Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:01DEGREES OUTSIDE. WE'RE IN THE BELT.
00:00:03REMIND ME IN THE DESERT. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COOLING
00:00:07COSTS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WATER. YEAH.
00:00:11SO ON ELECTRICITY, A LOT OF WHAT
00:00:14WE TALK ABOUT IN THE BOOK ARE ON GREEN ENERGY MANDATES AND WE PAY
00:00:19SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FOR ELECTRICITY IN CALIFORNIA, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE'RE VERY
00:00:24ENERGY EFFICIENT ALREADY, WE USE FAR LESS ELECTRICITY IN
00:00:27CALIFORNIA THAN ON AVERAGE.
00:00:29SO IT AFFECTS PEOPLE LIVING IN
00:00:32THIS PART OF THE STATE, THE INLAND, HOTTER PARTS OF THE
00:00:36STATE, WHICH COINCIDENTALLY,
00:00:38WHERE THEY'RE MORE. HIGHER MINORITY COMMUNITIES
00:00:42HERE, POORER COMMUNITIES IS THE POOR AND RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT
00:00:45ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF THE GOVERNMENT.
00:00:48GREEN MANDATES ON ELECTRICITY. THEN YOU HAVE ON WATER.
00:00:51IT'S THE YOU KNOW, WE PUT OUT A BOOK, IF THESE ARE CALLED
00:00:55WINNING THE WATER WARS, IT'S THE BATTLE THAT WILL NEVER AND AND
00:00:59IT'S THE NORTH STATE BATTLE OF
00:01:01THE WATERS IN THE NORTH. AND THE PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH NEED
00:01:05IT. AND IT'S THE INTERNAL POLITICAL BATTLE. AND IT'S ALSO VERY, VERY
00:01:09EXPENSIVE TO DO AS WELL TO PUT
00:01:11THE CONVEYANCE INTO PLACE, TO
00:01:13BUILD, YOU KNOW, BRING THE WATER DOWN SOUTH.
00:01:16BUT IT AGAIN, IS ALSO A PRIORITY ISSUE. SO ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE
00:01:20HAVE IS SO MUCH OF THE WATER THAT WE HAVE IN CALIFORNIA GOES
00:01:24OUT TO SEA EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ABOVE GROUND
00:01:26WATER STORAGE IN THE NORTH TO CAPTURE.
00:01:29WHEN I WORKED IN THE LEGISLATURE BEFORE COMING TO PRI, MY BOSS AT
00:01:33THE TIME, CONNIE CONWAY, LATER WENT ON TO BE A MEMBER OF
00:01:36CONGRESS. SHE CHAMPIONED AND WE GOT $7.8
00:01:40BILLION TO BUILD MORE ABOVE GROUND WATER STORAGE.
00:01:42THAT WAS OVER A DECADE AGO. THE VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY
00:01:46APPROVED THIS, AND YET WE HAVE NOT BUILT ANY ABOVE GROUND WATER
00:01:49STORAGE SINCE THEN. WE'RE EITHER NOT SPENDING THE
00:01:52MONEY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN HELD UP BY BUREAUCRACY OR THEY'RE
00:01:55SPENDING MONEY ON OTHER LESSER PRIORITIES.
00:01:59HOW LONG DID YOU WORK IN THE
00:02:01CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE, AND WHO ELSE DID YOU WORK FOR?
00:02:05SO I WORKED THERE ABOUT 18 YEARS.
00:02:07MOST OF THE TIME I WAS IN THE ASSEMBLY.
00:02:10I WORKED FOR AS AN AIDE, AS AN AIDE.
00:02:12I WAS COMMUNICATE AS DIRECTOR FOR ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS.
00:02:16I WORKED FOR, I THINK I COUNTED. WHEN I LEFT, IT WAS WITH NINE
00:02:19DIFFERENT REPUBLICAN LEADERS. SO KEVIN MCCARTHY, WHEN HE WAS
00:02:23ASSEMBLY, REPUBLICAN LEADER CONNIE CONWAY, WHO LATER WENT ON
00:02:25TO BE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, THEN IN THE MIDDLE THERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, I WORKED FOR
00:02:29GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER, AND HE WAS GOVERNOR. I WAS A MEMBER OF HIS
00:02:33SPEECHWRITER TEAM. WHAT IS THE PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE?
00:02:38HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AROUND? SO PERRY'S BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE 1979.
00:02:41WE WERE FOUNDED IN SAN FRANCISCO, AND WE'RE A FREE
00:02:45MARKET PUBLIC POLICY THINK TANK.
00:02:47AND WE DO WORK ON EVERY ISSUE
00:02:50YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT'S GOING ON IN CALIFORNIA.
00:02:52SO, MR. NYA, WHEN YOU SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE NEW MAYOR IN
00:02:55SAN FRANCISCO, DOES THAT PLEASE YOU?
00:02:59YEAH, HE'S DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
00:03:01HE'S LIVING IN REALITY, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HE'S
00:03:05SAYING. WE HAVE A HOMELESS PROBLEM. THAT'S BEEN GOING OUT OF CONTROL
00:03:08FOR SO LONG AND STATUS QUO
00:03:12THINKING ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
00:03:14SO WE NEED TO. LET'S TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
00:03:17LET'S HAVE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY. IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH ANYMORE TO
00:03:21SAY WE'RE PRESENTING A BIG CHECK. WE'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY, AND
00:03:25THEN THERE'S NO THOUGHT OF WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
00:03:28IS WHAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON WORKING. SO WHEN YOU SEE HIM AND WHEN
00:03:31HE'S TALKING ABOUT THAT OR THE ISSUES OF EDUCATION IN SAN
00:03:36FRANCISCO, RIGHT, WHERE THERE'S BEEN THIS DEBATE OF SHOULD WE
00:03:39HAVE ALGEBRA IN THE HIGH
00:03:42SCHOOLS, VOTERS HAD TO TAKE TO THE BALLOT TO SAY, YES, WE WANT
00:03:45OUR CHILDREN TO LEARN ALGEBRA ONE IN THE EIGHTH GRADE.
00:03:48THAT'S A SIGN ON CRIME.
00:03:50YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE HAD HUGE ISSUES ON CRIME IN CALIFORNIA,
00:03:54RETAIL THEFT, WHERE YOU HAD 70% OF CALIFORNIA VOTERS IN EVERY
00:03:58COUNTY, INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO, SAY S ENOUGH.
00:04:00WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
00:04:03WE DON'T WANT ALL THE DRUG STORES CLOSING.
00:04:05WE DON'T WANT MARKETS STREET BECOMING A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE OF NOTHING.
00:04:10SO HE'S ONTO SOMETHING.
00:04:13THERE ARE SOME SMART MAYORS ACROSS PARTY LINES.
00:04:17HE'S WON MAYOR OF SAN JOSE, MATT MANN.
00:04:19THEY'RE DOING SMART, INTERESTING THINGS ON HOMELESSNESS, ON
00:04:23CRIME, ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP, IN
00:04:25EDUCATION THAT I THINK IT MIGHT
00:04:28BE THE NUCLEUS OF MAYBE A LITTLE DIFFERENT DIRECTION POPPING UP
00:04:32IN CALIFORNIA. NOW, IT WAS IN THE SEVENTIES
00:04:34THAT THERE WAS A TAX REVOLT IN CALIFORNIA.
00:04:38HOWARD AND I'M FORGETTING HOWARD JARVIS. HOWARD JARVIS IS WHAT HAPPENED
00:04:42THEN STILL IN EFFECT, AND HOW IS THAT IMPACTED HOUSING IN
00:04:46CALIFORNIA? YES, IT IS STILL IN EFFECT.
