CSPAN2 — 2026 National Book Festival Opening Ceremony
20260822 130000 UTC
972 transcript segments
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[00:00:01] DEGREES OUTSIDE. WE'RE IN THE BELT.
[00:00:03] REMIND ME IN THE DESERT. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COOLING
[00:00:07] COSTS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WATER. YEAH.
[00:00:11] SO ON ELECTRICITY, A LOT OF WHAT
[00:00:14] WE TALK ABOUT IN THE BOOK ARE ON GREEN ENERGY MANDATES AND WE PAY
[00:00:19] SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FOR ELECTRICITY IN CALIFORNIA, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE'RE VERY
[00:00:24] ENERGY EFFICIENT ALREADY, WE USE FAR LESS ELECTRICITY IN
[00:00:27] CALIFORNIA THAN ON AVERAGE.
[00:00:29] SO IT AFFECTS PEOPLE LIVING IN
[00:00:32] THIS PART OF THE STATE, THE INLAND, HOTTER PARTS OF THE
[00:00:36] STATE, WHICH COINCIDENTALLY,
[00:00:38] WHERE THEY'RE MORE. HIGHER MINORITY COMMUNITIES
[00:00:42] HERE, POORER COMMUNITIES IS THE POOR AND RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT
[00:00:45] ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF THE GOVERNMENT.
[00:00:48] GREEN MANDATES ON ELECTRICITY. THEN YOU HAVE ON WATER.
[00:00:51] IT'S THE YOU KNOW, WE PUT OUT A BOOK, IF THESE ARE CALLED
[00:00:55] WINNING THE WATER WARS, IT'S THE BATTLE THAT WILL NEVER AND AND
[00:00:59] IT'S THE NORTH STATE BATTLE OF
[00:01:01] THE WATERS IN THE NORTH. AND THE PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH NEED
[00:01:05] IT. AND IT'S THE INTERNAL POLITICAL BATTLE. AND IT'S ALSO VERY, VERY
[00:01:09] EXPENSIVE TO DO AS WELL TO PUT
[00:01:11] THE CONVEYANCE INTO PLACE, TO
[00:01:13] BUILD, YOU KNOW, BRING THE WATER DOWN SOUTH.
[00:01:16] BUT IT AGAIN, IS ALSO A PRIORITY ISSUE. SO ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE
[00:01:20] HAVE IS SO MUCH OF THE WATER THAT WE HAVE IN CALIFORNIA GOES
[00:01:24] OUT TO SEA EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ABOVE GROUND
[00:01:26] WATER STORAGE IN THE NORTH TO CAPTURE.
[00:01:29] WHEN I WORKED IN THE LEGISLATURE BEFORE COMING TO PRI, MY BOSS AT
[00:01:33] THE TIME, CONNIE CONWAY, LATER WENT ON TO BE A MEMBER OF
[00:01:36] CONGRESS. SHE CHAMPIONED AND WE GOT $7.8
[00:01:40] BILLION TO BUILD MORE ABOVE GROUND WATER STORAGE.
[00:01:42] THAT WAS OVER A DECADE AGO. THE VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY
[00:01:46] APPROVED THIS, AND YET WE HAVE NOT BUILT ANY ABOVE GROUND WATER
[00:01:49] STORAGE SINCE THEN. WE'RE EITHER NOT SPENDING THE
[00:01:52] MONEY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN HELD UP BY BUREAUCRACY OR THEY'RE
[00:01:55] SPENDING MONEY ON OTHER LESSER PRIORITIES.
[00:01:59] HOW LONG DID YOU WORK IN THE
[00:02:01] CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE, AND WHO ELSE DID YOU WORK FOR?
[00:02:05] SO I WORKED THERE ABOUT 18 YEARS.
[00:02:07] MOST OF THE TIME I WAS IN THE ASSEMBLY.
[00:02:10] I WORKED FOR AS AN AIDE, AS AN AIDE.
[00:02:12] I WAS COMMUNICATE AS DIRECTOR FOR ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS.
[00:02:16] I WORKED FOR, I THINK I COUNTED. WHEN I LEFT, IT WAS WITH NINE
[00:02:19] DIFFERENT REPUBLICAN LEADERS. SO KEVIN MCCARTHY, WHEN HE WAS
[00:02:23] ASSEMBLY, REPUBLICAN LEADER CONNIE CONWAY, WHO LATER WENT ON
[00:02:25] TO BE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, THEN IN THE MIDDLE THERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, I WORKED FOR
[00:02:29] GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER, AND HE WAS GOVERNOR. I WAS A MEMBER OF HIS
[00:02:33] SPEECHWRITER TEAM. WHAT IS THE PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE?
[00:02:38] HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AROUND? SO PERRY'S BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE 1979.
[00:02:41] WE WERE FOUNDED IN SAN FRANCISCO, AND WE'RE A FREE
[00:02:45] MARKET PUBLIC POLICY THINK TANK.
[00:02:47] AND WE DO WORK ON EVERY ISSUE
[00:02:50] YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT'S GOING ON IN CALIFORNIA.
[00:02:52] SO, MR. NYA, WHEN YOU SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE NEW MAYOR IN
[00:02:55] SAN FRANCISCO, DOES THAT PLEASE YOU?
[00:02:59] YEAH, HE'S DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
[00:03:01] HE'S LIVING IN REALITY, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HE'S
[00:03:05] SAYING. WE HAVE A HOMELESS PROBLEM. THAT'S BEEN GOING OUT OF CONTROL
[00:03:08] FOR SO LONG AND STATUS QUO
[00:03:12] THINKING ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
[00:03:14] SO WE NEED TO. LET'S TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
[00:03:17] LET'S HAVE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY. IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH ANYMORE TO
[00:03:21] SAY WE'RE PRESENTING A BIG CHECK. WE'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY, AND
[00:03:25] THEN THERE'S NO THOUGHT OF WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
[00:03:28] IS WHAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON WORKING. SO WHEN YOU SEE HIM AND WHEN
[00:03:31] HE'S TALKING ABOUT THAT OR THE ISSUES OF EDUCATION IN SAN
[00:03:36] FRANCISCO, RIGHT, WHERE THERE'S BEEN THIS DEBATE OF SHOULD WE
[00:03:39] HAVE ALGEBRA IN THE HIGH
[00:03:42] SCHOOLS, VOTERS HAD TO TAKE TO THE BALLOT TO SAY, YES, WE WANT
[00:03:45] OUR CHILDREN TO LEARN ALGEBRA ONE IN THE EIGHTH GRADE.
[00:03:48] THAT'S A SIGN ON CRIME.
[00:03:50] YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE HAD HUGE ISSUES ON CRIME IN CALIFORNIA,
[00:03:54] RETAIL THEFT, WHERE YOU HAD 70% OF CALIFORNIA VOTERS IN EVERY
[00:03:58] COUNTY, INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO, SAY S ENOUGH.
[00:04:00] WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
[00:04:03] WE DON'T WANT ALL THE DRUG STORES CLOSING.
[00:04:05] WE DON'T WANT MARKETS STREET BECOMING A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE OF NOTHING.
[00:04:10] SO HE'S ONTO SOMETHING.
[00:04:13] THERE ARE SOME SMART MAYORS ACROSS PARTY LINES.
[00:04:17] HE'S WON MAYOR OF SAN JOSE, MATT MANN.
[00:04:19] THEY'RE DOING SMART, INTERESTING THINGS ON HOMELESSNESS, ON
[00:04:23] CRIME, ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP, IN
[00:04:25] EDUCATION THAT I THINK IT MIGHT
[00:04:28] BE THE NUCLEUS OF MAYBE A LITTLE DIFFERENT DIRECTION POPPING UP
[00:04:32] IN CALIFORNIA. NOW, IT WAS IN THE SEVENTIES
[00:04:34] THAT THERE WAS A TAX REVOLT IN CALIFORNIA.
[00:04:38] HOWARD AND I'M FORGETTING HOWARD JARVIS. HOWARD JARVIS IS WHAT HAPPENED
[00:04:42] THEN STILL IN EFFECT, AND HOW IS THAT IMPACTED HOUSING IN
[00:04:46] CALIFORNIA? YES, IT IS STILL IN EFFECT.
[00:04:49] THE LAW, PROP 13, WHICH LIMITS
[00:04:51] HOW MUCH YOU CAN ASSESS PROPERTY
[00:04:53] TAXES AND HOW MUCH THEY CAN INCREASE EACH YEAR.
[00:04:57] THERE'S ALSO EFFECTS ON THE ON THE STATE BUDGET.
[00:04:59] IT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IT
[00:05:02] DOESN'T AFFECT AS MUCH HOUSING CONSTRUCTION.
[00:05:05] WHAT IT AFFECTS IS PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO AFFORD A HOME.
[00:05:10] SO THAT'S ONE OF THE GOOD AREAS
[00:05:13] WHERE CALIFORNIA IS RELATIVELY WELL COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE
[00:05:17] COUNTRY ON PROPERTY TAX BURDENS.
[00:05:19] BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST OF BUILDING HOUSING, AGAIN, THAT'S
[00:05:22] ALL THE REGULATIONS AND BUREAUCRACY THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
[00:05:26] THERE ARE A LOT OF LOCAL ISSUES
[00:05:29] WHERE THERE'S RESTRICTIONS AND COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY DON'T
[00:05:33] WANT TO HAVE HOUSING BUILT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SO THEY MAKE
[00:05:36] IT AS DIFFICULT AND EXPENSE OF
[00:05:38] AS IT CAN BE FOR A DEVELOPER OR AN INDIVIDUAL TO COME IN AND
[00:05:42] BUILD A HOUSE OR EVEN PUT A GRANNY FLAT IN THE BACKYARD FOR
[00:05:45] YOUR MOTHER IN LAW OR TO RENT OUT AS A SMALLER HOUSE.
[00:05:50] SO PROP 13 REALLY ISN'T THE ISSUE ON HOUSING.
[00:05:52] IT'S MORE ALL THE OTHER POLICIES
[00:05:54] AND REGULATIONS THAT MAKE IT SO DIFFICULT.
