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BillClintonHillaryRodhamClinton[1]BillClintonwashardtomissintheautumnof1970.HearrivedatYaleLawSchoollookingmorelikeaVikingthanaRhodesScholarreturningfromtwoyearsatOxford.Hewastallandhandsomesomewherebeneaththatreddishbrownbeardandcurlymaneofhair.Healsohadavitalitythatseemedtoshootoutofhispores.WhenIfirstsawhiminthelawschoolsstudentlounge,hewasholdingforthbeforearaptaudienceoffellowstudents.AsIwalkedby,Iheardhimsay:...andnotonlythat,wegrowthebiggestwatermelonsintheworld!Iaskedafriend,Whoisthat?[2]Oh,thatsBillClinton,hesaid.HesfromArkansas,andthatsallheevertalksabout.[3]Wewouldrunintoeachotheraroundcampus,butweneveractuallymetuntilonenightattheYalelawlibrarythefollowingspring.Iwasstudyinginthelibrary,andBillwasstandingoutinthehalltalkingtoanotherstudent,JeffGleckel,whowastryingtopersuadeBilltowritefortheYaleLawJournal.Inoticedthathekeptlookingoveratme.Hehadbeendoingalotofthat.SoIstoodupfromthedesk,walkedovertohimandsaid,Ifyouregoingtokeeplookingatme,andImgoingtokeeplookingback,wemightaswellbeintroduced.ImHillaryRodham.Thatwasit.ThewayBilltellsthestory,hecouldntrememberhisownname.[4]Wedidnttalktoeachotheragainuntilthelastdayofclassesinthespringof1971.WehappenedtowalkoutofProfessorThomasEmersonsPoliticalandCivilRightscourseatthesametime.BillaskedmewhereIwasgoing.Iwasonthewaytotheregistrarsofficetosignupforthenextsemestersclasses.Hetoldmehewasheadingtheretoo.Aswewalked,hecomplimentedmylongflower-patternedskirt.WhenItoldhimthatmymotherhadmadeit,heaskedaboutmyfamilyandwhereIhadgrownup.Wewaitedinlineuntilwegottotheregistrar.Shelookedupandsaid,Bill,whatareyoudoinghere?Youvealreadyregistered.Ilaughedwhenheconfessedthathejustwantedtospendtimewithme,andwewentforalongwalkthatturnedintoourfirstdate.[5]WebothhadwantedtoseeaMarkRothkoexhibitattheYaleArtGallerybut,becauseofalabordispute,someoftheuniversitysbuildings,includingthemuseum,wereclosed.AsBillandIwalkedby,hedecidedhecouldgetusinifweofferedtopickupthelitterthathadaccumulatedinthegalleryscourtyard.WatchinghimtalkourwayinwasthefirsttimeIsawhispersuasivenessinaction.Wehadtheentiremuseumtoourselves.WewanderedthroughthegalleriestalkingaboutRothkoandtwentieth-centuryart.Iadmittobeingsurprisedathisinterestinandknowledgeofsubjectsthatseemed,atfirst,unusualforaVikingfromArkansas.Weendedupinthemuseumscourtyard,whereIsatinthelargelapofHenryMooressculptureDrapedSeatedWomanwhilewetalkeduntildark.IinvitedBilltothepartymyroommate,KwanKwanTan,andIwerethrowinginourdormroomthatnighttocelebratetheendofclasses.KwanKwan,anethnicChinesewhohadcomefromBurmatoYaletopursuegraduatelegalstudies,wasadelightfullivingcompanionandagracefulperformerofBurmesedance.Sheandherhusband,BillWang,anotherstudent,remainfriends.[6]Billcametoourpartybuthardlysaidaword.SinceIdidntknowhimthatwell,Ithoughthemustbeshy,perhapsnotverysociallyadeptorjustuncomfortable.Ididnthavemuchhopeforusasacouple.Besides,Ihadaboyfriendatthetime,andwehadweekendplansoutoftown.WhenIcamebacktoYalelateSunday,BillcalledandheardmecoughingandhackingfromthebadcoldIhadpickedup.[7]Yousoundterrible,hesaid.Aboutthirtyminuteslater,heknockedonmydoor,bearingchickensoupandorangejuice.Hecamein,andhestartedtalking.HecouldconverseaboutanythingfromAfricanpoliticstocountryandwesternmusic.Iaskedhimwhyhehadbeensoquietatmyparty.[8]BecauseIwasinterestedinlearningmoreaboutyouandyourfriends,hereplied.[9]IwasstartingtorealizethatthisyoungmanfromArkansaswasmuchmorecomplexthanfirstimpressionsmightsuggest.Tothisday,hecanastonishmewiththeconnectionsheweavesbetweenideasandwordsandhowhemakesitallsoundlikemusic.Istilllovethewayhethinksandthewayhelooks.OneofthefirstthingsInoticedaboutBillwastheshapeofhishands.Hiswristsarenarrowandhisfingerstaperedanddeft,likethoseofapianistorasurgeon.Whenwefirstmetasstudents,Ilovedwatchinghimturnthepagesofabook.Nowhishandsareshowingsignsofageafterthousandsofhandshakesandgolfswingsandmilesofsignatures.Theyare,liketheirowner,weatheredbutstillexpressive,attractiveandresilient.[10]SoonafterBillcametomyrescuewithchickensoupandorangejuice,webecameinseparable.Inbetweencrammingforfinalsandfinishingupmyfirstyearofconcentrationonchildren,wespentlonghoursdrivingaroundinhis1970burnt-orangeOpelstationwagontrulyoneoftheugliestcarsevermanufacturedorhangingoutatthebeachhouseonLongIslandSoundnearMilford,Connecticut,wherehelivedwithhisroommates,DougEakeley,DonPogueandBillColeman.Atapartythereonenight,BillandIendedupinthekitchentalkingaboutwhateachofuswantedtodoaftergraduation.IstilldidnknowwhereIwouldliveandwhatIwoulddobecausemyinterestsinchildadvocacyandcivilrightsdidndictateaparticularpath.Billwasabsolutelycertain:HewouldgohometoArkansasandrunforpublicoffice.Alotofmyclassmatessaidtheyintendedtopursuepublicservice,butBillwastheonlyonewhoyouknewforcertainwouldactuallydoit.11]ItoldBillaboutmysummerplanstoclerkatTreuhaft,WalkerandBurnstein,asmalllawfirminOakland,California,andheannouncedthathewouldliketogotoCaliforniawithme.Iwasastonished.IknewhehadsignedontoworkinSenatorGeorgeMcGovernspresidentialcampaignandthatthecampaignmanager,GaryHart,hadaskedBillt