Black Stiletto Style

Bigger than Bush? Sarah Palin uses Shania Twain as cover in Upper Kirby

Sarah Palin met fans at the Upper Kirby Borders bookstore.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Willow Palin poses for pictures while fans gather around. Her sister, 9-year-oldPiper, is in front of her.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
The line to meet Palin stretched all around and through Borders and out thedoor.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
In line, one woman from Brazoria County wore a "Palin Rocks!" shirt, in additionto Sarah-style rimless glasses.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
A half-dozen Palin protestors marched with some Afro-Caribbean drums andanti-Palin posters.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
A peek at Palin's fab footwear. Not visible: four-inch stiletto.
Photo by Sarah Rufca

Sarah Palin had her work cut out for her as hundreds of fans hit Borders in Upper Kirby for a few seconds of face time and a signed copy (or copies) of her new book America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag.

It was just after 11 a.m. when the first Palin fans emerged from an endless, snaking line with signed books in hand. "18 hours! It was worth it!" they whooped about the wait as the crowd applauded.

Palin herself seemed energetic and engaged, asking people about their businesses and cooing over babies. Her apple green jacket popped against the red Borders backdrop for a combo that was either Christmas-y or garish, depending on who you asked. Her outfit might have been perfect politician polish, but her four-inch black stiletto sandals winked at a less-buttoned-up Sarah.

Palin's signing was hectic, though more relaxed than the Secret Service-heavy signing by George W. Bush just a couple weeks ago at Barnes & Noble. People deposited all phones, cameras and purses when they entered the holding area immediately around Palin and the press were cordoned off 10 feet from the former governor and forbidden to ask questions.

(Even "What do you think about all these Houstonians thinking it's cold today?" I would have loved to hear her opinion on that.)

When either Borders or Palin's people suspected someone was shooting video, Shania Twain's greatest hits were cranked up to prevent the press outlets from using the footage with sound.

Members of the crowd described themselves as unabashed Palin fans, with Jonathan Reazin of Houston declaring he was "all wee-wee'd up" to meet her (we think that means excited), in part because his Palin-loving colleague couldn't make it. But even among the fans, opinions on Palin's political future were mixed.

Todd Killenger said he thought Palin should "definitely" run for president, while Elizabeth Lott had a more circumspect view.

"We were just talking about that. I would like it if she ran, I'm all for it, but there may be too many people with a negative opinion of her. It comes down to balancing what you want against who's going to win," Lott said.

At the bottom of the Borders stairs a second Palin celebrity emerged, posing for photos with fans and handing out line markers/bookmarks. To our surprise it wasn't Bristol, the recent headline-making Dancing With The Stars finalist. It was 16-year-old Willow Palin, whose only claim to fame so far is being the butt of a bad David Letterman joke and calling her classmates homophobic slurs on Facebook, as well as 9-year-old cutie Piper. But when you're a Palin, I guess fame follows you.

According to Amazon, Palin's book is still behind Bush's memoir, Decision Pointsin sales. But if this crowd is the judge, that will not be the case for long.

Editor's note: Don't miss CultureMap's exclusive video and story on W.'s River Oaks book signing visit earlier this month.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”