FROM THE FARM TO THE FAST LANE
certain time. And we went skiing in the ditch, behind the pickup. We did all kinds of crazy things.
Q: How does working at the Goldman Prize reflect those values you just talked about?
A: My life has come full circle in a way. I started on the farm, caring about the water and the land and the air, and I had my stint of working in New York and Hollywood in the entertainment business, and I worked for Prince, and worked in the film industry, but now I’m working for a foundation that recognizes people who are protecting the environment — land, air and water all around the world. Grassroots, hardworking people out there working in the fields. It’s a really great job for me. I’m very appreciative.
Q: I thought everything was going to be bubblegum in this book, but you got in trouble and your parents sent you to live in a group home for a while. Did that teach you a lesson?
A: It did! Don’t put that in the article! (Laughs.) My parents were such strict Catholics, they didn’t know what to do. They thought it was their fault I was drinking and smoking cigarettes and doing things with my boyfriend. That’s what kids do, but not in the 1960s — that’s not what strict Catholic kids did. That was the big conflict. Then, of course, my brothers drank and had fun, and it wasn’t a big deal. As the oldest, I was the guinea pig!