Al Dotson is the CEO and managing partner of law firm Bilzin Sumberg, and a longtime supporter of Miami Book Fair. Born in Detroit, he lived in Chicago and Atlanta before settling in Miami in 1976. He and his wife are the proud parents of two children, a son and a daughter.
What compelled Bilzin Sumberg to partner with Miami Book Fair?
Our involvement stems from a variety of reasons. Personally, I’ve had the pleasure of serving on and chairing the board of the Miami Dade College Foundation, and through that became aware of the work.
We also have a number of staff that have connections to the college. Some attended, some have family members who have attended or are attending, and others are just very supportive of MDC. And because of all of those different connections we know about the college and, in particular, Book Fair.
The firm has also maintained a number of book clubs through the years as a way of bringing people together to discuss various issues – issues that aren’t necessarily connected to our firm’s work – and that’s part of our internal community building. Books and authors that have been at Book Fair are part of that library.
That’s so cool.
We understand the impact that the college and Miami Book Fair have on our community; supporting the Fair is a perfect match for us.
Tell me about some of the other organizations you partner with in Miami.
We’re directly connected to a number of them, including Lotus House and Overtown Youth Center. At OYC, we actively participate in their literacy-building efforts.
How does MBF’s work align with your personal thoughts on access to literary culture?
I’m very, very passionate about that. I’ve founded and led a number of organizations that recognize the importance of literacy, including Scholastic – to get books into communities that didn’t have access to them – and in New Orleans, an organization that tasked itself with replacing the outdated encyclopedias at a local school’s library. And I’m talking volumes that were from the 1900s
Oh my gosh!
It was really, really bad, and we knew we had to do something about it. We got LeVar Burton involved and a number of other celebrities to come to town and help us, not just to completely redo the library, but to significantly upgrade the entire school. The library was just emblematic of the overall condition we found the school in, so that’s where we started. Luckily, much of what we did survived Katrina.
I’m guessing it’s safe to assume that you and your wife raised your kids to be readers.
Oh, yes.
Was there one book they asked you to always read at bedtime?
Goodnight Moon. Lord – I think I can still recite it, and my kids are 26 and 28 now. [both laugh]
As an adult, my daughter now gets on me to read. She’ll recommend books to me and I’ll listen to them – usually when I’m exercising – and I have found that the love of reading and learning that my children developed through our family and their school environment have stayed with them. To me, that’s where it begins and ends: the idea that reading is never a burden but a pleasure.
It’s an adventure, and something to look forward to.
That’s right.
Have you been able to introduce, meet or engage with any authors you admire through Bilzin’s sponsorship?
The answer is all of the above!
You’ve lived in Miami a long time. Have you attended the Fair in years past?
Yes, and I think one of the best parts about it is walking around and watching others as they are engaged. You see all of Miami and then some, and to me there’s nothing better than that. Book Fair isn’t just for one part of our community – the entire community is represented.
Someone’s writing your biography – what’s the title of the book?
The Sponge. [both laugh]
Why?
I’ve lived in a lot of different places – I’ve mentioned some of them – and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a lot of different people. I try to absorb as much as I possibly can from them, but I also release some of that myself, too; I don’t carry it all with me.
You wring a bit of yourself out to share.
Yes. I don’t prejudge what I might learn from a new person or experience; I really want to learn and understand other cultures and ways of doing what it is I do, and then I decide what to keep with me as I move on.
Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.