00:04:49THE LAW, PROP 13, WHICH LIMITS
00:04:51HOW MUCH YOU CAN ASSESS PROPERTY
00:04:53TAXES AND HOW MUCH THEY CAN INCREASE EACH YEAR.
00:04:57THERE'S ALSO EFFECTS ON THE ON THE STATE BUDGET.
00:04:59IT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IT
00:05:02DOESN'T AFFECT AS MUCH HOUSING CONSTRUCTION.
00:05:05WHAT IT AFFECTS IS PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO AFFORD A HOME.
00:05:10SO THAT'S ONE OF THE GOOD AREAS
00:05:13WHERE CALIFORNIA IS RELATIVELY WELL COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE
00:05:17COUNTRY ON PROPERTY TAX BURDENS.
00:05:19BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST OF BUILDING HOUSING, AGAIN, THAT'S
00:05:22ALL THE REGULATIONS AND BUREAUCRACY THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
00:05:26THERE ARE A LOT OF LOCAL ISSUES
00:05:29WHERE THERE'S RESTRICTIONS AND COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY DON'T
00:05:33WANT TO HAVE HOUSING BUILT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SO THEY MAKE
00:05:36IT AS DIFFICULT AND EXPENSE OF
00:05:38AS IT CAN BE FOR A DEVELOPER OR AN INDIVIDUAL TO COME IN AND
00:05:42BUILD A HOUSE OR EVEN PUT A GRANNY FLAT IN THE BACKYARD FOR
00:05:45YOUR MOTHER IN LAW OR TO RENT OUT AS A SMALLER HOUSE.
00:05:50SO PROP 13 REALLY ISN'T THE ISSUE ON HOUSING.
00:05:52IT'S MORE ALL THE OTHER POLICIES
00:05:54AND REGULATIONS THAT MAKE IT SO DIFFICULT.
00:05:57AND THERE'S A MOVEMENT HERE. I WILL SAY THAT'S A BIPARTISAN
00:06:00MOVEMENT TO REFORM SOME OF THESE
00:06:03HOUSING LAWS AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR SAN FRANCISCO AND OTHERS
00:06:07CITIES TO BUILD THE HOUSING THAT
00:06:09WE NEED IN THE CALIFORNIA LEFT COAST. SURVIVAL GUIDE.
00:06:13DO YOU ADDRESS SANCTUARY CITIES
00:06:16AND THE ISSUE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION? A LITTLE BIT.
00:06:19A LITTLE BIT. WE DON'T DO A LOT OF DIRECT WORK
00:06:22ON IMMIGRANT ACTION AT PRI, BUT
00:06:25I WOULD SAY THE OVERALL ISSUE OF
00:06:28IS KIND OF GAVIN NEWSOM ON DISPLAY.
00:06:30ONE OF MY MAIN POINTS THAT I
00:06:33MAKE ABOUT WHAT HE CALLS THE CALIFORNIA WAY, WHICH IS HIS
00:06:37KIND OF AGENDA AND PHILOSOPHY AND ATTITUDE OF GOVERNMENTS, IS
00:06:41A LOT OF IT IS KIND OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS THAT WE SEE.
00:06:44SO HE SAW THREE WEEKS AGO THE GOVERNOR WAS FIGHTING A PROPOSAL
00:06:50TO EXPAND MEDI-CAL TO ALL. AND DOCUMENTED IN CALIFORNIA
00:06:52SAID IT'S TO EXPENSIVE.
00:06:54WELL, THAT WAS GOVERNOR NEWSOM THEN BEING I'M THE BUDGET CUTTER.
00:06:58I HAVE A $12 BILLION DEFICIT THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
00:07:01WELL, THREE WEEKS LATER NOW IT'S
00:07:03I AS THE GOVERNOR, I WANT TO BE THE LEADER OF THE RESISTANCE.
00:07:07SO WHEN WE HAVE ALL THE ICE ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA NOW,
00:07:10I'M GOING TO BE THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AND ALL OF THAT.
00:07:15SO IT'S IRONIC, TOO, THAT HE WAS
00:07:17TALKING ABOUT AUTHORITARIANISM
00:07:20WHEN MANY PEOPLE REMEMBER THE LOCKDOWNS, THE COVID LOCKDOWNS
00:07:24IN CALIFORNIA WAS PERHAPS THE MOST STRICT IN THE ENTIRE
00:07:31COUNTRY, 38%. THAT'S WHAT DONALD TRUMP GOT IN
00:07:34THE 2020 FOR PRESIDENT GENERAL ELECTION.
00:07:37THE DEMOCRATS SUPERMAJORITY IN
00:07:39THE ASSEMBLY AND THE SENATE IN SACRAMENTO.
00:07:43DO THE REPUBLICANS STAND A CHANCE IN THIS STATE?
00:07:46I THINK THE IDEA IS STAND A CHANCE.
00:07:49I DON'T KNOW THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY STANDS A CHANCE.
00:07:53ONE OF MY WELL, YOU MIGHT CALL IT A THESIS.
00:07:56I'LL BE BOLD AND CALL IT A POSTULATE.
00:07:59IS FREE MARKET IDEAS THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN
00:08:02OUR BOOK AND THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN ON THINGS LIKE
00:08:07HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING AND
00:08:08SCHOOL CHOICE AND AB5 GIG WORK.
00:08:12THE RESTRICTIONS ON ENTREPRENEURS.
00:08:15I BELIEVE THEY FORM THE NEW PLACE TO BUILD UNTRADITIONAL
00:08:19POLITICAL ALLIANCES THAT CAN BRING MORE POLITICAL BALANCE IN CALIFORNIA.
00:08:22AND SO WHEN YOU SEE WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, THAT PROP
00:08:2536, THE LEGISLATION ON RETAIL
00:08:29THEFT GOT 70% OF THE VOTE IN THE
00:08:31STATE, WON EVERY COUNTY,
00:08:34INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO AND ALAMEDA COUNTY.
00:08:36YOU KNOW THAT I THINK IS A WAKE UP CALL.
00:08:39AND I THINK IT SHOWS IF YOU HAVE POLITICS, PERSONS WHO ARE
00:08:43FOCUSING ON THE RIGHT IDEAS, I THINK THAT CAN CARRY THE WAY
00:08:47FORWARD. FROM YOUR BOOK, VISITORS TO CALIFORNIA ARE ADVISED TO PACK
00:08:51PLENTY OF SUPPLIES AS IT MAY BE
00:08:55DIFFICULT TO REPLENISH THEM WHILE TRAVELING ACROSS THE STATE.
00:08:58WHY DO YOU SAY THAT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS I THINK ONE OF THE MOST AMUSING
00:09:02PARTS OF THE BOOK IS ALL THAT CALIFORNIA IS KNOWN FOR.
00:09:04ALL THE BANDS WE'VE BEEN. SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE FUN WITH
00:09:08EVERYTHING. WE WANT TO BAN EVERYTHING. DESPITE WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK OF
00:09:11THE STATE AS A HAPPY GO LUCKY STATE. SO WHEN YOU GO THROUGH AND
00:09:15THINGS LIKE MY FAVORITE IS THE
00:09:17LITTLE PLASTIC BOTTLES OF
00:09:19SHAMPOO THAT YOU GET IN HOTELS. NOW THERE WAS NOT ANY ISSUE WITH
00:09:23THAT. THERE IS NO STUDY OR DATA TO SHOW WE'RE HAVING A HUGE ISSUE
00:09:27OF PLASTIC PROBLEMS FROM LITTLE HOTEL SHAMPOO BOTTLES.
00:09:31ONE LEGISLATOR JUST DECIDED HE WANTED TO DO IT AND GOT THE
00:09:33LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO GO ALONG WITH IT. SO THINGS LIKE THAT, IT SHOWS
00:09:37THE ATTITUDE OF WHY ARE WE FOCUSED ON THIS?
