AIDS, iPods and a father's daughter

By Lynn Bronikowski
, Special to the Rocky

Published November 23, 2007 at 12:05 a.m.

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It isn't easy to get time with the president's daughter. When we called to ask for an interview with Jenna Bush, 25, who recently released her first book, Bush's publicist said we would have to keep it to 10 minutes.

Well. What can you do? We agreed, and fumed a little - especially after being informed Bush wouldn't be likely to answer any tough-hitting questions about her father's governmental policies. But when we spoke to Bush, she was so friendly and easygoing - and, better yet, willing to go over our allotted time - that we found ourselves unexpectedly charmed.

Bush's book for teens is titled Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope. It's a nonfiction look at a Latin American 17-year-old single mother living with HIV. Bush, who previously taught elementary school, met Ana (a pseudonym) while traveling in Latin America during a UNICEF internship in which she documented the lives of children excluded from basic care and education.

In advance of her appearance in Denver, the president's daughter chatted about Ana, her favorite tunes and more.

How's your 26-city book tour going?

So far, so good. We've been going around to different high schools, which I really love because I like to be in classrooms and (since I'm not teaching this year) at least I can be in schools this fall.

What's been the reaction of high school students to the book and presentations?

Right now I'm in College Station, Texas, a small town. I spoke to 400 10th and 11th graders, and when they came up later they said, "You know, I didn't know some of the things you said about HIV and AIDS. . . . I've heard about Africa but haven't heard about HIV and poverty in Latin America." So I hope it's opening some kids' eyes to the way that kids and teenagers live in our global community.

Did you always have a book in you, or was it meeting Ana that prompted you to write the book?

I've been passionate about creative writing my whole life. English was my major at the University of Texas, and I've studied creative writing since high school. But I didn't go to Latin America thinking, "OK, now I'm going to write a book." I was there to learn and work and teach. And when I met Ana and the other kids, they inspired my story because I was so struck by their optimism and hope. I thought it was really important to bring back Ana's story because she really wanted to tell it to teenagers living in the United States.

Ana's most cherished possession is a photocopy of a photo of her mother, who died when Ana was 3. What's your most cherished possession?

That's a good question - hmm, my most cherished possession. I have letters from my mom's father, who passed away when I was younger. He wrote one the day I was born and others on my birthdays. I love looking back at these letters. The reason Ana's most cherished possession is the photocopy is that as an AIDS orphan, she doesn't remember her parents and she wants to make sure she can keep their memory alive. It was something I was very interested in because I'm lucky enough to have my parents still living and have lived with them and grown up with them.

One of the most vibrant scenes in your book is the streets coming alive with music and Ana dancing with her father. What's your most memorable time with your dad?

When I was a little girl, my dad and I had a lot of the same interests. We're athletes and when he'd come home from work, I would ride my bike while he ran for his exercise around the neighborhood. He would come to my soccer games, so (when I was a kid) we had more in common. Now I think I have more in common with my mother because of my teaching and writing.

But I remember going on Labor Day in Dallas to a Texas Rangers game with him and it was 105 degrees. My sister and mother stayed in the comfort of air conditioning, but I went with him, sat in the heat and he was just so proud that I would come with him and watch the baseball game - to get that special attention, to be with him, to watch baseball. And he taught me how to keep score, and I would cheer my favorite players.

Once he looked up and I was gone, and when I came back (I was) wrapped like a mummy in paper towels (soaked to keep cool). He would tell his friends that he was so proud that I would stick through the heat with him.

Ana didn't know your dad was president of the United States.

At the beginning she didn't. I was just a UNICEF intern; she called me "the gringa." But when I began to write the book, it started off like a project and happened very organically. I didn't know if a publisher would be interested in my book from a sample chapter, so it wasn't necessary to tell her. But when the book seemed more tangible, then I told her about it and she just didn't care. She cared about me for who I was and she didn't really care who my father was.

Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears . . . they seem to represent your generation in some of the worst ways and get all the publicity. Does that bother you?

The great thing about being in Latin America - and don't take this the wrong way - but there's no television. . . . It's nice to get away from the way our culture has really become obsessed with Hollywood and what Hollywood values, because there's a lot of normal people in America who don't have anything in common with those girls. I just try not to pay attention to what goes on in Hollywood. There are a lot of great things to read and good movies to watch. There are definitely better things to read than the tabloids.

Henry Hager proposed to you near the summit of a mountain in Maine. That sounds so perfect to us here in Colorado.

It was a great moment. We have hiked in Colorado and skied Colorado together. I snowboard, he skis, and one of my best friends is from Denver, and we've hiked 40 minutes outside Denver. We've hiked all over the United States and we try to do that whenever we can over a weekend. So it was the perfect moment because it was exactly what we like to be doing. There wasn't anywhere else that we would want to be.

We have to ask: What's on your iPod?

(Laughs) Everyone wants to know that. I like Arcadia Fire and Block Party, which are newer bands, and I also like classic rock like Van Morrison, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. And I love Neil Young and a lot of old country. I'm from Texas, so Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.

Jenna Bush

* What: Appears to promote her new book, Ana's Story.

* When: 7 p.m. Thursday

* Where: Tattered Cover LoDo, 1628 16th St.

* Cost: Free, but tickets are needed. They're available at any Tattered Cover location with the purchase of Ana's Story; each ticket entitles purchaser to admission for two.

* Information: 303-436-1070

Bush BFF

Jenna Bush notes that one of her best friends lives in Denver. That would be Krystal Shanahan, daughter of Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, whom she met while attending the University of Texas and roomed with in New York.

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