[00:05:57] AND THERE'S A MOVEMENT HERE. I WILL SAY THAT'S A BIPARTISAN
[00:06:00] MOVEMENT TO REFORM SOME OF THESE
[00:06:03] HOUSING LAWS AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR SAN FRANCISCO AND OTHERS
[00:06:07] CITIES TO BUILD THE HOUSING THAT
[00:06:09] WE NEED IN THE CALIFORNIA LEFT COAST. SURVIVAL GUIDE.
[00:06:13] DO YOU ADDRESS SANCTUARY CITIES
[00:06:16] AND THE ISSUE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION? A LITTLE BIT.
[00:06:19] A LITTLE BIT. WE DON'T DO A LOT OF DIRECT WORK
[00:06:22] ON IMMIGRANT ACTION AT PRI, BUT
[00:06:25] I WOULD SAY THE OVERALL ISSUE OF
[00:06:28] IS KIND OF GAVIN NEWSOM ON DISPLAY.
[00:06:30] ONE OF MY MAIN POINTS THAT I
[00:06:33] MAKE ABOUT WHAT HE CALLS THE CALIFORNIA WAY, WHICH IS HIS
[00:06:37] KIND OF AGENDA AND PHILOSOPHY AND ATTITUDE OF GOVERNMENTS, IS
[00:06:41] A LOT OF IT IS KIND OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS THAT WE SEE.
[00:06:44] SO HE SAW THREE WEEKS AGO THE GOVERNOR WAS FIGHTING A PROPOSAL
[00:06:50] TO EXPAND MEDI-CAL TO ALL. AND DOCUMENTED IN CALIFORNIA
[00:06:52] SAID IT'S TO EXPENSIVE.
[00:06:54] WELL, THAT WAS GOVERNOR NEWSOM THEN BEING I'M THE BUDGET CUTTER.
[00:06:58] I HAVE A $12 BILLION DEFICIT THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
[00:07:01] WELL, THREE WEEKS LATER NOW IT'S
[00:07:03] I AS THE GOVERNOR, I WANT TO BE THE LEADER OF THE RESISTANCE.
[00:07:07] SO WHEN WE HAVE ALL THE ICE ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA NOW,
[00:07:10] I'M GOING TO BE THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AND ALL OF THAT.
[00:07:15] SO IT'S IRONIC, TOO, THAT HE WAS
[00:07:17] TALKING ABOUT AUTHORITARIANISM
[00:07:20] WHEN MANY PEOPLE REMEMBER THE LOCKDOWNS, THE COVID LOCKDOWNS
[00:07:24] IN CALIFORNIA WAS PERHAPS THE MOST STRICT IN THE ENTIRE
[00:07:31] COUNTRY, 38%. THAT'S WHAT DONALD TRUMP GOT IN
[00:07:34] THE 2020 FOR PRESIDENT GENERAL ELECTION.
[00:07:37] THE DEMOCRATS SUPERMAJORITY IN
[00:07:39] THE ASSEMBLY AND THE SENATE IN SACRAMENTO.
[00:07:43] DO THE REPUBLICANS STAND A CHANCE IN THIS STATE?
[00:07:46] I THINK THE IDEA IS STAND A CHANCE.
[00:07:49] I DON'T KNOW THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY STANDS A CHANCE.
[00:07:53] ONE OF MY WELL, YOU MIGHT CALL IT A THESIS.
[00:07:56] I'LL BE BOLD AND CALL IT A POSTULATE.
[00:07:59] IS FREE MARKET IDEAS THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN
[00:08:02] OUR BOOK AND THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN ON THINGS LIKE
[00:08:07] HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING AND
[00:08:08] SCHOOL CHOICE AND AB5 GIG WORK.
[00:08:12] THE RESTRICTIONS ON ENTREPRENEURS.
[00:08:15] I BELIEVE THEY FORM THE NEW PLACE TO BUILD UNTRADITIONAL
[00:08:19] POLITICAL ALLIANCES THAT CAN BRING MORE POLITICAL BALANCE IN CALIFORNIA.
[00:08:22] AND SO WHEN YOU SEE WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, THAT PROP
[00:08:25] 36, THE LEGISLATION ON RETAIL
[00:08:29] THEFT GOT 70% OF THE VOTE IN THE
[00:08:31] STATE, WON EVERY COUNTY,
[00:08:34] INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO AND ALAMEDA COUNTY.
[00:08:36] YOU KNOW THAT I THINK IS A WAKE UP CALL.
[00:08:39] AND I THINK IT SHOWS IF YOU HAVE POLITICS, PERSONS WHO ARE
[00:08:43] FOCUSING ON THE RIGHT IDEAS, I THINK THAT CAN CARRY THE WAY
[00:08:47] FORWARD. FROM YOUR BOOK, VISITORS TO CALIFORNIA ARE ADVISED TO PACK
[00:08:51] PLENTY OF SUPPLIES AS IT MAY BE
[00:08:55] DIFFICULT TO REPLENISH THEM WHILE TRAVELING ACROSS THE STATE.
[00:08:58] WHY DO YOU SAY THAT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS I THINK ONE OF THE MOST AMUSING
[00:09:02] PARTS OF THE BOOK IS ALL THAT CALIFORNIA IS KNOWN FOR.
[00:09:04] ALL THE BANDS WE'VE BEEN. SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE FUN WITH
[00:09:08] EVERYTHING. WE WANT TO BAN EVERYTHING. DESPITE WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK OF
[00:09:11] THE STATE AS A HAPPY GO LUCKY STATE. SO WHEN YOU GO THROUGH AND
[00:09:15] THINGS LIKE MY FAVORITE IS THE
[00:09:17] LITTLE PLASTIC BOTTLES OF
[00:09:19] SHAMPOO THAT YOU GET IN HOTELS. NOW THERE WAS NOT ANY ISSUE WITH
[00:09:23] THAT. THERE IS NO STUDY OR DATA TO SHOW WE'RE HAVING A HUGE ISSUE
[00:09:27] OF PLASTIC PROBLEMS FROM LITTLE HOTEL SHAMPOO BOTTLES.
[00:09:31] ONE LEGISLATOR JUST DECIDED HE WANTED TO DO IT AND GOT THE
[00:09:33] LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO GO ALONG WITH IT. SO THINGS LIKE THAT, IT SHOWS
[00:09:37] THE ATTITUDE OF WHY ARE WE FOCUSED ON THIS?
[00:09:41] BUT WHEN YOU GO DOWN THE LINE,
[00:09:43] THE PLASTIC STRAWS, PLASTIC
[00:09:45] BOTTLES, WE BAN WANT TO BAN ONE,
[00:09:49] LET'S SAY I WANTED TO BAN CLEAR, WHICH HELPS SPEED YOU THROUGH THE AIRPORT.
[00:09:53] ALL OF THESE THINGS. RIGHT. ARE JUST A SIGN OF WE REALLY
[00:09:56] NEED TO GET OUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT AND ARE ARE THESE
[00:09:59] REALLY THINGS THAT SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA.
[00:10:02] AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 1% OF THE
[00:10:07] OCEAN POLLUTION FROM PLASTIC IS FROM THE UNITED STATES.
[00:10:11] SO, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES YOU A WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH ALL OF
[00:10:13] THESE HUGE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND PRIORITIES?
[00:10:16] WHEN IS IT REALLY THE PROBLEM? AND DO WE REALLY HAVE TO DO THAT?
[00:10:20] ISN'T EDUCATION THE WAY. SO I WOULD BE VERY CAREFUL.
[00:10:25] I THEN GOING FORWARD, OF COURSE, ON GAS, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO
[00:10:28] WHEN WE GET TO THE 100%
[00:10:32] RENEWABLE ENERGY REQUIRE WOMEN
[00:10:34] AND THE 100% GAS CAR BAN, WELL, THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO START
[00:10:39] CLOSING DOWN GAS STATIONS. AND THERE ARE MANY CITIES.
[00:10:42] THERE'S A MOVEMENT TO DENY THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW GAS STATIONS. THERE.
[00:10:46] SO WHEN THE KINDS OF ALL UP. YEAH, YOU REALLY SHOULD KIND OF
[00:10:50] PACK AND BE READY FOR YOUR YOUR
[00:10:52] TRIP WHEN COMING TO CALIFORNIA BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL
[00:10:55] BE ABLE TO GET WHAT YOU NEED. TIM AND I ARE COAUTHOR OF THIS
[00:10:58] BOOK, THE CALIFORNIA LEFT COAST SURVIVAL GUIDE.
[00:11:02] THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ON BOOK TV.
[00:12:21] THE
[00:12:21] ACTING LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS,
[00:12:26] ROBERT R
[00:12:39] >> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, AND
[00:12:41] WELCOME TO YOUR HOME, THE
[00:12:44] LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
[00:12:45] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:12:51] >> AND TO OUR OPENING CELEBRATION OF THE 2026 LIBRARY
[00:12:54] OF CONGRESS NATIONAL BOOK
[00:12:56] FESTIVAL. IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT,
[00:12:59] THIS IS OUR 26th YEAR HOSTING THE FESTIVAL. AND WHAT AN
[00:13:03] AMAZING JOURNEY IT HAS BEEN. IT
[00:13:04] SAYS HERE, PAUSE FOR APPLAUSE.
[00:13:09] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:13:15] >> AND IF I COULD GO OFF SCRIPT FOR JUST A MOMENT, I ALSO WANT
[00:13:18] TO SAY THAT IT HAS BEEN AN
[00:13:22] AMAZING PERSONAL JOURNEY FOR ME. AS OF JULY 3rd, I AM NOW THE
[00:13:26] LONGEST SERVING ACTING LIBRARIAN
[00:13:28] OF CONGRESS
[00:13:31] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:13:38] >> AND I GOT A TEXT FROM A FRIEND OF MINE THIS AFTERNOON
[00:13:41] WHO SAW A PICTURE I HAD POSTED WITH CARLA HALL. UM, THE TOP
[00:13:45] CHEF I MET THIS AFTERNOON, AND HE SAYS, ARE YOU EVER GOING TO
[00:13:48] STOP WORKING? I MUST ADMIT, YOU
[00:13:52] ALWAYS LOOK SO FULL OF LIFE ON ALL OF YOUR TRAVELS. SO I GUESS
[00:13:54] KEEP WORKING. AND THAT'S,
[00:13:58] THAT'S JUST WHAT I PLAN TO DO.