00:09:41BUT WHEN YOU GO DOWN THE LINE,
00:09:43THE PLASTIC STRAWS, PLASTIC
00:09:45BOTTLES, WE BAN WANT TO BAN ONE,
00:09:49LET'S SAY I WANTED TO BAN CLEAR, WHICH HELPS SPEED YOU THROUGH THE AIRPORT.
00:09:53ALL OF THESE THINGS. RIGHT. ARE JUST A SIGN OF WE REALLY
00:09:56NEED TO GET OUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT AND ARE ARE THESE
00:09:59REALLY THINGS THAT SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA.
00:10:02AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 1% OF THE
00:10:07OCEAN POLLUTION FROM PLASTIC IS FROM THE UNITED STATES.
00:10:11SO, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES YOU A WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH ALL OF
00:10:13THESE HUGE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND PRIORITIES?
00:10:16WHEN IS IT REALLY THE PROBLEM? AND DO WE REALLY HAVE TO DO THAT?
00:10:20ISN'T EDUCATION THE WAY. SO I WOULD BE VERY CAREFUL.
00:10:25I THEN GOING FORWARD, OF COURSE, ON GAS, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO
00:10:28WHEN WE GET TO THE 100%
00:10:32RENEWABLE ENERGY REQUIRE WOMEN
00:10:34AND THE 100% GAS CAR BAN, WELL, THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO START
00:10:39CLOSING DOWN GAS STATIONS. AND THERE ARE MANY CITIES.
00:10:42THERE'S A MOVEMENT TO DENY THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW GAS STATIONS. THERE.
00:10:46SO WHEN THE KINDS OF ALL UP. YEAH, YOU REALLY SHOULD KIND OF
00:10:50PACK AND BE READY FOR YOUR YOUR
00:10:52TRIP WHEN COMING TO CALIFORNIA BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL
00:10:55BE ABLE TO GET WHAT YOU NEED. TIM AND I ARE COAUTHOR OF THIS
00:10:58BOOK, THE CALIFORNIA LEFT COAST SURVIVAL GUIDE.
00:11:02THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ON BOOK TV.
00:12:21THE
00:12:21ACTING LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS,
00:12:26ROBERT R
00:12:39>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, AND
00:12:41WELCOME TO YOUR HOME, THE
00:12:44LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
00:12:45>> [APPLAUSE]
00:12:51>> AND TO OUR OPENING CELEBRATION OF THE 2026 LIBRARY
00:12:54OF CONGRESS NATIONAL BOOK
00:12:56FESTIVAL. IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT,
00:12:59THIS IS OUR 26th YEAR HOSTING THE FESTIVAL. AND WHAT AN
00:13:03AMAZING JOURNEY IT HAS BEEN. IT
00:13:04SAYS 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
00:13:18TO SAY THAT IT HAS BEEN AN
00:13:22AMAZING PERSONAL JOURNEY FOR ME. AS OF JULY 3rd, I AM NOW THE
00:13:26LONGEST SERVING ACTING LIBRARIAN
00:13:28OF CONGRESS
00:13:31>> [APPLAUSE]
00:13:38>> AND I GOT A TEXT FROM A FRIEND OF MINE THIS AFTERNOON
00:13:41WHO SAW A PICTURE I HAD POSTED WITH CARLA HALL. UM, THE TOP
00:13:45CHEF I MET THIS AFTERNOON, AND HE SAYS, ARE YOU EVER GOING TO
00:13:48STOP WORKING? I MUST ADMIT, YOU
00:13:52ALWAYS LOOK SO FULL OF LIFE ON ALL OF YOUR TRAVELS. SO I GUESS
00:13:54KEEP WORKING. AND THAT'S,
00:13:58THAT'S JUST WHAT I PLAN TO DO.
00:14:01UM, NOWHERE ELSE COULD YOU FIND
00:14:05SO MANY TALENTED MANAGERS AND STAFF THAT YOU DO HERE AT THE
00:14:07LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. AND I'M
00:14:09VERY, VERY BLESSED TO WORK WITH
00:14:12THEM. THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S
00:14:16FESTIVAL IS, APPROPRIATELY, AMERICA. 250. IT'S YOUR STORY.
00:14:19THE FESTIVAL IS, OF COURSE, A
00:14:23CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS AND READERS. BUT IS SOMETHING EVEN
00:14:26BIGGER? IT IS A CELEBRATION OF
00:14:30IDEAS, IMAGINATION, AND THE
00:14:31PEOPLE WHO KEEP A DEMOCRATIC
00:14:35CULTURE INTELLECTUALLY ALIVE. THE NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL
00:14:39REMAINS THE PREEMINENT LITERARY EVENT IN THE NATION. AT THE
00:14:42FESTIVAL, WE HAVE THE GREAT
00:14:43PRIVILEGE OF BRINGING TOGETHER SOME OF THE MOST COMPELLING
00:14:46WRITERS AND THINKERS OF OUR TIME, WITH THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE
00:14:50THEIR WORK, AUTHORS WHO HAVE
00:14:52SPENT YEARS IMAGINING, RESEARCHING, QUESTIONING,
00:14:56CREATING, AND READERS WHO ARE EAGER TO ENTER THE WORLDS THEY
00:15:00HAVE MADE, AND THAT ENCOUNTER
00:15:02MATTERS FOR A YOUNG READER,
00:15:05MEETING AN AUTHOR CAN MAKE THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE FEEL
00:15:09POSSIBLE. FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS ALWAYS DREAMED OF WRITING.
00:15:13HEARING A WRITER DESCRIBE THE CREATIVE PROCESS CAN BE LIFE
00:15:15CHANGING, AND FOR ALL OF US,
00:15:19LISTENING TO AN AUTHOR TALK ABOUT A BOOK CAN DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD, AND
00:15:22SOMETIMES EVEN CHANGE THE WAY WE
00:15:24SEE IT. THIS IS THE MAGIC OF THE
00:15:27NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL. IT
00:15:30CREATES A RARE SPACE IN OUR
00:15:32INCREASINGLY DISTRACTED WORLD,
00:15:36WHERE WE CAN SLOW DOWN, LISTEN
00:15:37CAREFULLY, AND ENGAGE WITH
00:15:41IDEAS. THIS WEEKEND, WE WELCOME AN ACCLAIMED GROUP OF AUTHORS TO
00:15:43OUR NATION'S CAPITAL TO CELEBRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF
00:15:47BOOKS IN OUR LIVES. WE ARE EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU IN THE
00:15:49TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BOOK
00:15:54LOVERS. AND I JUST HEARD THAT WE
00:15:54HAVE, UM, RECEIVED 80,000
00:15:58REQUESTS FOR TICKETS TOMORROW.
00:16:02HOLY MOLY.
00:16:03>> [APPLAUSE]
00:16:08>> TOMORROW AT THE FESTIVAL, WE WILL HEAR FROM MORE THAN 80
00:16:11DISTINGUISHED WRITERS. THIS EVENING, WE WILL BE TREATED TO
00:16:15PRESENTATIONS BY FIVE OF OUR
00:16:17RENOWNED AUTHORS ASSEMBLED IN THIS AUDITORIUM IS AN
00:16:20EXTRAORDINARY GATHERING OF
00:16:23TALENT. BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE
00:16:25HAVE MANY TO THANK. FIRST AND
00:16:30FOREMOST, THE US CONGRESS, THE LIBRARY'S CHIEF BENEFACTOR.
00:16:33SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN
00:16:361800. NO LIBRARY IN HISTORY HAS
00:16:39ENJOYED SUCH LONG LASTING AND
00:16:41GENEROUS SUPPORT. I OFTEN SAY THAT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IS
00:16:44THE BEST GIFT THE CONGRESS EVER
00:16:47GAVE THE NATION. BEFORE I INTRODUCE.
