The Brief Wondrous Life The Brief Wondrous Life ofofAndrew ShermanAndrew ShermanMs. Sherman/English

Meet Mr. ShermanMeet Mr. ShermanChief of Staff (second in charge) of

the Government Printing Office (GPO) in Washington, D.C.◦Works on the Hill, manages

communication for the GPO and helps manage operations

◦VERY big in politics: helped with presidential and local campaigns from college – present

◦Helped get first African-American woman appointed as Chief Printer for the GPO

Meet Mr. ShermanMeet Mr. ShermanPainter/lover of art

◦Has an eye for beauty in even desolate places

◦Shows his ability to see good in people before bad

ArtworkArtwork

ArtworkArtwork

ChildhoodChildhoodBorn and raised in Washington, D.C. to

veteran/librarian at Library of Congress◦Mother: Cornell graduate but became stay-

at-home-mom◦2 sisters and 1 brother (oldest)◦11 years old: got so sick they thought he

had stomach cancer; “it’s a miracle I got better”

Spent teenage years in Falls Church, VA◦George Mason High School

Meeting Deborah LewisMeeting Deborah LewisMet wife of 32 years in high

school◦Andrew: senior; Deborah: freshman

Deborah’s upbringing: not easy◦No father, alcoholic mother, moved

around to different foster homes throughout childhood

◦“Your dad saved my life more times than I can remember”

FamilyFamily“I told myself I wasn’t going to be

the kind of father my dad was”◦Had very difficult relationship with

own father: “sometimes not the best husband or dad”

◦*My memory: grandfather died when I was 3, only memory is watching him read on the beach Was actually more important memory I

would later realize had significant impact on me

Harvey ShermanHarvey Sherman

How has this impacted How has this impacted Andrew as a Father?Andrew as a Father?

Laughter is really important: “there’s a lot of great stuff out there”

Hard work: “you need to learn how to do this on you own”

Forgiveness: realizing when you are wrong and “figuring out a way to make it right”◦Something his family rarely did was

apologize◦Makes a point to realize when he is

wrong

How has this impacted How has this impacted me?me?

Laughter, hard work, and forgiveness three very important things◦Can remember times when my dad and I

would butt heads and he would always call first (even when I should have)

Harvey’s impact◦Sometimes life has a different plan for

you◦Sometimes what you need is not

necessarily what you want◦The importance of life-long learning

Andrew Sherman todayAndrew Sherman todayDad’s insistence on me being

independent and a life-long learner helped me become very strong personality

Still close (but glad we don’t live under same roof )