[00:14:01] UM, NOWHERE ELSE COULD YOU FIND
[00:14:05] SO MANY TALENTED MANAGERS AND STAFF THAT YOU DO HERE AT THE
[00:14:07] LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. AND I'M
[00:14:09] VERY, VERY BLESSED TO WORK WITH
[00:14:12] THEM. THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S
[00:14:16] FESTIVAL IS, APPROPRIATELY, AMERICA. 250. IT'S YOUR STORY.
[00:14:19] THE FESTIVAL IS, OF COURSE, A
[00:14:23] CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS AND READERS. BUT IS SOMETHING EVEN
[00:14:26] BIGGER? IT IS A CELEBRATION OF
[00:14:30] IDEAS, IMAGINATION, AND THE
[00:14:31] PEOPLE WHO KEEP A DEMOCRATIC
[00:14:35] CULTURE INTELLECTUALLY ALIVE. THE NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL
[00:14:39] REMAINS THE PREEMINENT LITERARY EVENT IN THE NATION. AT THE
[00:14:42] FESTIVAL, WE HAVE THE GREAT
[00:14:43] PRIVILEGE OF BRINGING TOGETHER SOME OF THE MOST COMPELLING
[00:14:46] WRITERS AND THINKERS OF OUR TIME, WITH THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE
[00:14:50] THEIR WORK, AUTHORS WHO HAVE
[00:14:52] SPENT YEARS IMAGINING, RESEARCHING, QUESTIONING,
[00:14:56] CREATING, AND READERS WHO ARE EAGER TO ENTER THE WORLDS THEY
[00:15:00] HAVE MADE, AND THAT ENCOUNTER
[00:15:02] MATTERS FOR A YOUNG READER,
[00:15:05] MEETING AN AUTHOR CAN MAKE THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE FEEL
[00:15:09] POSSIBLE. FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS ALWAYS DREAMED OF WRITING.
[00:15:13] HEARING A WRITER DESCRIBE THE CREATIVE PROCESS CAN BE LIFE
[00:15:15] CHANGING, AND FOR ALL OF US,
[00:15:19] LISTENING TO AN AUTHOR TALK ABOUT A BOOK CAN DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD, AND
[00:15:22] SOMETIMES EVEN CHANGE THE WAY WE
[00:15:24] SEE IT. THIS IS THE MAGIC OF THE
[00:15:27] NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL. IT
[00:15:30] CREATES A RARE SPACE IN OUR
[00:15:32] INCREASINGLY DISTRACTED WORLD,
[00:15:36] WHERE WE CAN SLOW DOWN, LISTEN
[00:15:37] CAREFULLY, AND ENGAGE WITH
[00:15:41] IDEAS. THIS WEEKEND, WE WELCOME AN ACCLAIMED GROUP OF AUTHORS TO
[00:15:43] OUR NATION'S CAPITAL TO CELEBRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF
[00:15:47] BOOKS IN OUR LIVES. WE ARE EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU IN THE
[00:15:49] TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BOOK
[00:15:54] LOVERS. AND I JUST HEARD THAT WE
[00:15:54] HAVE, UM, RECEIVED 80,000
[00:15:58] REQUESTS FOR TICKETS TOMORROW.
[00:16:02] HOLY MOLY.
[00:16:03] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:16:08] >> TOMORROW AT THE FESTIVAL, WE WILL HEAR FROM MORE THAN 80
[00:16:11] DISTINGUISHED WRITERS. THIS EVENING, WE WILL BE TREATED TO
[00:16:15] PRESENTATIONS BY FIVE OF OUR
[00:16:17] RENOWNED AUTHORS ASSEMBLED IN THIS AUDITORIUM IS AN
[00:16:20] EXTRAORDINARY GATHERING OF
[00:16:23] TALENT. BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE
[00:16:25] HAVE MANY TO THANK. FIRST AND
[00:16:30] FOREMOST, THE US CONGRESS, THE LIBRARY'S CHIEF BENEFACTOR.
[00:16:33] SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN
[00:16:36] 1800. NO LIBRARY IN HISTORY HAS
[00:16:39] ENJOYED SUCH LONG LASTING AND
[00:16:41] GENEROUS SUPPORT. I OFTEN SAY THAT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IS
[00:16:44] THE BEST GIFT THE CONGRESS EVER
[00:16:47] GAVE THE NATION. BEFORE I INTRODUCE.
[00:16:51] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:16:58] >> BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR CO-CHAIR, I JUST WANT TO
[00:17:00] RECOGNIZE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE.
[00:17:03] AND LET ME TELL YOU, IT IS ONE
[00:17:07] COMPLEX EVENT. FIRST, I WANT TO
[00:17:11] ACKNOWLEDGE CLAY SMITH, OUR LITERARY DIRECTOR.
[00:17:14] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:17:21] >> SECOND, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SHERRY HERB FOR HER LEADERSHIP,
[00:17:25] HER VISION, AND HER CREATIVITY.
[00:17:30] WITH THE BOOK FESTIVAL.
[00:17:31] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:17:36] >> JARED MCNEIL, WHO IS OVERSEEING ALL OF THE LOGISTICS
[00:17:40] AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. LAST
[00:17:41] YEAR, IN ONE DAY, HE WALKED NINE
[00:17:46] MILES.
[00:17:46] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:17:52] >> AND CATHY MILLIKEN, HEAD OF OUR DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. WE COULD
[00:17:56] NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU AND YOUR
[00:17:59] TALENTED STAFF.
[00:18:00] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:18:04] >> AND FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE VOLUNTEERS, OUR STAFF,
[00:18:08] VOLUNTEERS, THE WHOLE CREW OF
[00:18:10] VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING THE JUNIOR
[00:18:12] LEAGUE OF WASHINGTON, D.C..
[00:18:16] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:18:23] >> WITHOUT PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT, THE NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL WOULD NOT EXIST. OUR
[00:18:26] MOST GENEROUS SUPPORTER IS
[00:18:30] FESTIVAL CO-CHAIR DAVID M RUBENSTEIN. WE HAVE OFTEN HEARD
[00:18:33] DAVID SPEAK OF HIS BELIEF THAT BOOKS AND READING ARE THE KEYS
[00:18:37] TO SUCCESS IN LIFE. DAVID HAS
[00:18:40] NEVER FORGOTTEN THE KEY ROLE
[00:18:44] THAT LIBRARIES PLAYED IN HIS LIFE, AND HE DEMONSTRATES THIS
[00:18:47] THROUGH HIS SUPPORT OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. AND I MUST
[00:18:50] TELL YOU, ON A PERSONAL NOTE,
[00:18:53] NOBODY HAS BEEN AS LOYAL TO THIS
[00:18:55] INSTITUTION AS DAVID RUBENSTEIN.
[00:19:01] >> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
[00:19:07] >> SO WITH THAT. OOPS, SORRY.
[00:19:08] PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR FESTIVAL CO-CHAIR AND THE
[00:19:12] CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARY'S JAMES MADISON COUNCIL, DAVID M
[00:19:16] RUBENSTEIN
[00:19:29] >> SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ROBERT, AND I HOPE YOU'LL BE HERE NEXT YEAR. AS WITHOUT THE
[00:19:33] WORD ACTING IN IT. SO MY HOPE IS
[00:19:37] THAT, UM, I SHOULD SAY WE'VE HAD
[00:19:40] A LOT OF EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE
[00:19:42] SERVE AS LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS.
[00:19:45] AND, UH, BUT, UH, I WOULD SAY
[00:19:48] ROBERT HAS DONE A SPECTACULAR JOB FILLING IN, UH, WITH THE
[00:19:52] ACTING TITLE. BUT THE TRUTH IS, HE DESERVES TO BE THE LIBRARIAN
[00:19:55] OF CONGRESS. HE'S BEEN IN THE
[00:19:56] LIBRARY FOR 47, 48 YEARS AND 48
[00:20:00] YEARS. AND I JUST THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR HIM TO BE THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. I HOPE
[00:20:04] WHOEVER MAKES THAT DECISION WILL ULTIMATELY RECOGNIZE THAT. HOW
[00:20:07] MANY PEOPLE HERE HAVE NEVER BEEN
[00:20:08] TO THIS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS?
[00:20:12] WOW. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE NATIONAL BOOK
[00:20:16] FESTIVAL? OKAY, WELL, YOU'RE IN FOR A TREAT. UM, I WOULD JUST
[00:20:18] TELL YOU HOW THE NATIONAL BOOK
[00:20:21] FESTIVAL CAME ABOUT. UH, IT WAS, UH, WELL, ACTUALLY, SOME OF YOU
[00:20:25] MAY KNOW THIS IS THE JEFFERSON BUILDING, AND THOMAS
[00:20:29] JEFFERSON'S DRAFT OF THE
[00:20:31] DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE LIBRARY
[00:20:34] OF CONGRESS. AND IF YOU READ IT
[00:20:36] AND THIS COPY HERE SOMEWHERE, IT SAYS, UM, WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
[00:20:40] TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT THERE
[00:20:42] SHOULD BE A NATIONAL BOOK
[00:20:46] FESTIVAL. NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THE OTHER FOUNDERS JUST SAID
[00:20:49] THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT IN. SO THAT WAS TAKEN OUT. OTHERWISE,
[00:20:51] IT WOULD BE 250 YEARS OLD. BUT
[00:20:54] IT'S 26 YEARS OLD. AND IT CAME
[00:20:58] ABOUT BECAUSE A LIBRARIAN, UH, LAURA BUSH, BECAME FIRST LADY.
[00:21:02] AND THE NIGHT BEFORE HER HUSBAND WAS TO BE INAUGURATED, UH, THERE
[00:21:05] WAS A RECEPTION, I THINK, AT THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE THEN
[00:21:08] LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, JIM BILLINGTON, WAS ASKED BY LAURA
[00:21:11] BUSH, IS THERE A NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL HERE, LIKE WE HAVE IN TEXAS? AND HE CLEVERLY SAID,
[00:21:15] RIGHT AWAY, UH, THERE WILL BE
[00:21:18] AND, UH, AND SURE ENOUGH, HE GOT
[00:21:20] ONE ORGANIZED THAT YEAR AND WAS
[00:21:22] ON THE MALL, UH, AND FOR MANY YEARS IT WAS ON THE MALL. IT WAS A LITTLE DUSTY. AFTER A WHILE,
[00:21:26] THE PARK SERVICE THOUGHT WE WERE
[00:21:27] RUINING THE GRASS AND SO FORTH.