00:16:51>> [APPLAUSE]
00:16:58>> BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR CO-CHAIR, I JUST WANT TO
00:17:00RECOGNIZE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE.
00:17:03AND LET ME TELL YOU, IT IS ONE
00:17:07COMPLEX EVENT. FIRST, I WANT TO
00:17:11ACKNOWLEDGE CLAY SMITH, OUR LITERARY DIRECTOR.
00:17:14>> [APPLAUSE]
00:17:21>> SECOND, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SHERRY HERB FOR HER LEADERSHIP,
00:17:25HER VISION, AND HER CREATIVITY.
00:17:30WITH THE BOOK FESTIVAL.
00:17:31>> [APPLAUSE]
00:17:36>> JARED MCNEIL, WHO IS OVERSEEING ALL OF THE LOGISTICS
00:17:40AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. LAST
00:17:41YEAR, IN ONE DAY, HE WALKED NINE
00:17:46MILES.
00:17:46>> [APPLAUSE]
00:17:52>> AND CATHY MILLIKEN, HEAD OF OUR DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. WE COULD
00:17:56NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU AND YOUR
00:17:59TALENTED STAFF.
00:18:00>> [APPLAUSE]
00:18:04>> AND FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE VOLUNTEERS, OUR STAFF,
00:18:08VOLUNTEERS, THE WHOLE CREW OF
00:18:10VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING THE JUNIOR
00:18:12LEAGUE OF WASHINGTON, D.C..
00:18:16>> [APPLAUSE]
00:18:23>> WITHOUT PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT, THE NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL WOULD NOT EXIST. OUR
00:18:26MOST GENEROUS SUPPORTER IS
00:18:30FESTIVAL CO-CHAIR DAVID M RUBENSTEIN. WE HAVE OFTEN HEARD
00:18:33DAVID SPEAK OF HIS BELIEF THAT BOOKS AND READING ARE THE KEYS
00:18:37TO SUCCESS IN LIFE. DAVID HAS
00:18:40NEVER FORGOTTEN THE KEY ROLE
00:18:44THAT LIBRARIES PLAYED IN HIS LIFE, AND HE DEMONSTRATES THIS
00:18:47THROUGH HIS SUPPORT OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. AND I MUST
00:18:50TELL YOU, ON A PERSONAL NOTE,
00:18:53NOBODY HAS BEEN AS LOYAL TO THIS
00:18:55INSTITUTION AS DAVID RUBENSTEIN.
00:19:01>> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
00:19:07>> SO WITH THAT. OOPS, SORRY.
00:19:08PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR FESTIVAL CO-CHAIR AND THE
00:19:12CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARY'S JAMES MADISON COUNCIL, DAVID M
00:19:16RUBENSTEIN
00:19:29>> SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ROBERT, AND I HOPE YOU'LL BE HERE NEXT YEAR. AS WITHOUT THE
00:19:33WORD ACTING IN IT. SO MY HOPE IS
00:19:37THAT, UM, I SHOULD SAY WE'VE HAD
00:19:40A LOT OF EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE
00:19:42SERVE AS LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS.
00:19:45AND, UH, BUT, UH, I WOULD SAY
00:19:48ROBERT HAS DONE A SPECTACULAR JOB FILLING IN, UH, WITH THE
00:19:52ACTING TITLE. BUT THE TRUTH IS, HE DESERVES TO BE THE LIBRARIAN
00:19:55OF CONGRESS. HE'S BEEN IN THE
00:19:56LIBRARY FOR 47, 48 YEARS AND 48
00:20:00YEARS. AND I JUST THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR HIM TO BE THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. I HOPE
00:20:04WHOEVER MAKES THAT DECISION WILL ULTIMATELY RECOGNIZE THAT. HOW
00:20:07MANY PEOPLE HERE HAVE NEVER BEEN
00:20:08TO THIS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS?
00:20:12WOW. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE NATIONAL BOOK
00:20:16FESTIVAL? OKAY, WELL, YOU'RE IN FOR A TREAT. UM, I WOULD JUST
00:20:18TELL YOU HOW THE NATIONAL BOOK
00:20:21FESTIVAL CAME ABOUT. UH, IT WAS, UH, WELL, ACTUALLY, SOME OF YOU
00:20:25MAY KNOW THIS IS THE JEFFERSON BUILDING, AND THOMAS
00:20:29JEFFERSON'S DRAFT OF THE
00:20:31DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE LIBRARY
00:20:34OF CONGRESS. AND IF YOU READ IT
00:20:36AND THIS COPY HERE SOMEWHERE, IT SAYS, UM, WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
00:20:40TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT THERE
00:20:42SHOULD BE A NATIONAL BOOK
00:20:46FESTIVAL. NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THE OTHER FOUNDERS JUST SAID
00:20:49THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT IN. SO THAT WAS TAKEN OUT. OTHERWISE,
00:20:51IT WOULD BE 250 YEARS OLD. BUT
00:20:54IT'S 26 YEARS OLD. AND IT CAME
00:20:58ABOUT BECAUSE A LIBRARIAN, UH, LAURA BUSH, BECAME FIRST LADY.
00:21:02AND THE NIGHT BEFORE HER HUSBAND WAS TO BE INAUGURATED, UH, THERE
00:21:05WAS A RECEPTION, I THINK, AT THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE THEN
00:21:08LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, JIM BILLINGTON, WAS ASKED BY LAURA
00:21:11BUSH, IS THERE A NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL HERE, LIKE WE HAVE IN TEXAS? AND HE CLEVERLY SAID,
00:21:15RIGHT AWAY, UH, THERE WILL BE
00:21:18AND, UH, AND SURE ENOUGH, HE GOT
00:21:20ONE ORGANIZED THAT YEAR AND WAS
00:21:22ON THE MALL, UH, AND FOR MANY YEARS IT WAS ON THE MALL. IT WAS A LITTLE DUSTY. AFTER A WHILE,
00:21:26THE PARK SERVICE THOUGHT WE WERE
00:21:27RUINING THE GRASS AND SO FORTH.
00:21:30SO, UM, IT'S NOW BEEN MOVED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND IT WORKS MUCH BETTER. WE DON'T HAVE
00:21:33TO WORRY ABOUT THE WEATHER AND SO FORTH. AND, UH, THE MALL AREA
00:21:37CAN NOW BE USED FOR MORE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE GRAND PRIX
00:21:40RACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO
00:21:51AS ROBERT SAID TO ME, UH, BOOKS
00:21:56ARE, ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY
00:21:57LIFE. AND I THINK ALL OF YOU
00:22:01PROBABLY SHARE THAT KIND OF VIEW THAT WITHOUT BOOKS, WHERE WOULD
00:22:04WE BE? UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE
00:22:06TRY TO READ AT LEAST TEN BOOKS A YEAR, 20 BOOKS A YEAR, 30 BOOKS
00:22:10A YEAR, 40 BOOKS A YEAR. WOW.
00:22:14HOW MANY OF YOU ARE ARE AUTHORS?
