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uig an interview, i tninK a noney-moon is important because it’s really To4 generations of Mobleysthrew one 01 lywed wearat receptionBy GEORGE CHRISTYFour generations of beauties from Mary Ann Mobley’s family gathered during the reception Mary Ann and her husband Gary Collins hosted in Beverly Hills for Pulitzer Prize winning author Eudora Welty.“We called her ‘Miss Eudora’ when I was growing up in Mississippi,” offered Mary Ann as she introduced her daughter, Mary Clancy, mother, Mary Williams and grandmother, Mary Farish to Los Angeles authors Elizabeth Forsyth Hailey and Irving' Wallace.As it was, Mary Ann invited Welty to speak at the Westlake school commencement exercises where Mary Clancy was among the graduates.“MISS EUDORA was born in Jackson, Miss., has only lived in two houses all her life, and we lived in Brandon, which is nearby — our families have always been friends, informed Mary Ann, who was complimented not long ago to be included in Joseph Blotnick’s biography of Mississippi author William Faulkner, who’s quoted as saying, “Thank God something wonderful’s finally happened for Mississippi,” after Mary Ann won the Miss America crown at the time of the tragic civil rights strife.Gary Collins recalled that when he was courting Mary Ann they’d often dine at a Mexican joint in North Hollywood “and musicians would come by and serenade us. One night I was so love-struck that I gave the musicians $10 and, from then on, any time we’d stop in, they’d leap to our table and play our favorite songs.”“I invited her to Sardi’s figuring she’d get a kick out of seeing this show business hangout. No sooner did we walk into Sardis than everyone was bowing to Miss Welty — she was better known at Sardi’s than any of us. She’s also a favorite at the Algonquin hotel, where she stayed for years. When we were performing “The Ponder Heart” a story surfaced that after she’d taken a walk around the Algonquin, she’s stop in at the New Yorker magazine offices and rest by putting her feet on Editor Harold Ross’ desk.NOT TRUE, Eudora piped later. “Harold Ross never published my stories. It was his successor William Shawn who did.”Dining with Mary Ann and Gary and Mary Ann’s family, Eurdora mused, “somebody just returned a book they borrowed 40 years ago, a collection of English short stories — Graham Greene, Henry Green, all the fine writers, and I’m re-reading them. But I’m also reading the collected essay of V.S. Pritchett, an old Scottish novel and another novel by a writer who grew up in Jackson — Richard Ford has written two good novels, A Piece of my Heart’ and The Sportswriter.’”She and Mary Ann reminisced about a popular Mississippi restaurant — Mendenhall’s — known for its heaping lazy susans (“chicken four ways, potatoes two ways, okra, also okra with tomato,” nodded Welty). They discussed poet William Alexander Percy, whose “Lanterns on the Levee” includes the poem “Home” that Mary Ann and Welty recited between dinner courses.When asked what she was going to speak about during the Westlake commencement exercises, Welty shook her head.“SPEAK? I’VE never been a speaker — I’ll read a little from my book A Writer’s Beginnings’.Reflections on her life in A Writer’s Beginnings came about when she was asked by Harvard university to deliver three lectures on what makes a writer.“Once I started writing, so many memories came back — just like water rising in a well.”Not long ago she attended a commencement exercise at Columbia university and was sorry to see so few liberal arts graduates.“Hundreds were graduating in science and business, but only a pitiful handful in liberal arts. What a shame. Liberal arts are the hope of the world.”Copley News service
Newspaper Details
Chicago Heights Star Super Saver
Chicago Heights, Illinois, US
Thu, Aug 07, 1986
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Melissa F.
USA 18 Feb 2025
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