[00:21:30] SO, UM, IT'S NOW BEEN MOVED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND IT WORKS MUCH BETTER. WE DON'T HAVE
[00:21:33] TO WORRY ABOUT THE WEATHER AND SO FORTH. AND, UH, THE MALL AREA
[00:21:37] CAN NOW BE USED FOR MORE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE GRAND PRIX
[00:21:40] RACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO
[00:21:51] AS ROBERT SAID TO ME, UH, BOOKS
[00:21:56] ARE, ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY
[00:21:57] LIFE. AND I THINK ALL OF YOU
[00:22:01] PROBABLY SHARE THAT KIND OF VIEW THAT WITHOUT BOOKS, WHERE WOULD
[00:22:04] WE BE? UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE
[00:22:06] TRY TO READ AT LEAST TEN BOOKS A YEAR, 20 BOOKS A YEAR, 30 BOOKS
[00:22:10] A YEAR, 40 BOOKS A YEAR. WOW.
[00:22:14] HOW MANY OF YOU ARE ARE AUTHORS?
[00:22:15] HOW MANY OF YOU HERE ARE AUTHORS? HOW MANY ARE PEOPLE
[00:22:19] WANT TO BE AUTHORS? OKAY, UM,
[00:22:23] THE LIBRARY IS A PLACE THAT IT'S THE GREATEST LIBRARY IN
[00:22:27] THE WORLD. I THINK WHEN IT WAS
[00:22:29] CREATED IN 1800, UH, IT, THAT $5
[00:22:33] MILLION WAS GIVEN FOR THE INITIAL GRANT. THEY BOUGHT ABOUT
[00:22:36] 600 BOOKS AND THREE MAPS. AND NOBODY THOUGHT AT THAT TIME THAT
[00:22:38] IT WOULD BECOME WHAT IT IS. BUT
[00:22:41] IT'S MISNAMED. IT'S CALLED THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. AND ORIGINALLY IT WAS, IT WAS, IT
[00:22:45] WAS THE IDEA OF JAMES MADISON TO HAVE A LIBRARY THAT MEMBERS OF
[00:22:48] CONGRESS COULD HAVE TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO, MAKE SURE THEY COULD READ
[00:22:52] SOME BOOKS, AND MAYBE MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WHEN THEY PASSED
[00:22:55] LEGISLATION. THAT'S A GOOD
[00:22:56] IDEA. UH, NOBODY'S AGAINST IT.
[00:23:00] BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THIS HAS
[00:23:03] BECOME THE LIBRARY OF THE UNITED STATES, BECAUSE IT'S THE BIGGEST LIBRARY IN THE UNITED STATES, THE BIGGEST LIBRARY IN
[00:23:07] THE WORLD, AND THE BEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD. AND IT'S REALLY
[00:23:10] MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART BECAUSE WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF HERE.
[00:23:14] MANY PEOPLE, WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE IN CONGRESS, THEY SAY, HOW MANY PEOPLE, HOW MANY LONG
[00:23:17] HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? THEY'LL SAY, WELL, I'VE BEEN I'VE WORKED HERE FOR 40 YEARS. 50 YEARS.
[00:23:21] THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG BECAUSE THEY'RE
[00:23:24] SO DEDICATED TO DOING WHAT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DOES, WHICH
[00:23:27] IS MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE NATION HAS THE BEST RESOURCES AND
[00:23:31] OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO COME HERE. YOUNG PEOPLE, OLDER
[00:23:34] PEOPLE, SCHOLARS, NON-SCHOLARS
[00:23:37] CAN COME HERE AND REALLY DO THE RESEARCH THEY WANT, LEARN THINGS
[00:23:41] AND MAKE THEMSELVES A BETTER HUMAN BEING. AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE. WHEN YOU READ, YOU'RE
[00:23:44] GOING TO LEARN MORE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE A BETTER PERSON. SO I REALLY LOVE THE NATIONAL BOOK
[00:23:47] FESTIVAL, AND I THINK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T BEEN TO BOOK FESTIVAL TOMORROW, YOU'RE GOING
[00:23:51] TO HAVE A TREAT OF YOUR LIFE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN
[00:23:53] EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER OF GREAT AUTHORS, AND YOU'RE ALSO GOING
[00:23:56] TO SEE PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE TO GET THEIR SIGNATURES, STANDING IN LINE TO WRITE THEIR
[00:24:00] BOOKS. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUNG KIDS WHO ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE
[00:24:03] AUTHORS, LUNG KIDS SITTING THERE AROUND LEARNING HOW TO READ.
[00:24:06] IT'S A REALLY, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE THING TO SEE. AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU WILL TAKE
[00:24:10] ADVANTAGE OF IT TOMORROW. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. AND I
[00:24:13] WANT TO THANK AS WELL, THE PEOPLE THAT ORGANIZE THIS. AS
[00:24:17] ROBERT SAID, IT'S IT'S A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE TO GET IT
[00:24:20] DONE. IT TAKES ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK. THERE'LL BE 80,000
[00:24:24] PLUS PEOPLE THERE TOMORROW, BUT YOU'RE THE MOST IMPORTANT
[00:24:27] PEOPLE TO US HERE, THE PEOPLE HERE, AND WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A
[00:24:29] VERY GOOD TIME. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THE SPONSORS AND ALL
[00:24:33] THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE. SO I'M GOING TO GET OFF NOW AND LET YOU HEAR
[00:24:36] FROM THE AUTHORS. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND THANK YOU
[00:24:40] FOR READING BOOKS. >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:24:42] >> THANK YOU.
[00:24:53] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:24:58] >> PLEASE WELCOME AWARD WINNING HISTORIAN AND PROFESSOR OF
[00:25:00] AMERICAN LAW, ANNETTE
[00:25:05] GORDON-REED.
[00:25:05] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:25:12] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S WONDERFUL
[00:25:14] TO BE HERE ON MY MAIDEN, UH,
[00:25:18] TRIP AFTER KNEE SURGERY A FEW WEEKS AGO. SO I'M SLIPPING
[00:25:21] AROUND. BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE. I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED THIS FOR THE WORLD. I FIRST CAME TO THE
[00:25:25] NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL WHEN IT
[00:25:26] WAS OUTSIDE, AND IT WAS DUSTY.
[00:25:30] UH, BUT I GATHER THAT THIS PROBABLY IS A BETTER TOMORROW
[00:25:34] WILL BE AT A BETTER VENUE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WEATHER. AND AS DAVID MENTIONED,
[00:25:37] THAT IT'S JUST MUCH MORE PREDICTABLE. BUT IT WILL BE
[00:25:40] AMAZING. YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS IN THE THIRD GRADE, I READ A
[00:25:44] CHILD'S BIOGRAPHY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON. IT WAS A PART OF A
[00:25:47] SERIES OF BIOGRAPHIES OF FAMOUS
[00:25:49] PEOPLE, AND THAT ONE, FOR
[00:25:54] WHATEVER REASON, GRABBED MY ATTENTION BECAUSE HE GRABBED MY
[00:25:56] ATTENTION AS AN INTERESTING
[00:25:58] PERSON, A COMPLICATED
[00:26:01] INDIVIDUAL, A PERSON WHO I GATHERED HAD WRITTEN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. WE
[00:26:05] HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE
[00:26:07] CREATED EQUAL, AND HE ACTUALLY
[00:26:10] HAD A PLANTATION IN WHERE HE
[00:26:13] ENSLAVED PEOPLE. AND AS A THIRD GRADER, I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS
[00:26:16] AN INTERESTING PARADOX. AND OVER
[00:26:20] THE YEARS, IT GREW EVEN MORE
[00:26:23] DEEP. AS I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT
[00:26:25] THAT MEANT FOR HIM AND WHAT THAT
[00:26:27] MEANT FOR THE COUNTRY, BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY, THE, THE BOOK WAS
[00:26:30] ABOUT HIM AS A CHILD GROWING UP. HE ACTUALLY GREW UP TO BE
[00:26:34] PRESIDENT, NOT ONLY WRITING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, BECOMING THE PRESIDENT OF THE
[00:26:37] UNITED STATES, FOUNDING A UNIVERSITY, AND DOING LOTS OF
[00:26:40] OTHER THINGS. AND THERE WAS THIS
[00:26:42] COMPLICATED PERSON. I'VE READ
[00:26:45] THAT OTHER THAN ABRAHAM LINCOLN, MORE BIOGRAPHIES HAVE BEEN
[00:26:48] WRITTEN ABOUT JEFFERSON THAN ANY OTHER PRESIDENT, BECAUSE HE IS A
[00:26:52] FASCINATING FIGURE. I COULDN'T
[00:26:54] HAVE KNOWN WHEN I WAS IN THE THIRD GRADE THAT I WOULD BE
[00:26:58] STANDING HERE TONIGHT IN THE
[00:26:59] JEFFERSON BUILDING. THE LIBRARY
[00:27:02] OF CONGRESS, AFTER HAVING SPENT
[00:27:04] A GOOD PART OF MY CAREER STUDYING HIM AND TRYING TO
[00:27:08] FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT WAS ALL
[00:27:10] ABOUT, WHAT HE WAS ALL ABOUT,
[00:27:13] AND REALIZING THAT YOU CAN DO THAT THROUGH THE LIFE OF A MAN
[00:27:16] WHO, IN SOME WAYS, IS SORT OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE AMERICAN
[00:27:20] STORY, A PERSON WHO HAD VERY
[00:27:24] LOFTY IDEALS BUT DIDN'T ALWAYS
[00:27:26] LIVE UP TO THOSE IDEALS. AND
[00:27:29] THIS DOVETAILED VERY NICELY WITH
[00:27:34] SOMETHING ELSE THAT I LOVED READING AND WRITING. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD DIDN'T THINK OF MYSELF AS BECOMING A
[00:27:37] HISTORIAN. I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WOULD BE A WRITER, BUT I THOUGHT
[00:27:40] IT WOULD BE A WRITER WHO WROTE
[00:27:42] NOVELS AND MOVED TO FRANCE AND SAT IN CAFES AND DID THOSE KINDS
[00:27:46] OF THINGS. IT ALL CAME TOGETHER
[00:27:50] FOR ME IN THE 90s, WHEN THERE
[00:27:53] WAS A MOVIE CALLED JEFFERSON IN
[00:27:57] PARIS THAT TOLD THE STORY OF JEFFERSON IN PARIS WITH SALLY
[00:28:01] HEMINGS, AND THERE WAS SUCH A BACKLASH AGAINST ALL OF THAT, AND PEOPLE SAYING THAT THERE WAS
[00:28:05] NO EVIDENCE THAT IT HAPPENED, THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAD ANY KIND
[00:28:08] OF CONNECTION. AND I WROTE A
[00:28:11] BOOK SUGGESTING THAT, IN FACT, IT DID HAPPEN. AND THAT LAUNCHED
[00:28:15] ME ON THE STAGE THAT I AM TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, SOMETHING
[00:28:18] THAT I HAD NEVER CONTEMPLATED. I
[00:28:19] WAS A LAW PROFESSOR. I WAS
[00:28:22] WRITING ABOUT PRISONERS AND PRISONERS RIGHTS, AND I
[00:28:25] DOVETAILED OVER TO WRITE THIS BOOK, TO EXPLAIN TO HISTORIANS
[00:28:29] WHY I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE WRONG IN SUGGESTING THAT THIS
[00:28:32] STORY WASN'T TRUE. THE NEXT
[00:28:35] YEAR, DNA CORROBORATED WHAT I
[00:28:37] SAID, AND THAT CHANGED MY LIFE.