00:22:15HOW MANY OF YOU HERE ARE AUTHORS? HOW MANY ARE PEOPLE
00:22:19WANT TO BE AUTHORS? OKAY, UM,
00:22:23THE LIBRARY IS A PLACE THAT IT'S THE GREATEST LIBRARY IN
00:22:27THE WORLD. I THINK WHEN IT WAS
00:22:29CREATED IN 1800, UH, IT, THAT $5
00:22:33MILLION WAS GIVEN FOR THE INITIAL GRANT. THEY BOUGHT ABOUT
00:22:36600 BOOKS AND THREE MAPS. AND NOBODY THOUGHT AT THAT TIME THAT
00:22:38IT WOULD BECOME WHAT IT IS. BUT
00:22:41IT'S MISNAMED. IT'S CALLED THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. AND ORIGINALLY IT WAS, IT WAS, IT
00:22:45WAS THE IDEA OF JAMES MADISON TO HAVE A LIBRARY THAT MEMBERS OF
00:22:48CONGRESS COULD HAVE TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO, MAKE SURE THEY COULD READ
00:22:52SOME BOOKS, AND MAYBE MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WHEN THEY PASSED
00:22:55LEGISLATION. THAT'S A GOOD
00:22:56IDEA. UH, NOBODY'S AGAINST IT.
00:23:00BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THIS HAS
00:23:03BECOME THE LIBRARY OF THE UNITED STATES, BECAUSE IT'S THE BIGGEST LIBRARY IN THE UNITED STATES, THE BIGGEST LIBRARY IN
00:23:07THE WORLD, AND THE BEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD. AND IT'S REALLY
00:23:10MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART BECAUSE WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF HERE.
00:23:14MANY PEOPLE, WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE IN CONGRESS, THEY SAY, HOW MANY PEOPLE, HOW MANY LONG
00:23:17HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? THEY'LL SAY, WELL, I'VE BEEN I'VE WORKED HERE FOR 40 YEARS. 50 YEARS.
00:23:21THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG BECAUSE THEY'RE
00:23:24SO DEDICATED TO DOING WHAT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DOES, WHICH
00:23:27IS MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE NATION HAS THE BEST RESOURCES AND
00:23:31OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO COME HERE. YOUNG PEOPLE, OLDER
00:23:34PEOPLE, SCHOLARS, NON-SCHOLARS
00:23:37CAN COME HERE AND REALLY DO THE RESEARCH THEY WANT, LEARN THINGS
00:23:41AND MAKE THEMSELVES A BETTER HUMAN BEING. AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE. WHEN YOU READ, YOU'RE
00:23:44GOING TO LEARN MORE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE A BETTER PERSON. SO I REALLY LOVE THE NATIONAL BOOK
00:23:47FESTIVAL, AND I THINK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T BEEN TO BOOK FESTIVAL TOMORROW, YOU'RE GOING
00:23:51TO HAVE A TREAT OF YOUR LIFE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN
00:23:53EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER OF GREAT AUTHORS, AND YOU'RE ALSO GOING
00:23:56TO SEE PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE TO GET THEIR SIGNATURES, STANDING IN LINE TO WRITE THEIR
00:24:00BOOKS. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUNG KIDS WHO ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE
00:24:03AUTHORS, LUNG KIDS SITTING THERE AROUND LEARNING HOW TO READ.
00:24:06IT'S A REALLY, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE THING TO SEE. AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU WILL TAKE
00:24:10ADVANTAGE OF IT TOMORROW. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. AND I
00:24:13WANT TO THANK AS WELL, THE PEOPLE THAT ORGANIZE THIS. AS
00:24:17ROBERT SAID, IT'S IT'S A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE TO GET IT
00:24:20DONE. IT TAKES ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK. THERE'LL BE 80,000
00:24:24PLUS PEOPLE THERE TOMORROW, BUT YOU'RE THE MOST IMPORTANT
00:24:27PEOPLE TO US HERE, THE PEOPLE HERE, AND WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A
00:24:29VERY GOOD TIME. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THE SPONSORS AND ALL
00:24:33THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE. SO I'M GOING TO GET OFF NOW AND LET YOU HEAR
00:24:36FROM THE AUTHORS. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND THANK YOU
00:24:40FOR READING BOOKS. >> [APPLAUSE]
00:24:42>> THANK YOU.
00:24:53>> [APPLAUSE]
00:24:58>> PLEASE WELCOME AWARD WINNING HISTORIAN AND PROFESSOR OF
00:25:00AMERICAN LAW, ANNETTE
00:25:05GORDON-REED.
00:25:05>> [APPLAUSE]
00:25:12>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S WONDERFUL
00:25:14TO BE HERE ON MY MAIDEN, UH,
00:25:18TRIP AFTER KNEE SURGERY A FEW WEEKS AGO. SO I'M SLIPPING
00:25:21AROUND. BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE. I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED THIS FOR THE WORLD. I FIRST CAME TO THE
00:25:25NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL WHEN IT
00:25:26WAS OUTSIDE, AND IT WAS DUSTY.
00:25:30UH, BUT I GATHER THAT THIS PROBABLY IS A BETTER TOMORROW
00:25:34WILL BE AT A BETTER VENUE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WEATHER. AND AS DAVID MENTIONED,
00:25:37THAT IT'S JUST MUCH MORE PREDICTABLE. BUT IT WILL BE
00:25:40AMAZING. YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS IN THE THIRD GRADE, I READ A
00:25:44CHILD'S BIOGRAPHY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON. IT WAS A PART OF A
00:25:47SERIES OF BIOGRAPHIES OF FAMOUS
00:25:49PEOPLE, AND THAT ONE, FOR
00:25:54WHATEVER REASON, GRABBED MY ATTENTION BECAUSE HE GRABBED MY
00:25:56ATTENTION AS AN INTERESTING
00:25:58PERSON, A COMPLICATED
00:26:01INDIVIDUAL, A PERSON WHO I GATHERED HAD WRITTEN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. WE
00:26:05HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE
00:26:07CREATED EQUAL, AND HE ACTUALLY
00:26:10HAD A PLANTATION IN WHERE HE
00:26:13ENSLAVED PEOPLE. AND AS A THIRD GRADER, I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS
00:26:16AN INTERESTING PARADOX. AND OVER
00:26:20THE YEARS, IT GREW EVEN MORE
00:26:23DEEP. AS I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT
00:26:25THAT MEANT FOR HIM AND WHAT THAT
00:26:27MEANT FOR THE COUNTRY, BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY, THE, THE BOOK WAS
00:26:30ABOUT HIM AS A CHILD GROWING UP. HE ACTUALLY GREW UP TO BE
00:26:34PRESIDENT, NOT ONLY WRITING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, BECOMING THE PRESIDENT OF THE
00:26:37UNITED STATES, FOUNDING A UNIVERSITY, AND DOING LOTS OF
00:26:40OTHER THINGS. AND THERE WAS THIS
00:26:42COMPLICATED PERSON. I'VE READ
00:26:45THAT OTHER THAN ABRAHAM LINCOLN, MORE BIOGRAPHIES HAVE BEEN
00:26:48WRITTEN ABOUT JEFFERSON THAN ANY OTHER PRESIDENT, BECAUSE HE IS A
00:26:52FASCINATING FIGURE. I COULDN'T
00:26:54HAVE KNOWN WHEN I WAS IN THE THIRD GRADE THAT I WOULD BE
00:26:58STANDING HERE TONIGHT IN THE
00:26:59JEFFERSON BUILDING. THE LIBRARY
00:27:02OF CONGRESS, AFTER HAVING SPENT
00:27:04A GOOD PART OF MY CAREER STUDYING HIM AND TRYING TO
00:27:08FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT WAS ALL
00:27:10ABOUT, WHAT HE WAS ALL ABOUT,
00:27:13AND REALIZING THAT YOU CAN DO THAT THROUGH THE LIFE OF A MAN
00:27:16WHO, IN SOME WAYS, IS SORT OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE AMERICAN
00:27:20STORY, A PERSON WHO HAD VERY
00:27:24LOFTY IDEALS BUT DIDN'T ALWAYS
00:27:26LIVE UP TO THOSE IDEALS. AND
00:27:29THIS DOVETAILED VERY NICELY WITH
00:27:34SOMETHING ELSE THAT I LOVED READING AND WRITING. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD DIDN'T THINK OF MYSELF AS BECOMING A
00:27:37HISTORIAN. I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WOULD BE A WRITER, BUT I THOUGHT
00:27:40IT WOULD BE A WRITER WHO WROTE
00:27:42NOVELS AND MOVED TO FRANCE AND SAT IN CAFES AND DID THOSE KINDS
00:27:46OF THINGS. IT ALL CAME TOGETHER
00:27:50FOR ME IN THE 90s, WHEN THERE
00:27:53WAS A MOVIE CALLED JEFFERSON IN
00:27:57PARIS THAT TOLD THE STORY OF JEFFERSON IN PARIS WITH SALLY
00:28:01HEMINGS, AND THERE WAS SUCH A BACKLASH AGAINST ALL OF THAT, AND PEOPLE SAYING THAT THERE WAS
00:28:05NO EVIDENCE THAT IT HAPPENED, THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAD ANY KIND
00:28:08OF CONNECTION. AND I WROTE A
00:28:11BOOK SUGGESTING THAT, IN FACT, IT DID HAPPEN. AND THAT LAUNCHED
00:28:15ME ON THE STAGE THAT I AM TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, SOMETHING
00:28:18THAT I HAD NEVER CONTEMPLATED. I
00:28:19WAS A LAW PROFESSOR. I WAS
00:28:22WRITING ABOUT PRISONERS AND PRISONERS RIGHTS, AND I
00:28:25DOVETAILED OVER TO WRITE THIS BOOK, TO EXPLAIN TO HISTORIANS
00:28:29WHY I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE WRONG IN SUGGESTING THAT THIS
00:28:32STORY WASN'T TRUE. THE NEXT
00:28:35YEAR, DNA CORROBORATED WHAT I
00:28:37SAID, AND THAT CHANGED MY LIFE.
