund the project before heading for a two-month writing retreat in Copenhagen, Denmark. I am following Regina's lead and interest in international travel.

Angelina's Oral History Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Angelina, the daughter of Regina's niece Lorelei (so is Angelina Regina's great niece???). Angelina met Regina, her husband Bill, her daughter Regina Ann and Aunt Kate (Regina's maternal aunt who lived to be 106 years old!) in the 1980s when Regina lived in Mahopac, NY.

Regina's Niece's Oral History Interview

In January 2009 I flew to Los Angeles to meet members of Regina's family. I interviewed two relatives for my documentary. Regina's niece, Lorelei (born Margaret Helen Anderson) is the daughter of Regina' brother Maurice B. Anderson. As Lorelei mentions in the clip, she was raised by Regina's mother Margaret from the age of 5 until 17. She got to know Regina and her husband Bill through their visits to Illinois to see Regina's family. Below is a clip.

Regina's Husband William Trent Andrews, Jr.

I am currently reading the biography, King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (left picture) by Wil Haygood (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993), and came across some interesting information about Regina's husband Bill (right picture). I knew that he was an Assemblyman who represented Harlem from 1935 - 1948, but I did not know that when Harlem was redistricted in the 1940s to allow the voters to elect their first African American Congressman that Bill was a contender for the position. As many of you know, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was elected, became even more famous and now Seventh Avenue in Harlem is also known as Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. instead of William Trent Andrews Jr Blvd. Regina could have been the wife of a Congressman and attended parties at the White House like Powell's wife pianist Hazel Scott did...