Donald Trump

Mega Achiever Donald Trump, who I’ve known for twenty years, doesn’t need much sleep–and he doesn’t get much, overseeing a multi-billion dollar empire that includes vast real estate holdings, his NBC hit reality series, The Apprentice, and countless other business ventures–including the Miss Universe Organization, Trump University, Trump Entertainment Resorts, even menswear and bottled water!–all if it keeping him busy from dusk to dawn.

The most meticulously organized person I’ve ever known, Trump also, more privately, devotes himself to his family–to his exquisitely beautiful (and very nice) wife, Melania (debuting later this month on QVC with a costume jewelry line), their four-year-old son, Barron, and of course to his older children, Donald, Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany.

One of the amazing things about the multi-tasking Donald, I discovered when I first met him, is that his mind misses nothing, and that he’s eerily calm as he goes about his day, accomplishing more in a 24-hour period than most people could manage in a month.

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Marlo Thomas

A few nights ago, at 9 p.m., the phone rang and, when I absently picked it up, there, to my utter surprise and delight, was the unmistakable voice of the great Marlo Thomas, my frequent interview subject and friend, still known to millions as That Girl, the spunky, upbeat, always-independent heroine who won the heart of a nation.

That Girl - Marlo Thomas

Unforgettable in that role and many others since, Marlo is also a philanthropic powerhouse, working tirelessly for her father’s great charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the top children’s cancer center in the nation. As the National Outreach Director for St. Jude, Marlo also hosts A Place Of Hope, an hour-long television special that documents the lifesaving work of St. Jude, which provides free medical services to desperately ill children while also devoting itself to research and new treatments.

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Peg Wallis

Last night, with balmy spring temperatures soaring to nearly 80 degrees, I had to take advantage of the sunset on the Hudson, pictured below, by having dinner outdoors.

And I happily took in the water views (and grilled salmon) with my close friend and confidante, Peg Wallis, the brilliant life coach who travels around the country giving workshops to large corporate audiences, skillfully teaching how we can become better team players, think “bigger” and out of the box, and push beyond perceived limitations to the boundless possibilities within.

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Owen Laster

Yesterday,on one of the first sunny and warm days of spring, I had lunch with one of my all-time favorite people, the incomparable Owen Laster, a great friend and my former literary agent at the William Morris Agency. Owen, who retired in 2006 after an illustrious 45-year career, came down to Battery Park City to enjoy the 70 degree temperatures and an afternoon lunch at Southwest, a Mexican restaurant located on the Marina.

With cherry blossoms in bloom and sailboats passing us by, Owen and I caught up on any and everything. I used to always joke to him (and it wasn’t really a joke!) that I was his most unimportant client. Indeed, Owen, who was head of international literary operations at William Morris and a key player in numerous Hollywood deals, has worked with countless legends, including such heavy hitters as James Michener, Gore Vidal, Dominick Dunne, Susan Isaacs, Judy Blume, William Diehl, Robert Penn Warren, and the estate of Margaret Mitchell – to name just a few.

Most recently, Owen was kind enough to read the finished manuscript of my upcoming book, Katie Up and Down the Hall, and I was touched by his kind words and positive reaction to it and by his kindly introducing me to Lynn Goldberg, the premier book publicist in New York, fantastic in her strategic devotion to KATIE.

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