00:28:39AND I BECAME A REGULAR HERE.
00:28:50SO THE ONLY OTHER THING I WILL
00:28:52SAY IS THAT TOMORROW I WILL TALK
00:28:56ABOUT JEFFERSON ON RACE, A BOOK THAT I DID WHERE I COMPILED HIS
00:28:59WRITINGS ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF RACE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE THING THAT MOST BEDEVILS PEOPLE ABOUT
00:29:02JEFFERSON, THEY WANT TO LIKE HIM BECAUSE OF THE DECLARATION, AND THEN THEY FIND OUT SOME OF THE
00:29:06STUFF THAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT RACE. AND THEY'RE NOT SO SURE.
00:29:10BUT THAT'S OUR STORY. AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIM A
00:29:13FASCINATING AND COMPELLING FIGURE, IS THAT HE IS OUR STORY.
00:29:15AND ON THE 250th ANNIVERSARY OF
00:29:20THIS COUNTRY'S FOUNDING, HE'S A PERSON TO THINK ABOUT. I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY
00:29:22THAT WE PUT HIM IN MOTHBALLS, PUT HIM OVER SOMEWHERE ELSE. NO,
00:29:26I THINK HE HAS TO REMAIN CENTER STAGE BECAUSE THERE'S NOBODY WHO
00:29:30EXPLAINS THE AMERICAN DILEMMA MORE THAN HE. AND SO IT'S BEEN
00:29:33MY PRIVILEGE. IT'S BEEN MY PRIVILEGE TO WORK ON THIS
00:29:37SUBJECT, TO REALIZE THE DREAM. I
00:29:39FEEL LIKE I LIKE BASEBALL PLAYERS MUST FEEL WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE LEAGUE PLAYERS GROW UP
00:29:43AND GET TO BE IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES. AND HERE I AM AT THE
00:29:46NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL AND THE MAJOR LEAGUES TALKING ABOUT
00:29:50JEFFERSON TOMORROW, TALKING ABOUT THE 250th ANNIVERSARY, AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PLEASED. SO
00:29:53THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
00:29:57>> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
00:30:09>> PLEASE WELCOME SINGER, PIANIST AND NUMBER ONE, NEW YORK
00:30:12TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR,
00:30:17MICHAEL FEINSTEIN.
00:30:17>> [APPLAUSE]
00:30:23>> THANK YOU EVERYBODY. GOOD EVENING. IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE
00:30:26BACK AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
00:30:28UH, TONIGHT, I AM A REPRESENTATIVE OF MY FRIEND LIZA
00:30:32MINNELLI. I AM A COAUTHOR OF THE
00:30:33BOOK, BUT SHE DID SEND ME TO
00:30:37SPEAK FOR HER. SO I GUESS I'M
00:30:38THE, UH, ACTING LIZA MINNELLI
00:30:43TONIGHT. JAZZ HANDS. I DON'T
00:30:45KNOW, UH, UH, I HAVE TO SAY THAT
00:30:47I AM VERY, VERY PROUD AND HAPPY FOR LIZA, THAT THIS BOOK HAS
00:30:52BEEN SO INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL.
00:30:54UH, I BELIEVE IT IS SUCCESSFUL
00:30:57BECAUSE SHE WAS BRUTALLY HONEST
00:31:00ABOUT HERSELF, WHICH WAS NOT
00:31:03EASY FOR HER TO DO BECAUSE SHE
00:31:05HAS ALWAYS CRAFTED A VERY CAREFUL PUBLIC PERSONA,
00:31:09PROTECTING THE MOST PRIVATE
00:31:10PARTS OF HERSELF. AND YET, IN
00:31:14THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY DEPICTIONS OF
00:31:17HER, SO MANY PEOPLE DO IMPERSONATIONS OF HER AND, UH,
00:31:21PLAY HER IN MOVIES AND SUCH, AND
00:31:23SHE ALWAYS CALLS ME AND SAYS, WHERE'S MY MONEY? I WAS LIKE,
00:31:27WHY DON'T I GET ANYTHING FOR THIS? BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH,
00:31:30EVEN THOUGH SHE ALWAYS SAID, UH, WHEN I URGED HER TO WRITE A
00:31:34BOOK, AND SHE GOT A LOT OF OFFERS TO WRITE A BOOK, SHE
00:31:38WOULD ALWAYS SAY, WAIT TILL I'M
00:31:41DEAD. BUT SHE REALIZED THAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE TELLING HER
00:31:44STORY. AND I SAID, LOOK, YOU WILL GET THE LAST WORD. PEOPLE
00:31:48WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS AND THAT. THEY WANT
00:31:51TO KNOW THE TRUTH. SO WE DID,
00:31:52ABOUT TEN YEARS OF INTERVIEWS,
00:31:57LITERALLY TEN YEARS OF INTERVIEWS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO
00:32:01COLLATE INTO THIS BOOK, AND IT
00:32:03BECAME SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS A PHENOMENON, BECAUSE IT BECAME
00:32:06A BOOK OF, OF COURAGE FOR PEOPLE
00:32:09WHO ARE FACING ADDICTION, PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING DIFFERENT
00:32:13SITUATIONS IN LIFE, WHO READ LIZA'S BOOK AND SAY, WELL, IF SHE CAN GET THROUGH IT, I CAN
00:32:16GET THROUGH IT. LIZA, I MUST
00:32:19SAY, IS NOT A COMPETITIVE
00:32:21PERSON. BUT SHE WAS THRILLED
00:32:23THAT HER BOOK OR OUR BOOK, WAS NUMBER ONE ON THE NEW YORK TIMES
00:32:27BESTSELLER LIST. AND I'LL TELL
00:32:29YOU WHY, BECAUSE BARBRA
00:32:33STREISAND. WELL, WHEN I CALLED
00:32:40LIZA TO SAY YOUR BOOK IS NUMBER ONE, SHE SAID, REALLY? I SAID,
00:32:43YES. AND I SAID, DID YOU KNOW THAT BARBARA'S BOOK ONLY GOT TO
00:32:47NUMBER TWO? AND SHE SAID, FOR
00:32:51THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE SO
00:32:55THAT THAT DELIGHTED HER. UH, IT
00:33:01IS WONDERFUL TO BE INVITED TO BE
00:33:03HERE AS PART OF THIS EVENT. LIZA
00:33:05DID ASK ME TO SEND LOVE TO ALL
00:33:07OF YOU, AND THANKS AND GRATITUDE
00:33:11FOR FOR INVITING HER. THERE IS A VERY CLOSE ASSOCIATION FOR ME
00:33:14WITH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND
00:33:16ALSO WITH LIZA. UH, BECAUSE MY
00:33:19FIRST TRIP HERE WAS IN CONNECTION WITH THE GERSHWINS,
00:33:22WITH IRA GERSHWIN, FOR WHOM I WORKED OVER A PERIOD OF SIX
00:33:25YEARS, AND IRA GERSHWIN WAS WAS
00:33:29LIZA'S GODFATHER. SHE WAS NAMED
00:33:31FOR THE GERSHWIN SONG, AND IT
00:33:34WAS THROUGH THE GERSHWINS THAT I ORIGINALLY MET HER FATHER, VINCENTE MINNELLI, WITH WHOM I
00:33:38BECAME CLOSE. AND THEN LIZA, WHO
00:33:39WHEN I MET, WAS LIKE A LONG LOST
00:33:43COUSIN. SO THAT CONNECTION TO
00:33:46HISTORY, TO LITERATURE, IS VERY
00:33:50IMPORTANT TO LIZA. THE WHAT THE
00:33:53LIBRARY REPRESENTS AND PRESERVES
00:33:56IS INCALCULABLE. AND, UM, TO
00:33:58HAVE A PLACE TO SET THE RECORD
00:34:00STRAIGHT, SO TO SPEAK, IS, AS WE
00:34:02ALL KNOW, SUPREMELY IMPORTANT. I
00:34:05WILL FINISH WITH A LITTLE ANECDOTE THAT INVOLVES IRA.