[00:28:39] AND I BECAME A REGULAR HERE.
[00:28:50] SO THE ONLY OTHER THING I WILL
[00:28:52] SAY IS THAT TOMORROW I WILL TALK
[00:28:56] ABOUT JEFFERSON ON RACE, A BOOK THAT I DID WHERE I COMPILED HIS
[00:28:59] WRITINGS ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF RACE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE THING THAT MOST BEDEVILS PEOPLE ABOUT
[00:29:02] JEFFERSON, THEY WANT TO LIKE HIM BECAUSE OF THE DECLARATION, AND THEN THEY FIND OUT SOME OF THE
[00:29:06] STUFF THAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT RACE. AND THEY'RE NOT SO SURE.
[00:29:10] BUT THAT'S OUR STORY. AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIM A
[00:29:13] FASCINATING AND COMPELLING FIGURE, IS THAT HE IS OUR STORY.
[00:29:15] AND ON THE 250th ANNIVERSARY OF
[00:29:20] THIS COUNTRY'S FOUNDING, HE'S A PERSON TO THINK ABOUT. I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY
[00:29:22] THAT WE PUT HIM IN MOTHBALLS, PUT HIM OVER SOMEWHERE ELSE. NO,
[00:29:26] I THINK HE HAS TO REMAIN CENTER STAGE BECAUSE THERE'S NOBODY WHO
[00:29:30] EXPLAINS THE AMERICAN DILEMMA MORE THAN HE. AND SO IT'S BEEN
[00:29:33] MY PRIVILEGE. IT'S BEEN MY PRIVILEGE TO WORK ON THIS
[00:29:37] SUBJECT, TO REALIZE THE DREAM. I
[00:29:39] FEEL LIKE I LIKE BASEBALL PLAYERS MUST FEEL WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE LEAGUE PLAYERS GROW UP
[00:29:43] AND GET TO BE IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES. AND HERE I AM AT THE
[00:29:46] NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL AND THE MAJOR LEAGUES TALKING ABOUT
[00:29:50] JEFFERSON TOMORROW, TALKING ABOUT THE 250th ANNIVERSARY, AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PLEASED. SO
[00:29:53] THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[00:29:57] >> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
[00:30:09] >> PLEASE WELCOME SINGER, PIANIST AND NUMBER ONE, NEW YORK
[00:30:12] TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR,
[00:30:17] MICHAEL FEINSTEIN.
[00:30:17] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:30:23] >> THANK YOU EVERYBODY. GOOD EVENING. IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE
[00:30:26] BACK AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
[00:30:28] UH, TONIGHT, I AM A REPRESENTATIVE OF MY FRIEND LIZA
[00:30:32] MINNELLI. I AM A COAUTHOR OF THE
[00:30:33] BOOK, BUT SHE DID SEND ME TO
[00:30:37] SPEAK FOR HER. SO I GUESS I'M
[00:30:38] THE, UH, ACTING LIZA MINNELLI
[00:30:43] TONIGHT. JAZZ HANDS. I DON'T
[00:30:45] KNOW, UH, UH, I HAVE TO SAY THAT
[00:30:47] I AM VERY, VERY PROUD AND HAPPY FOR LIZA, THAT THIS BOOK HAS
[00:30:52] BEEN SO INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL.
[00:30:54] UH, I BELIEVE IT IS SUCCESSFUL
[00:30:57] BECAUSE SHE WAS BRUTALLY HONEST
[00:31:00] ABOUT HERSELF, WHICH WAS NOT
[00:31:03] EASY FOR HER TO DO BECAUSE SHE
[00:31:05] HAS ALWAYS CRAFTED A VERY CAREFUL PUBLIC PERSONA,
[00:31:09] PROTECTING THE MOST PRIVATE
[00:31:10] PARTS OF HERSELF. AND YET, IN
[00:31:14] THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY DEPICTIONS OF
[00:31:17] HER, SO MANY PEOPLE DO IMPERSONATIONS OF HER AND, UH,
[00:31:21] PLAY HER IN MOVIES AND SUCH, AND
[00:31:23] SHE ALWAYS CALLS ME AND SAYS, WHERE'S MY MONEY? I WAS LIKE,
[00:31:27] WHY DON'T I GET ANYTHING FOR THIS? BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH,
[00:31:30] EVEN THOUGH SHE ALWAYS SAID, UH, WHEN I URGED HER TO WRITE A
[00:31:34] BOOK, AND SHE GOT A LOT OF OFFERS TO WRITE A BOOK, SHE
[00:31:38] WOULD ALWAYS SAY, WAIT TILL I'M
[00:31:41] DEAD. BUT SHE REALIZED THAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE TELLING HER
[00:31:44] STORY. AND I SAID, LOOK, YOU WILL GET THE LAST WORD. PEOPLE
[00:31:48] WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS AND THAT. THEY WANT
[00:31:51] TO KNOW THE TRUTH. SO WE DID,
[00:31:52] ABOUT TEN YEARS OF INTERVIEWS,
[00:31:57] LITERALLY TEN YEARS OF INTERVIEWS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO
[00:32:01] COLLATE INTO THIS BOOK, AND IT
[00:32:03] BECAME SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS A PHENOMENON, BECAUSE IT BECAME
[00:32:06] A BOOK OF, OF COURAGE FOR PEOPLE
[00:32:09] WHO ARE FACING ADDICTION, PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING DIFFERENT
[00:32:13] SITUATIONS IN LIFE, WHO READ LIZA'S BOOK AND SAY, WELL, IF SHE CAN GET THROUGH IT, I CAN
[00:32:16] GET THROUGH IT. LIZA, I MUST
[00:32:19] SAY, IS NOT A COMPETITIVE
[00:32:21] PERSON. BUT SHE WAS THRILLED
[00:32:23] THAT HER BOOK OR OUR BOOK, WAS NUMBER ONE ON THE NEW YORK TIMES
[00:32:27] BESTSELLER LIST. AND I'LL TELL
[00:32:29] YOU WHY, BECAUSE BARBRA
[00:32:33] STREISAND. WELL, WHEN I CALLED
[00:32:40] LIZA TO SAY YOUR BOOK IS NUMBER ONE, SHE SAID, REALLY? I SAID,
[00:32:43] YES. AND I SAID, DID YOU KNOW THAT BARBARA'S BOOK ONLY GOT TO
[00:32:47] NUMBER TWO? AND SHE SAID, FOR
[00:32:51] THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE SO
[00:32:55] THAT THAT DELIGHTED HER. UH, IT
[00:33:01] IS WONDERFUL TO BE INVITED TO BE
[00:33:03] HERE AS PART OF THIS EVENT. LIZA
[00:33:05] DID ASK ME TO SEND LOVE TO ALL
[00:33:07] OF YOU, AND THANKS AND GRATITUDE
[00:33:11] FOR FOR INVITING HER. THERE IS A VERY CLOSE ASSOCIATION FOR ME
[00:33:14] WITH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND
[00:33:16] ALSO WITH LIZA. UH, BECAUSE MY
[00:33:19] FIRST TRIP HERE WAS IN CONNECTION WITH THE GERSHWINS,
[00:33:22] WITH IRA GERSHWIN, FOR WHOM I WORKED OVER A PERIOD OF SIX
[00:33:25] YEARS, AND IRA GERSHWIN WAS WAS
[00:33:29] LIZA'S GODFATHER. SHE WAS NAMED
[00:33:31] FOR THE GERSHWIN SONG, AND IT
[00:33:34] WAS THROUGH THE GERSHWINS THAT I ORIGINALLY MET HER FATHER, VINCENTE MINNELLI, WITH WHOM I
[00:33:38] BECAME CLOSE. AND THEN LIZA, WHO
[00:33:39] WHEN I MET, WAS LIKE A LONG LOST
[00:33:43] COUSIN. SO THAT CONNECTION TO
[00:33:46] HISTORY, TO LITERATURE, IS VERY
[00:33:50] IMPORTANT TO LIZA. THE WHAT THE
[00:33:53] LIBRARY REPRESENTS AND PRESERVES
[00:33:56] IS INCALCULABLE. AND, UM, TO
[00:33:58] HAVE A PLACE TO SET THE RECORD
[00:34:00] STRAIGHT, SO TO SPEAK, IS, AS WE
[00:34:02] ALL KNOW, SUPREMELY IMPORTANT. I
[00:34:05] WILL FINISH WITH A LITTLE ANECDOTE THAT INVOLVES IRA.
