Papa's Girl
In her fascinating book Papa’s Girl, author Eva Hodges Watt paints a multi-faceted picture of the woman who became majority stockholder and director of The Denver Post, and benefactor of the arts and charities in her hometown. By interviewing those who knew this enigmatic woman best and providing personal insight obtained during her years at the newspaper and association with Helen, Watt puts supposed scandals, personal vendettas, colorful observations, and countless contradictions to paper for the reader to absorb and contemplate.
- Published
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9781932738438
- Pages
- 216
- Category
- History
- Publisher
- Western Reflections Publishing Company
- Listed at
- $19.95
Publication details from Open Library. The price shown is the last one on record and is historic, not a current offer.
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About this book
Papa's Girl is a biography of Helen Bonfils, the woman who became majority stockholder and director of The Denver Post and a benefactor of the arts and charities in her hometown. Its full title, as the Denver Public Library catalogues it, is Papa's Girl: The Fascinating World of Helen Bonfils.
Eva Hodges Watt writes from close range. Her obituary says she spent her career at the Post, and the description says she draws on her own years at the newspaper and her association with Helen. She also interviewed people who knew Bonfils best.
The description promises an honest, mixed portrait. Supposed scandals, personal vendettas, colorful observations and countless contradictions are all put on paper, and the reader is left to weigh them. The book runs 216 pages with illustrations and portraits, and the library lists it as a first edition from 2007.
What is inside
A newspaper owner
Helen Bonfils became majority stockholder and director of The Denver Post.
Arts and charities
The description says she was a benefactor of the arts and charities in Denver.
Interviews
Watt interviewed people who knew Bonfils best.
Inside the newsroom
Watt adds personal insight from her years at the paper.
Scandals and contradictions
Rumors, feuds and contradictions are set down for the reader to judge.
Portraits
The library record notes illustrations and portraits.
Who it is for
Papa's Girl is for readers of Denver history, people interested in the Denver Post and the Bonfils family, and anyone who follows theater and philanthropy in Colorado. It also suits readers of biography who like a portrait built from interviews and a writer's own memory of the newsroom rather than from archives alone.
About the author
Eva Hodges Watt worked at The Denver Post for decades under the byline Eva Hodges, covering news, society and fashion before retiring in 1986. Her obituary says she also wrote a biography of Helen Marie Black, Heart of the Denver Symphony. Her author page tells more.
The place and the period
Helen Bonfils was the daughter of Denver Post co-owner Frederick Bonfils. Wikipedia reports that her father and Harry Tammen bought the paper in 1895, and that Helen took over its management in 1933 and later became president.
She was also an actress, using the stage name Gertrude Barton, and with her husbands produced plays in Denver and New York. In 1934 she started a free summer outdoor theater series at Cheesman Park.
Her giving is listed in the same article. She founded the Belle Bonfils Blood Bank in 1943 and the Bonfils Memorial Theatre in 1953, and her estate endowed the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The article lists Papa's Girl among the sources about her.
Source: Helen Bonfils, Wikipedia
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