00:34:08DURING THE TIME I WAS WORKING
00:34:10FOR MR. GERSHWIN, AND IT WAS BEFORE I CONTEMPLATED WRITING A
00:34:14BOOK MYSELF, I WROTE TWO BOOKS
00:34:16THAT ARE ABOUT THE GERSHWINS.
00:34:18UH. I WAS DISCUSSING A DATE WITH
00:34:21IRA, AND, UH, HE SAID, THAT WAS
00:34:261930. I SAID, NO, IT WAS 1931. AND HE SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO, IT
00:34:30WAS 1930. AND I FOUND REFERENCES
00:34:32AND I SAID, SEE, IT WAS 1931. HE SAID, WILL YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE
00:34:36OVER ME? I SAID, WHAT IS THAT? HE SAID, I'VE ONLY LIVED MY
00:34:40LIFE. YOU'VE THOROUGHLY
00:34:44RESEARCHED IT. I HOPE TO SEE
00:34:45EVERYBODY TOMORROW. THANK YOU.
00:34:49>> [APPLAUSE]
00:34:57[APPLAUSE] >> PLEASE WELCOME THE 25th POET
00:35:00LAUREATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
00:35:05ARTHUR Z.
00:35:15>> UNLIKE THE OTHERS, I WROTE OUT A SHORT STATEMENT THINKING
00:35:18I'VE GOT 4 TO 5 MINUTES. SO,
00:35:21UM, HERE IT IS. GOOD EVENING. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE AT THE
00:35:24LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FOR THE
00:35:26START OF THE 2026 NATIONAL BOOK
00:35:29FESTIVAL. I WANT TO BEGIN BY
00:35:33AFFIRMING THE POWER OF BOOKS.
00:35:35BOOKS ARE AN ESSENTIAL FOOD THAT
00:35:38NOURISHES OUR UNDERSTANDING.
00:35:41EMPATHY, KNOWLEDGE, AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE. BOOKS HELP US
00:35:45UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AND THE. ALSO DEEPEN OUR AWARENESS. THEY
00:35:48NOT ONLY HELP US SEE WHO WE ARE,
00:35:52WHERE WE HAVE BEEN, BUT WE. WHAT
00:35:55WE ASPIRE TO BE. THEY FOSTER
00:35:58CRITICAL THINKING, INDEPENDENCE,
00:36:01IMAGINATION, AND EVEN COURAGE.
00:36:04LANGUAGE IS POWERFUL, AND A
00:36:06SINGLE BOOK CAN CHANGE A
00:36:08READER'S LIFE ONCE WROTE, IF
00:36:12THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION WERE CLEANSED, EVERYTHING WOULD
00:36:16APPEAR AS. IT IS. INFINITE
00:36:21BOOKS, THOUGH FINITE, PUT US IN
00:36:23TOUCH WITH INFINITE POSSIBILITY.
00:36:27AS THE 25th POET LAUREATE OF THE
00:36:30UNITED STATES, I'VE DESIGNED A
00:36:31SIGNATURE PROJECT TITLED WORDS
00:36:36BRIDGING WORLDS, THAT SEEKS TO
00:36:39DISSOLVE THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN
00:36:42READING, WRITING, TRANSLATING
00:36:45POETRY, AND WRITING POETRY.
00:36:48EVERYONE, AND THE BOOK I'VE
00:36:51ASSEMBLED TRANSIENT WORLDS ON
00:36:54TRANSLATING POETRY ASSEMBLES 22
00:36:57POEMS FROM 13 LANGUAGES. THE
00:37:00POEMS ARE FROM ARABIC. BRAJ,
00:37:02BHASHA, CHINESE, DANISH, FRENCH,
00:37:07GERMAN, GREEK, HEBREW, JAPANESE,
00:37:10NAVAJO, RUSSIAN, SPANISH, AND
00:37:12THE MAYAN LANGUAGE. ZEIZEL TAL.
00:37:16ALONG WITH THE POEMS IN THEIR
00:37:18ORIGINAL LANGUAGES, I FREQUENTLY
00:37:21PROVIDE MULTIPLE TRANSLATIONS IN ENGLISH OF THE SAME POEM TO SHOW
00:37:25THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A
00:37:28DEFINITIVE TRANSLATION, ALONG
00:37:31WITH MY DISCUSSIONS, THE BOOK IS
00:37:33DESIGNED TO WIDEN AND DEEPEN THE
00:37:38APPRECIATION OF POETRY THROUGH
00:37:41THE LENS OF LITERARY TRANSLATION
00:37:43BUT THIS BOOK, AND MY SIGNATURE
00:37:46PROJECT ARE ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN
00:37:49ASSEMBLING A COLLECTION OF
00:37:50POEMS. I HOPE THE BOOK IS A
00:37:53VEHICLE THAT CAN BRIDGE
00:37:56LANGUAGES AND CULTURES TO MAKE
00:37:58CONNECTIONS AND BRING US
00:38:01TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE OUR SHARED
00:38:04HUMANITY. TRANSLATION IS A
00:38:07DEEPLY HUMANIZING ENDEAVOR. IT
00:38:09MAKES THE ANCIENT, CONTEMPORARY
00:38:12THE FOREIGN ACCESSIBLE AND THE
00:38:15EMOTIONAL, IMAGINATIVE, AND
00:38:18SPIRITUAL MUSIC OF THE HUMAN
00:38:22INTERIOR. UNIVERSAL. A GOOD
00:38:25TRANSLATION FINDS A CONTEMPORARY
00:38:27VOICE AND A SHAPE OF LANGUAGE
00:38:30THAT IS FRESH AND COMPELLING.
