It’s just after 7pm and I ascend the iconic candlelit stairs of the Stephen A. Schwarzman building. Nothing quite compares to that moment you enter a glimmering room filled with luminaries. And that is precisely what I encounter at the Library Lions Gala, supporting The New York Public Library.
I anticipate this event all year – it’s always one of my favorite black-tie galas. It raises funds for the library’s 92 locations, educational programs, and research collections – ensuring the NYPL’s vast resources, programs, and services remain accessible to all. This year, some pretty luminous names are being honored: filmmaker Spike Lee, author Elizabeth Kolbert, biographer/historian Jon Meacham, playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, and author Amy Tan.
While 450 guests mingle over cocktails in the grand Astor Hall, I spot Martha Stewart, draped in a cream Brunello Cucinelli dress with a Ralph Rucci jacket. Martha always stands out – even in the most fashion-forward filled rooms – as a true doyenne. If you haven’t seen R.J. Cutler’s surprisingly raw and insightful documentary “Martha” on Netflix – stream it now.
I also see hosts Andreas Dracopoulos and Anna Bousdoukou, Howard and Eleanor Morgan and Katharine J. Rayner, and Merryl and James Tisch. The co-chairs are just as fabulous. Think Patricia Duff and Richard Cohen, Abby and Howard Milstein and Nanar and Tony Yoseloff. Also in the room: Amanda Jones, Anita Saggurti, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Arthur Koenig, Beth and Chris Kojima, Brittany Beyer Harwin, Calvin Trillin, Casey Kholberg, David Levering Lewis, Elise Taylor, Elyse Newhouse, Erica Pishdadian, Francis Ford Coppola, Isiah Magsino, Jay McInerney, Laura Day Webb, Lionel Tiger, Lizzie Asher, Louise Richardson, Megan Melbourne, Michael and Alexa Chae, Simon Schama, Stephen Sills, Steven Aronson, Susan Cheever and Teddy Goff.
8pm rolls by and with my two dates Polina Proshkina and Erin Lichy (everything is better in pairs), we enter the Rose Main Reading Room for dinner. A 13-piece orchestra serenades us as a sea of men in black tie and women in couture gowns find their tables. The room is glowing in the warm tones of autumnal splendor thanks to David Stark Design.
“If people spent more time in libraries, we’d all be better off.” – Elizabeth Kolbert
Board of Trustees member Abby Milstein introduces a video short starring each Library Lions honorees extolling the power of literacy. “If people spent more time in libraries, we’d all be better off,” declares Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Colbert. Anthony Marx, President of the New York Public Library reflects on the library’s commitment to nurturing a love of learning. “Tonight, we celebrate our shared belief in the capacity of each individual to learn,” he says, acknowledging librarian and anti-censorship advocate Amanda Jones, for “reminding us of the power of our voices.”
Senator Chuck Schumer thanks those who worked tirelessly to execute the event, along with a special thank you to his wife, Iris Weinshall, who serves as the library’s Chief Operating Officer. Schumer concludes with advice from his wife. “’Chuck, there are a lot of speakers tonight – all of them more interesting than you – you’re always too long so you better make this one real short.’ Well, I always listen to my wife!” Schumer then tears up the rest of his speech (mic drop!) and exits the stage to uproarious laughter. Well played, Mr. Senator.
Marx introduces the Lion’s Awards recipients, presenting the gold medals to resounding applause. Being in the middle of a room with so many of today’s brightest minds, in the historic home of the Bill of Rights, on the eve of the election, is not lost on me.
The evening culminates with the Young Lions after-party in Astor Hall: lots of desserts, more cocktails and dancing. I make sure not to leave without the goodie bag with books authored by the honorees, a perfect and smart farewell that sends me armed and ready for my next literary adventure. – ALEXANDER HANKIN