[00:34:08] DURING THE TIME I WAS WORKING
[00:34:10] FOR MR. GERSHWIN, AND IT WAS BEFORE I CONTEMPLATED WRITING A
[00:34:14] BOOK MYSELF, I WROTE TWO BOOKS
[00:34:16] THAT ARE ABOUT THE GERSHWINS.
[00:34:18] UH. I WAS DISCUSSING A DATE WITH
[00:34:21] IRA, AND, UH, HE SAID, THAT WAS
[00:34:26] 1930. I SAID, NO, IT WAS 1931. AND HE SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO, IT
[00:34:30] WAS 1930. AND I FOUND REFERENCES
[00:34:32] AND I SAID, SEE, IT WAS 1931. HE SAID, WILL YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE
[00:34:36] OVER ME? I SAID, WHAT IS THAT? HE SAID, I'VE ONLY LIVED MY
[00:34:40] LIFE. YOU'VE THOROUGHLY
[00:34:44] RESEARCHED IT. I HOPE TO SEE
[00:34:45] EVERYBODY TOMORROW. THANK YOU.
[00:34:49] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:34:57] [APPLAUSE] >> PLEASE WELCOME THE 25th POET
[00:35:00] LAUREATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
[00:35:05] ARTHUR Z.
[00:35:15] >> UNLIKE THE OTHERS, I WROTE OUT A SHORT STATEMENT THINKING
[00:35:18] I'VE GOT 4 TO 5 MINUTES. SO,
[00:35:21] UM, HERE IT IS. GOOD EVENING. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE AT THE
[00:35:24] LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FOR THE
[00:35:26] START OF THE 2026 NATIONAL BOOK
[00:35:29] FESTIVAL. I WANT TO BEGIN BY
[00:35:33] AFFIRMING THE POWER OF BOOKS.
[00:35:35] BOOKS ARE AN ESSENTIAL FOOD THAT
[00:35:38] NOURISHES OUR UNDERSTANDING.
[00:35:41] EMPATHY, KNOWLEDGE, AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE. BOOKS HELP US
[00:35:45] UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AND THE. ALSO DEEPEN OUR AWARENESS. THEY
[00:35:48] NOT ONLY HELP US SEE WHO WE ARE,
[00:35:52] WHERE WE HAVE BEEN, BUT WE. WHAT
[00:35:55] WE ASPIRE TO BE. THEY FOSTER
[00:35:58] CRITICAL THINKING, INDEPENDENCE,
[00:36:01] IMAGINATION, AND EVEN COURAGE.
[00:36:04] LANGUAGE IS POWERFUL, AND A
[00:36:06] SINGLE BOOK CAN CHANGE A
[00:36:08] READER'S LIFE ONCE WROTE, IF
[00:36:12] THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION WERE CLEANSED, EVERYTHING WOULD
[00:36:16] APPEAR AS. IT IS. INFINITE
[00:36:21] BOOKS, THOUGH FINITE, PUT US IN
[00:36:23] TOUCH WITH INFINITE POSSIBILITY.
[00:36:27] AS THE 25th POET LAUREATE OF THE
[00:36:30] UNITED STATES, I'VE DESIGNED A
[00:36:31] SIGNATURE PROJECT TITLED WORDS
[00:36:36] BRIDGING WORLDS, THAT SEEKS TO
[00:36:39] DISSOLVE THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN
[00:36:42] READING, WRITING, TRANSLATING
[00:36:45] POETRY, AND WRITING POETRY.
[00:36:48] EVERYONE, AND THE BOOK I'VE
[00:36:51] ASSEMBLED TRANSIENT WORLDS ON
[00:36:54] TRANSLATING POETRY ASSEMBLES 22
[00:36:57] POEMS FROM 13 LANGUAGES. THE
[00:37:00] POEMS ARE FROM ARABIC. BRAJ,
[00:37:02] BHASHA, CHINESE, DANISH, FRENCH,
[00:37:07] GERMAN, GREEK, HEBREW, JAPANESE,
[00:37:10] NAVAJO, RUSSIAN, SPANISH, AND
[00:37:12] THE MAYAN LANGUAGE. ZEIZEL TAL.
[00:37:16] ALONG WITH THE POEMS IN THEIR
[00:37:18] ORIGINAL LANGUAGES, I FREQUENTLY
[00:37:21] PROVIDE MULTIPLE TRANSLATIONS IN ENGLISH OF THE SAME POEM TO SHOW
[00:37:25] THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A
[00:37:28] DEFINITIVE TRANSLATION, ALONG
[00:37:31] WITH MY DISCUSSIONS, THE BOOK IS
[00:37:33] DESIGNED TO WIDEN AND DEEPEN THE
[00:37:38] APPRECIATION OF POETRY THROUGH
[00:37:41] THE LENS OF LITERARY TRANSLATION
[00:37:43] BUT THIS BOOK, AND MY SIGNATURE
[00:37:46] PROJECT ARE ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN
[00:37:49] ASSEMBLING A COLLECTION OF
[00:37:50] POEMS. I HOPE THE BOOK IS A
[00:37:53] VEHICLE THAT CAN BRIDGE
[00:37:56] LANGUAGES AND CULTURES TO MAKE
[00:37:58] CONNECTIONS AND BRING US
[00:38:01] TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE OUR SHARED
[00:38:04] HUMANITY. TRANSLATION IS A
[00:38:07] DEEPLY HUMANIZING ENDEAVOR. IT
[00:38:09] MAKES THE ANCIENT, CONTEMPORARY
[00:38:12] THE FOREIGN ACCESSIBLE AND THE
[00:38:15] EMOTIONAL, IMAGINATIVE, AND
[00:38:18] SPIRITUAL MUSIC OF THE HUMAN
[00:38:22] INTERIOR. UNIVERSAL. A GOOD
[00:38:25] TRANSLATION FINDS A CONTEMPORARY
[00:38:27] VOICE AND A SHAPE OF LANGUAGE
[00:38:30] THAT IS FRESH AND COMPELLING.
[00:38:33] INSTEAD OF SEQUENTIAL CHAPTERS,
[00:38:37] THE BOOK IS ORGANIZED INTO
[00:38:40] ZONES, PERMEABLE ARENAS OPEN TO
[00:38:43] DISCOVERY AND TRANSFORMATION,
[00:38:46] AND THE OPENING ZONE. I PRESENT AN ANCIENT CHINESE POEM, ALONG
[00:38:49] WITH A CRIB, WHERE WORDS IN
[00:38:53] ENGLISH ELUCIDATE THE MEANING OF EACH CHINESE CHARACTER. THEN
[00:38:57] THREE DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS
[00:39:00] DISCUSSED THEM, THEN TURN TO THE
[00:39:02] READER AND INVITE THE READER TO
[00:39:05] MAKE THEIR OWN TRANSLATION. I
[00:39:08] ENVISION THE BOOK AS A VEHICLE
[00:39:12] TO EMPOWER READERS TO ACTIVELY
[00:39:15] ENGAGE WITH POEMS AND TRANSLATE,
[00:39:18] USING THEIR OWN VOICES AND
[00:39:20] VISIONS. IN ANOTHER ZONE. I EVEN
[00:39:23] ENCOURAGE A READER WHO MAY NOT KNOW ANOTHER LANGUAGE TO REACH
[00:39:27] OUT TO A FAMILY MEMBER, A
[00:39:29] TEACHER, FRIEND FLUENT IN
[00:39:34] ANOTHER LANGUAGE, AND INITIATE A
[00:39:36] CONVERSATION. DEVELOP TRUST, AND
[00:39:38] MAKE A TRANSLATION. THROUGH
[00:39:42] COLLABORATION TRANSLATION
[00:39:46] BUILDS, BRIDGES AND MAKES
[00:39:48] CONNECTIONS RATHER THAN TREAT
[00:39:51] TRANSLATION AS A MERE ATTEMPT TO
[00:39:54] TRANSFER WORDS FROM ONE LANGUAGE
[00:39:57] TO ANOTHER, I SEE TRANSLATION AS
[00:39:59] AN ACT OF LISTENING, TRUST,
[00:40:05] DISCOVERY, AND ATTENTION. IT'S
[00:40:06] AN EXCHANGE THAT DEEPENS AND
[00:40:09] ENHANCES MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING.
[00:40:13] TONIGHT, WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE
[00:40:15] BOOKS TO CELEBRATE THE POWER OF
[00:40:20] THE HUMAN IMAGINATION AND THE POWER OF LANGUAGE. I THANK THE
[00:40:23] LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FOR
[00:40:25] SPONSORING THE NATIONAL BOOK
[00:40:28] FESTIVAL AND BRINGING US ALL
[00:40:32] TOGETHER. THANK YOU.
[00:40:43] >> PLEASE WELCOME AUTHOR, CO AND
[00:40:47] CO-MANAGING EDITOR OF PBS
[00:40:51] NEWSHOUR, GEOFF BENNETT. >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:40:54] >> GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE HERE WITH
[00:40:57] SO MANY EXTRAORDINARY WRITERS
[00:41:00] AND READERS AND LOVERS OF THE WRITTEN WORD. I ALSO HAVE TO
[00:41:03] ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUES IN PUBLIC MEDIA, FROM WETA, FROM
[00:41:07] THE PBS NEWSHOUR, FROM NPR. I'M
[00:41:09] PROUD TO SAY THAT PUBLIC MEDIA HAS LONG BEEN IN THE BUSINESS OF
[00:41:12] CELEBRATING BOOKS AND WRITERS,
[00:41:15] AND THE LIFE OF THE MIND. SO IF
[00:41:18] YOU HAPPEN TO BE A PUBLIC MEDIA FRIEND OF MINE, YOU JUST WAVE
[00:41:20] YOUR HAND. THANK YOU FOR THE
[00:41:25] WORK THAT YOU DO. SO IN THINKING
[00:41:28] OF WHAT LED ME TO THIS MOMENT, TO BE STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU, I HAVE TO TELL YOU,
[00:41:32] WHEN I THINK OF IT, I NEVER REALLY HAD A CHOICE ABOUT
[00:41:35] BECOMING A JOURNALIST, OR A WRITER, OR A STORYTELLER,
[00:41:39] BECAUSE WHEN BOTH OF YOUR PARENTS ARE EDUCATORS, AS WERE
[00:41:42] MINE, READING WASN'T ENCOURAGED IN MY HOUSE. IT WAS A CONDITION
[00:41:46] OF LIVING. THERE. YOU COULD GET
[00:41:50] OUT OF MOWING THE LAWN. YOU COULD NOT GET OUT OF READING. AND THERE WERE BOOKS ON THE
[00:41:54] SHELVES. THERE WERE BOOKS ON THE KITCHEN TABLE. THERE WERE BOOKS
[00:41:57] SLIDING AROUND THE BACK OF THE CAR. AND NOW, AS A PARENT, I
[00:41:59] FIND MYSELF PUSHING THAT
[00:42:02] EXPECTATION FORWARD. I'M FAR LESS CONCERNED ABOUT SCREEN TIME
[00:42:06] AND FAR MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PAGE TIME. BUT I HAVE TO TELL
[00:42:08] YOU THAT THE DEEPER CONNECTION I
[00:42:11] HAVE TO THE WRITTEN WORD LEADS BACK TO MY GRANDFATHER, WHO
[00:42:14] ALWAYS HAD A BOOK BY HIS SIDE.
