New kid on the block

Simon also plays bassoon and keyboard for the bluegrass band, “Loose Gravel,” formed by several friends and colleagues in the spring of 1998. The quartet provided entertainment at her inauguration eve reception hosted by the Illinois Education Association.

The band formed after a series of backyard parties at guitarist Cindy Clark’s home in Carbondale, where Simon met most of the band. Pianist Maria Johnson, Simon’s former colleague at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, recalls band member Jayme McCarroll telling the group at the time, “Hey, we’re like a bunch of loose gravel, we just come together.’ ” The name stuck and Simon wrote the lyrics to the signature song, inspired by one of Simon’s daughters when she fell off her bicycle as a child. Simon has penned many of the band’s lyrics, many of them inspired by her family. Now that Simon’s time will be considerably more divided, the band members understand that Simon’s duties and schedule will change. But she says she’ll plan more carefully to get time with the group. “It’ll take a little more work to make sure we get the practice time in but hanging out with my buddies in the band is very important to me,” she says.

Simon finds time to pursue passions outside of public service, and says her hobbies are “a nice counterpoint” to the other areas of her life. In addition to music, she sews quite a bit.

“In most of my work life, when I get something done, there’s not a tangible result. But when I sew something, there’s a tangible result.” She sewed her wool skirt and suit jacket that she wore for the inaugural address, as well as her floor-length gown for the inaugural ball Monday evening. In keeping with her father’s love of bowties, she sewed her husband, Perry Knop, a bowtie for the day’s events as well.

Knop chimes in that Simon has also sewn homecoming and prom dresses for their daughters, Reilly and Brennan, adding that she only sews for family.

Her daughters have played a key role in her campaign for public offices. Reilly Knop, a sophomore at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has kayaked the Chicago River to help campaign for her mother. Brennan Knop, who is on her high school speech team, gives her mother pointers on keynote messages.

“In fact, I wish she were here right now,” she said on the day before her inauguration. “I like to run big speeches by Brennan ’cause she has some good ideas. The last time she gave me really good advice on a speech that I really worked on was on the day that I was chosen to be on the ticket.”

Brennan Knop is on a high school exchange program in Italy for the next six months and could not be reached during the inauguration. “So I do not have the Brennan

seal of approval on this speech and I will have to go without that. I think it will meet with her approval.”

The crowd at the Prairie Capital Convention Center seemed to approve, however, and Simon welcomed her daughter to the inauguration via the Internet, saying “Buona sera, Brennan,” which means “good evening” in Italian. Brennan Knop was able to watch her mother place her hand on the Bible once used by her late grandfather, Paul Simon, as she took the oath of office.

Simon laughs easily and often, and seems to have kept her sense of humor throughout her career of teaching law at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and various political campaigns, including a failed run for mayor of Carbondale. She finds humor in everyday life and has published an essay relating family law to Austin Powers:The Spy Who Shagged Me.