Liz Claiborne, Inc. Commissions Best-Selling Author To Write
Children's Book With 20 Chicago Elementary School Students

Book to Explore Impact of Working Mothers on Family;
Proceeds Will Benefit Chicago Public Library Programs

CHICAGO, IL (November 8, 1991) - Best-selling children's book author, Leah Komaiko, has been commissioned by Liz Claiborne, Inc., to co-author a children's book with 20 multi-ethnic, Chicago-area elementary school students. The book will reveal, from a child's point of view, the impact of working mothers on the family.

"We hope this book will help children better understand their mothers' role in the workplace and ease concerns that often arise when they leave for work each morning," says Jerome Chazen, chairman of Liz Claiborne, Inc.

This unique book collaboration will take place at Chicago's new Harold Washington Library Center from mid-October through December '91. It is part of Women's Work, a national program of community-based art projects funded and supported by Liz Claiborne, Inc.

"The collaborative art projects of our Women's Work program are intended not only to raise awareness of complex problems facing society today, but more importantly to involve women directly in a creative process specifically intended to encourage new solutions," says Mr. Chazen.

Upon its publication in spring '92, the book will be distributed nationally through Reading is Fundamental (RIF), as well as through schools, libraries and reading programs. It will also be available for purchase with the proceeds benefitting literacy programs at Chicago public libraries.

Co-authors of Women's Work Book

Spearheading this collaboration is Chicago native Leah Komaiko, the author of four best-selling children's books, including Earl's Too Cool For Me and Annie Bananie. "This is a first-of-a-kind collaboration with children in writing a book," says Ms. Komaiko, "and I look forward to working with my young collaborators."

The 20 Chicago school children chosen to work on the book were selected from a cross-section of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. The group of eight boys and 12 girls -- including three sets of siblings -- are from Hispanic, Polish, African, Chinese, Irish, Italian, French and Japanese descent. The children attend both public and parochial schools, come from both single and dual parent households and each have mothers working at a diversity of jobs including, homemaker, graphic designer, phone company employee, legal secretary, head librarian, social security benefits officer, family business manager and illustrator. Their names, grades and ages follow:

Brandon Burwell, Fourth Grader, Age 9
Brittany Burwell, Sixth Grader, Age 11
Anthony Davenport, Fifth Grader, Age 10
Alberto Chavarria Ladron de Guevara, Fifth Grader, Age 10
Stephanie Ford, Fifth Grader, Age 10
Devon Johnson, Sixth Grader, Age 11
Jennifer Lee, Fourth Grader, Age 9
Deeana Mendoza, Fifth Grader, Age 10
Aaron O'Brien, Second Grader, Age 7
Leah O'Brien, Fourth Grader, Age 9
Hilary O'Connor, Fourth Grader, Age 9
Ashley Pletz, Fourth Grader, Age 9
Courtney Pletz, Second Grader, Age 7
Raleigh Postiglione, Fourth Grader, Age 9
Paul Robare, Seventh Grader, Age 12
Monique Rolling, Fifth Grader, Age 10
Aaron Scott, Sixth Grader, Age 11
Latasha Sims, Fifth Grader, Age 10
Renee Vickers, Seventh Grader, Age 12
Patricie West, Fifth Grader, Age 10

Commenting on the project, James Pletz, the library's Director, Office of Programs and Exhibits noted, "This is the first of what we hope to be many public/private partnerships in Chicago. We are particularly pleased that this project incorporates a mixed group of school children. It is Chicago in microcosm."

Women's Work Program

With Women's Work, Liz Claiborne, Inc., brings together nationally recognized women artists with local communities throughout the country to collaborate in the creation of original works of public art. Although they will vary widely in terms of style and medium, each of these original works will have strong common goals: to expose -- in a constructive manner -- timely social issues affecting American women and their families, and to explore options that will enable them to better understand and cope with their increasingly complex lives.

The Chicago book is the first of three Women's Work projects slated for 1991-92: in San Francisco, a Women's Work project will address domestic violence, via a billboard/public awareness campaign; and in Atlanta, environmental issues will be examined through the transformation of an inner city site into an urban garden. All Women's Work issues were selected on the basis of input from the communities involved.

"As a company, we believe that our responsibility to our customer goes beyond the traditional role as a marketer of apparel. Our active concern for improving the quality of life for women and their families is a natural extension of our ongoing commitment to quality in general," says Mr. Chazen.

Women's Work is a reflection of the firm's corporate philosophy of listening and responding to the needs of the communities which it serves. Liz Claiborne, Inc.'s commitment to its customers is not a recent development. The company has a long tradition of addressing social concerns through the Liz Claiborne Foundation, which actively assists organizations involved in causes such as helping the homeless regain self-sufficiency, serving people with AIDS and their families and enhancing educational opportunities for underserved children.

Women's Work Chicago Public Partners

In fostering the collaboration between artists and communities in each city, Liz Claiborne, Inc., is enlisting the participation of local "public partners," such as non-profit organizations, city institutions and other community groups, all of whom share the same social concerns that are the focus of the projects themselves.

In Chicago, the project's public partners include the Harold Washington Library Center, the Chicago Commission of Libraries and the national organization, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).

• Harold Washington Library Center

  The Harold Washington Library Center, site of the Chicago Women's Work book collaboration, was dedicated on October 4, l991. The Library is named after the late mayor, Harold Washington, the first African American mayor of Chicago. The library provides access, for the first time in 60 years, to all collections of the central library research and reference service programs of Chicago. Thomas Beeby, Yale School of Architecture Dean and principal of Hammond Beeby & Babka, won a nationwide competition to design the library. Built at a cost of $144 million, the 757,000 square foot structure is the largest public library in the world and features advanced technology, improved accessibility for the disabled, a 400-seat auditorium, full cable television capacity, a large screen orientation theater and the largest children's library in the nation.

• The Chicago Commission of Libraries

  As a cornerstone to Chicago's educational and cultural structure, the Chicago Public Library strives for the highest level of timely service through the provision of books and other materials, information and programs. Recognizing its responsibilities to the city, state and the nation to preserve the human record and promote literacy, lifelong learning, and the principles of intellectual freedom, it serves a diverse and growing community.

• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)

  Washington-based RIF is a national, non-profit organization that works for literacy where it begins -- with America's children. Founded in 1966 by Mrs. Robert S. McNamara, it is now the nation's largest children's literacy organization. A grass roots network of more than 13,000 community-based programs staffed by 121,000 volunteers, RIF delivers reading programs to nearly three million young people each year. The organization distributes books at no charge to children nationwide and involves parents with children's reading programs. Over the years, RIF children have taken home more than 110 million books. The RIF organization in Chicago will celebrate its 20th anniversary in l992.