[00:42:16] MY GRANDFATHER WAS ONE OF THE
[00:42:18] FIRST BLACK POLICE OFFICERS IN CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, AND BEFORE
[00:42:22] THAT, HE SERVED IN WORLD WAR TWO AND ONE OF THE ARMY'S FAMED
[00:42:25] BUFFALO SOLDIER REGIMENTS. SO THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT REQUIRES
[00:42:28] TO FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY ABROAD, WHILE BEING DENIED ITS FULL
[00:42:31] MEASURE HERE AT HOME, AND THEN
[00:42:35] COMING BACK AND DECIDING TO PUT ON ANOTHER UNIFORM ANYWAY, TO
[00:42:38] KEEP SHOWING UP, TO KEEP BELIEVING THIS COUNTRY WAS WORTH
[00:42:41] HOLDING TO ITS PROMISES. AND HE NEVER LECTURED ABOUT ANY OF
[00:42:44] THAT. BUT I REMEMBER WATCHING HIM READ, AND I CAN STILL SEE
[00:42:47] HIM WITH COLIN POWELL'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY. WHEN IT CAME OUT
[00:42:50] IN THE MID 90s, AND IT WAS THIS
[00:42:52] MAN WHO HAD WORN THE UNIFORM,
[00:42:55] READING THE STORY OF ANOTHER MAN WHO HAD WORN IT, TOO, AND HAD
[00:42:58] RISEN TO THE VERY TOP OF THE
[00:43:01] INSTITUTION THAT ONCE TOLD MEN LIKE MY GRANDFATHER WHERE THEY
[00:43:04] COULD AND COULD NOT SERVE. AND
[00:43:06] HE READ THAT BOOK WITH THE QUIET
[00:43:08] RECOGNITION OF SOMEONE WHO HAD FINALLY FELT SEEN. I WAS YOUNG,
[00:43:11] BUT I KNEW I WAS WITNESSING SOMETHING IMPORTANT, A MAN
[00:43:15] FINDING HIMSELF IN THE RECORD.
[00:43:18] AND NOW, SOME THREE DECADES LATER, I LEARNED WHAT THE OTHER
[00:43:21] SIDE OF THAT IS LIKE, IN A WAY, BECAUSE I WROTE A BOOK OF MY OWN. IT'S CALLED BLACK OUT
[00:43:25] LOUD. IT'S A CULTURAL HISTORY OF
[00:43:28] BLACK COMEDY, THE FORMATIVE 90s SITCOMS THAT I AND SO MANY OF US
[00:43:30] GREW UP ON, AND HOW IT ALL TRANSFORMED THE CULTURE. AND
[00:43:34] YES, PART OF THAT RESEARCH INVOLVED WATCHING OLD EPISODES
[00:43:37] OF MARTIN AND FRESH PRINCE AND LIVING COLOR, AND LISTENING TO
[00:43:40] OLD RICHARD PRYOR ALBUMS, AND
[00:43:43] WATCHING OLD MOMS MABLEY AND THE WHOLE THING. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS
[00:43:45] SACRIFICE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,
[00:43:48] BUT IT WAS ALL DONE IN THE NAME
[00:43:51] OF SCHOLARSHIP. BUT WHAT I FOUND WAS A MUCH LONGER STORY. AS I
[00:43:55] WAS DOING THE RESEARCH AND TALKING TO ALL THE FOLKS THAT
[00:43:57] AGREED TO GIVE ME INTERVIEWS, THERE WERE GENERATIONS OF
[00:44:01] PERFORMERS WHO FOUGHT THEIR WAY PAST THE STEREOTYPES THAT WERE
[00:44:04] HANDED TO THEM, WHO FOUGHT TO BE SEEN ON SCREEN, AND TO HOLD THE
[00:44:07] PEN. AND THAT BECAME THE ARGUMENT AT THE CENTER OF MY BOOK THAT REPRESENTATION
[00:44:11] MATTERS. YES, YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT BEFORE, BUT
[00:44:14] AUTHORSHIP MATTERS MORE. IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO APPEAR IN THE
[00:44:18] STORY. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE
[00:44:19] POWER TO TELL IT.
[00:44:23] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:44:27] >> AND, AND SITTING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THAT HISTORY AND
[00:44:30] GETTING THEIR STORIES DOWN, IT REMINDED ME THAT HISTORY ISN'T
[00:44:33] JUST SOMETHING WE INHERIT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE MAKE.
[00:44:37] IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PRESERVE, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE PASS ON.
[00:44:40] AND EVERY GENERATION HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SOMETHING NEW
[00:44:42] TO THAT RECORD. AND THAT IS WHY
[00:44:47] THIS PLACE, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, MATTERS SO MUCH. THE LARGEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD.
[00:44:49] YES, IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US.
[00:44:51] ABSOLUTELY. IT PRESERVES THE
[00:44:54] STORIES THAT TELL US WHO WE WERE, HOW WE LIVED, AND WHAT WE
[00:44:57] VALUED. AND AT THIS MOMENT, WHEN
[00:45:03] SO MUCH INFORMATION IS DISPUTED, DISTORTED, OR QUIETLY DISAPPEARING, A NATIONAL LIBRARY
[00:45:06] ISN'T SOME LUXURY. IT IS HOW THIS COUNTRY KEEPS ITS MEMORY.
[00:45:10] WE LIVE IN THE AGE OF THE INFINITE SCROLL, WHERE THE
[00:45:13] ALGORITHM FEEDS US WHAT WE ALREADY BELIEVE, WHERE EVERYTHING CAN BE REFRESHED,
[00:45:16] SWIPED AWAY, INTERRUPTED BY THE
[00:45:19] NEXT NOTIFICATION. A BOOK REFUSES ALL OF THAT. IT ASKS YOU
[00:45:22] TO LIVE INSIDE SOMEBODY ELSE'S MIND FOR 300 PAGES, MAYBE MORE.
[00:45:26] MY BOOK WAS 366 PAGES, AND TO
[00:45:30] STAY WITH AN IDEA LONG ENOUGH TO
[00:45:32] UNDERSTAND, AND I HAVE TO TELL
[00:45:34] YOU THAT IN THIS MOMENT, READING AND READING SLOWLY, IS CLOSE TO
[00:45:37] A RADICAL ACT. AND READING
[00:45:41] MATTERS FOR THE REASON MY GRANDFATHER TAUGHT ME WITHOUT
[00:45:43] EVER SAYING A WORD. IT'S HOW WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE RECORD,
[00:45:47] THE WAY HE DID IN COLIN POWELL'S STORY. IT WAS ONE OF
[00:45:50] THE GREATEST HONORS OF MY LIFE TO FINALLY MEET SECRETARY POWELL
[00:45:53] AND TELL HIM HOW MUCH HE MEANT TO ME THROUGH MY GRANDFATHER.
[00:45:57] AND IT'S HOW WE MAKE SURE THE RECORD IS BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD ALL
[00:45:59] OF US. SO THIS WEEKEND, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LEAVE WITH A
[00:46:03] BOOK YOU CAME FOR AND ONE YOU DIDN'T BUY WAY MORE BOOKS THAN
[00:46:06] YOU INTENDED. I SAY THAT AS AS A
[00:46:09] READER, AND IN THE INTEREST OF
[00:46:10] FULL DISCLOSURE, AS AN AUTHOR,
[00:46:13] ENGAGE WITH A VOICE THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOURS, A
[00:46:16] STORY THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOUR OWN. BECAUSE THAT'S THE
[00:46:19] WAGER THAT EVERY GREAT BOOK MAKES THAT A STRANGER CAN BECOME
[00:46:22] FAMILIAR, THAT SOMEONE ELSE'S STORY CAN CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE
[00:46:26] YOUR OWN. AND REMEMBER THAT SOMEWHERE IN THIS ROOM IS A
[00:46:28] STORY THAT ONLY YOU CAN TELL. AND SOMEWHERE OUT THERE,
[00:46:32] THERE'S A READER THAT'S WAITING TO FIND THEMSELVES IN IT. THANK
[00:46:34] YOU. AND HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY
[00:46:40] NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL.
[00:46:51] >> PLEASE WELCOME AWARD WINNING
[00:46:52] HUMOR WRITER AND ADVOCATE, JENNY
[00:46:57] LAWSON.
[00:46:57] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:47:03] >> OKAY, Y'ALL, I AM NOT A
[00:47:06] SPEAKER. AND SO I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE
[00:47:10] MY ADHD MEDS HAVE WORN OFF, I'M GOING TO BE READING A LITTLE BIT
[00:47:12] BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT ME TO
[00:47:17] RAMBLE. SO MY CHILD LEFT FOR COLLEGE, UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS
[00:47:19] AGO, AND I PANICKED BECAUSE I
[00:47:23] IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT THERE'S SO
[00:47:24] MUCH I FORGOT TO TELL YOU. AND I
[00:47:27] THOUGHT, I NEED TO PUT THIS
[00:47:29] TOGETHER. AND SO WHAT I DID WAS I STARTED WRITING DOWN ALL OF
[00:47:33] THESE LITTLE THINGS THAT I HAD LEARNED THE HARD WAY. AND THIS
[00:47:36] GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER, AND IT
[00:47:39] BECAME A BOOK, HOW TO BE OKAY
[00:47:40] WHEN NOTHING IS OKAY. AND IT
[00:47:44] INCLUDES ALL OF THE STRANGE
[00:47:45] TOOLS AND TRICKS THAT I HAVE USED TO LIVE WITH TREATMENT
[00:47:49] RESISTANT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND ADHD AND MEMORY
[00:47:52] ISSUES, AND CHRONIC ILLNESS AND
[00:47:54] SELF-DOUBT, AND DEALING WITH
[00:47:58] IMPOSTOR SYNDROME, WHICH IS SCREAMING AT ME RIGHT NOW.
[00:48:00] BECAUSE WHO AM I FOLLOWING? ARE
[00:48:03] YOU KIDDING ME? LIKE, I LITERALLY, I SENT A SCREENSHOT A
[00:48:06] MINUTE AGO TO MY SISTER AND SHE WAS LIKE, ARE YOU ON A PRANK
[00:48:09] SHOW ANYWAY, I'M NOT REALLY
[00:48:13] GOING TO TALK ABOUT MY BOOK. WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS I
[00:48:16] OFTEN GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM
[00:48:19] YOUNG PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT MY WORKS HAVE HELPED THEM TO SEE
[00:48:22] THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE, AND HAVE GIVEN THEM WORDS TO ASK FOR
[00:48:25] HELP WHEN THEY'RE STRUGGLING.
[00:48:27] AND I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THAT'S ME
[00:48:31] GIVING BACK, BECAUSE SO MANY
[00:48:32] BOOKS SAVED ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG,
[00:48:36] I WAS PAINFULLY SHY GROWING UP, AND MOST OF MY BEST FRIENDS WERE
[00:48:40] THE PEOPLE THAT I MET IN BOOKS.
[00:48:41] WE LIVED IN RURAL TEXAS, BUT WE
[00:48:46] COULD WALK TO A BOOKMOBILE A COUPLE OF TIMES A MONTH, AND
[00:48:48] THAT WAS A PASSPORT TO THE
[00:48:50] WORLD. AND THAT LIBRARIAN WAS A
[00:48:53] WIZARD. AND I WOULD WALK IN AND SHE WOULD SAY, HAVE YOU MET ALL
[00:48:57] OF A KIND FAMILY? AND SHE WOULD SAY, HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS TREE
[00:49:00] THAT'S GROWING IN BROOKLYN? AND SHE WOULD SAY, YOU LOOK LIKE
[00:49:04] YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY. HAVE YOU HAVE YOU MET RAMONA QUIMBY?
[00:49:07] AND SHE OPENED ALL OF THESE
[00:49:12] WORLDS AND PEOPLE AND IDEAS. AND
[00:49:14] AS I GOT OLDER, I HAD READ
[00:49:18] EVERYTHING IN MY AGE SECTION OVER AND OVER, AND I BEGAN TO, LIKE, MOVE OVER TO THE
[00:49:22] RESTRICTED SECTION. AND, AND MY MOM WAS LIKE, YOU CAN'T READ
[00:49:26] STEPHEN KING. YOU'RE A CHILD.
[00:49:27] UM, AND SO, AND MY MOM IS A
[00:49:31] PROLIFIC READER AND SHE WAS LIKE, SUPER RESPECTED, BUT ALSO
[00:49:34] LIKE, YOU'RE TOO YOUNG. AND I WAS LIKE, TOTALLY. SO I WENT AND
[00:49:38] I STOLE ALL OF THOSE BOOKS FROM
[00:49:39] MY GRANDMOTHER. UM, AND, UH, WHO
[00:49:43] TOTALLY KNEW I WAS DOING IT. UH,
[00:49:46] AND SO I, AFTER I'D READ ALL OF THE STEPHEN KING BOOKS, I MOVED
[00:49:48] ON TO THE NEXT BOOKS ON HER
[00:49:51] OTHER SHELVES. AND THERE WAS
[00:49:54] SOMETHING SO DANGEROUSLY EXCITING ABOUT READING THESE
[00:49:58] FORBIDDEN BOOKS. AND WITH EACH
[00:50:00] ONE, I LEARNED SOME SECRET PIECE OF THE UNIVERSE THAT MADE ME
[00:50:03] STRONGER. UH, FROM THE COLOR
[00:50:07] PURPLE, I LEARNED THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS NOT THE ONLY
[00:50:10] PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO LIKED
[00:50:11] BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS. AND FROM
[00:50:15] HER COPY OF STEPFORD WIVES, I
[00:50:16] LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING YOURSELF. AND FROM HER V.C.
[00:50:20] ANDREWS. I LEARNED THAT YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE OUT WITH YOUR
[00:50:22] BROTHER IN THE ATTIC. WE ALL
[00:50:29] READ IT. TOO YOUNG. UM, AND
[00:50:33] IT'S PROBABLY NOT A NECESSARY LESSON, BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN
[00:50:36] HAVE A BROTHER OR AN ATTIC. BUT
[00:50:45] REGARDLESS, BOOKS SAVED ME AS A LONELY CHILD. AS A SCARED
[00:50:47] TEENAGER. AND THEY SAVED ME. NOW
[00:50:50] THEY GIVE ME COMPASSION AND KNOWLEDGE. AND MOST OF ALL,
[00:50:53] HOPE. AND RIGHT NOW, WE NEED
[00:50:57] THAT. BECAUSE IN TEXAS, BOOKS ARE BEING BANNED AND RESTRICTED
[00:51:00] AT LEVELS I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT
[00:51:03] JUST TEXAS. I SUPPOSE IN SOME
[00:51:06] WAYS, I HOPE THAT THAT TERRIBLE
[00:51:08] BOOK BANNING THAT'S HAPPENING
[00:51:10] NOW CREATES THAT SAME CURIOSITY
[00:51:13] OF FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE AND EXCITEMENT THAT MAKES KIDS SAY,
[00:51:16] WHAT IS IT THAT'S SO DANGEROUS IN THESE BOOKS? WHAT IS IT
[00:51:20] YOU'RE AFRAID THAT I'LL DO WITH THIS POWER AND THIS
[00:51:23] KNOWLEDGE THAT I'LL GAIN FROM THEM? WHY ARE BOOK BANNERS SO
[00:51:26] AFRAID OF ALREADY MARGINALIZED VOICES? AND THEY'LL DISCOVER THE
[00:51:30] SAME THING. I DISCOVERED THAT IF YOU READ THEM, THEY BECOME YOUR
[00:51:34] FRIENDS, AND YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM, AND YOU WANT TO
[00:51:38] PROTECT THEM, INSTEAD OF BEING
[00:51:40] AFRAID OF THEM. TODAY IS A
[00:51:42] REALLY SCARY TIME TO BE A
[00:51:45] LIBRARIAN, OR A BOOKSELLER, OR A WRITER, AND THAT MAKES THE WORK
[00:51:48] THAT WE DO EVEN MORE NEEDED TO
[00:51:50] SAY TO PEOPLE, YOU ARE NOT
[00:51:54] ALONE. HERE IS THE WORLD IN A BOOK. AND PERHAPS RIGHT NOW YOU
[00:51:57] ARE WRITING A BOOK WHICH WILL BECOME SOMEONE'S VERY BEST
[00:52:00] FRIEND, OR WILL GIFT THEM WITH
[00:52:03] COMPASSION OR KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL CHANGE THEIR LIFE. THIS IS
[00:52:06] SACRED WORK, AND SACRED WORK IS
[00:52:08] ALWAYS THREATENED. THE
[00:52:13] BOOKMOBILE LIBRARIAN AND THE BOOKMOBILE AND MY GRANDMOTHER
[00:52:15] ARE ALL ARE ALL GONE NOW, SO I CAN'T THANK THEM HERE. BUT I
[00:52:19] CAN THANK YOU HERE FOR THE WORK
[00:52:21] THAT YOU DO AS WRITERS AND AS
[00:52:25] READERS, AND AS LIBRARIANS AND
[00:52:28] AS ADVOCATES. YOU OPEN WORLDS TO
[00:52:31] OTHERS, AND YOU LET US SEE AND
[00:52:34] BE SEEN, AND YOU SAVE US IN WAYS THAT YOU CAN NEVER IMAGINE. AND
[00:52:38] I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR IT.
[00:52:41] >> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
[00:52:58] [APPLAUSE]
[00:53:00] >> WOW, WHAT AN EVENING, MR.
[00:53:02] BENNET. CAN I STEAL THAT QUOTE
[00:53:05] ABOUT A NATIONAL LIBRARY? THAT
[00:53:07] IS REALLY VERY COMPELLING? SO
[00:53:12] WOULD YOU HELP ME THANK OUR
[00:53:16] AUTHORS TONIGHT?
[00:53:17] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:53:26] [APPLAUSE] >> AND NOW, WE INVITE YOU TO
[00:53:29] JOIN US ON THE MEZZANINE LEVEL FOR OUR RECEPTION. AND I LOOK
[00:53:32] FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU
[00:53:34] TOMORROW. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[00:53:37] >> [APPLAUSE]
[00:53:51] [APPLAUSE]
[01:00:33] >> VISIT LOC.GOV/FRIENDS TO LEARN MORE AND STOP BY OUR FRIENDS TABLE OUTSIDE THE EXPO
[01:00:36] HALL TO SIGN UP. THE MOST IMPORTANT SUPPORTER OF THE
[01:00:39] NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL IS DAVID
[01:00:40] M RUBENSTEIN, A STAUNCH ADVOCATE
[01:00:44] OF READING AND LITERACY. MR.
[01:00:46] RUBENSTEIN HAS BEEN THE LEAD
[01:00:50] DONOR TO THE FESTIVAL FOR MORE THAN A DECADE NOW, AND HE IS
[01:00:51] ALSO CHAIR OF OUR JAMES MADISON
[01:00:55] COUNCIL, THE LIBRARY'S LEADING PHILANTHROPIC GROUP. SINCE 1990, WHICH PROVIDED