00:38:33INSTEAD OF SEQUENTIAL CHAPTERS,
00:38:37THE BOOK IS ORGANIZED INTO
00:38:40ZONES, PERMEABLE ARENAS OPEN TO
00:38:43DISCOVERY AND TRANSFORMATION,
00:38:46AND THE OPENING ZONE. I PRESENT AN ANCIENT CHINESE POEM, ALONG
00:38:49WITH A CRIB, WHERE WORDS IN
00:38:53ENGLISH ELUCIDATE THE MEANING OF EACH CHINESE CHARACTER. THEN
00:38:57THREE DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS
00:39:00DISCUSSED THEM, THEN TURN TO THE
00:39:02READER AND INVITE THE READER TO
00:39:05MAKE THEIR OWN TRANSLATION. I
00:39:08ENVISION THE BOOK AS A VEHICLE
00:39:12TO EMPOWER READERS TO ACTIVELY
00:39:15ENGAGE WITH POEMS AND TRANSLATE,
00:39:18USING THEIR OWN VOICES AND
00:39:20VISIONS. IN ANOTHER ZONE. I EVEN
00:39:23ENCOURAGE A READER WHO MAY NOT KNOW ANOTHER LANGUAGE TO REACH
00:39:27OUT TO A FAMILY MEMBER, A
00:39:29TEACHER, FRIEND FLUENT IN
00:39:34ANOTHER LANGUAGE, AND INITIATE A
00:39:36CONVERSATION. DEVELOP TRUST, AND
00:39:38MAKE A TRANSLATION. THROUGH
00:39:42COLLABORATION TRANSLATION
00:39:46BUILDS, BRIDGES AND MAKES
00:39:48CONNECTIONS RATHER THAN TREAT
00:39:51TRANSLATION AS A MERE ATTEMPT TO
00:39:54TRANSFER WORDS FROM ONE LANGUAGE
00:39:57TO ANOTHER, I SEE TRANSLATION AS
00:39:59AN ACT OF LISTENING, TRUST,
00:40:05DISCOVERY, AND ATTENTION. IT'S
00:40:06AN EXCHANGE THAT DEEPENS AND
00:40:09ENHANCES MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING.
00:40:13TONIGHT, WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE
00:40:15BOOKS TO CELEBRATE THE POWER OF
00:40:20THE HUMAN IMAGINATION AND THE POWER OF LANGUAGE. I THANK THE
00:40:23LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FOR
00:40:25SPONSORING THE NATIONAL BOOK
00:40:28FESTIVAL AND BRINGING US ALL
00:40:32TOGETHER. THANK YOU.
00:40:43>> PLEASE WELCOME AUTHOR, CO AND
00:40:47CO-MANAGING EDITOR OF PBS
00:40:51NEWSHOUR, GEOFF BENNETT. >> [APPLAUSE]
00:40:54>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE HERE WITH
00:40:57SO MANY EXTRAORDINARY WRITERS
00:41:00AND READERS AND LOVERS OF THE WRITTEN WORD. I ALSO HAVE TO
00:41:03ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUES IN PUBLIC MEDIA, FROM WETA, FROM
00:41:07THE PBS NEWSHOUR, FROM NPR. I'M
00:41:09PROUD TO SAY THAT PUBLIC MEDIA HAS LONG BEEN IN THE BUSINESS OF
00:41:12CELEBRATING BOOKS AND WRITERS,
00:41:15AND THE LIFE OF THE MIND. SO IF
00:41:18YOU HAPPEN TO BE A PUBLIC MEDIA FRIEND OF MINE, YOU JUST WAVE
00:41:20YOUR HAND. THANK YOU FOR THE
00:41:25WORK THAT YOU DO. SO IN THINKING
00:41:28OF WHAT LED ME TO THIS MOMENT, TO BE STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU, I HAVE TO TELL YOU,
00:41:32WHEN I THINK OF IT, I NEVER REALLY HAD A CHOICE ABOUT
00:41:35BECOMING A JOURNALIST, OR A WRITER, OR A STORYTELLER,
00:41:39BECAUSE WHEN BOTH OF YOUR PARENTS ARE EDUCATORS, AS WERE
00:41:42MINE, READING WASN'T ENCOURAGED IN MY HOUSE. IT WAS A CONDITION
00:41:46OF LIVING. THERE. YOU COULD GET
00:41:50OUT OF MOWING THE LAWN. YOU COULD NOT GET OUT OF READING. AND THERE WERE BOOKS ON THE
00:41:54SHELVES. THERE WERE BOOKS ON THE KITCHEN TABLE. THERE WERE BOOKS
00:41:57SLIDING AROUND THE BACK OF THE CAR. AND NOW, AS A PARENT, I
00:41:59FIND MYSELF PUSHING THAT
00:42:02EXPECTATION FORWARD. I'M FAR LESS CONCERNED ABOUT SCREEN TIME
00:42:06AND FAR MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PAGE TIME. BUT I HAVE TO TELL
00:42:08YOU THAT THE DEEPER CONNECTION I
00:42:11HAVE TO THE WRITTEN WORD LEADS BACK TO MY GRANDFATHER, WHO
00:42:14ALWAYS HAD A BOOK BY HIS SIDE.
00:42:16MY GRANDFATHER WAS ONE OF THE
00:42:18FIRST BLACK POLICE OFFICERS IN CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, AND BEFORE
00:42:22THAT, HE SERVED IN WORLD WAR TWO AND ONE OF THE ARMY'S FAMED
00:42:25BUFFALO SOLDIER REGIMENTS. SO THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT REQUIRES
00:42:28TO FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY ABROAD, WHILE BEING DENIED ITS FULL
00:42:31MEASURE HERE AT HOME, AND THEN
00:42:35COMING BACK AND DECIDING TO PUT ON ANOTHER UNIFORM ANYWAY, TO
00:42:38KEEP SHOWING UP, TO KEEP BELIEVING THIS COUNTRY WAS WORTH
00:42:41HOLDING TO ITS PROMISES. AND HE NEVER LECTURED ABOUT ANY OF
00:42:44THAT. BUT I REMEMBER WATCHING HIM READ, AND I CAN STILL SEE
00:42:47HIM WITH COLIN POWELL'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY. WHEN IT CAME OUT
00:42:50IN THE MID 90s, AND IT WAS THIS
00:42:52MAN WHO HAD WORN THE UNIFORM,
00:42:55READING THE STORY OF ANOTHER MAN WHO HAD WORN IT, TOO, AND HAD
00:42:58RISEN TO THE VERY TOP OF THE
00:43:01INSTITUTION THAT ONCE TOLD MEN LIKE MY GRANDFATHER WHERE THEY
00:43:04COULD AND COULD NOT SERVE. AND
00:43:06HE READ THAT BOOK WITH THE QUIET
00:43:08RECOGNITION OF SOMEONE WHO HAD FINALLY FELT SEEN. I WAS YOUNG,
00:43:11BUT I KNEW I WAS WITNESSING SOMETHING IMPORTANT, A MAN
00:43:15FINDING HIMSELF IN THE RECORD.
00:43:18AND NOW, SOME THREE DECADES LATER, I LEARNED WHAT THE OTHER
00:43:21SIDE OF THAT IS LIKE, IN A WAY, BECAUSE I WROTE A BOOK OF MY OWN. IT'S CALLED BLACK OUT
00:43:25LOUD. IT'S A CULTURAL HISTORY OF
00:43:28BLACK COMEDY, THE FORMATIVE 90s SITCOMS THAT I AND SO MANY OF US
00:43:30GREW UP ON, AND HOW IT ALL TRANSFORMED THE CULTURE. AND
00:43:34YES, PART OF THAT RESEARCH INVOLVED WATCHING OLD EPISODES
00:43:37OF MARTIN AND FRESH PRINCE AND LIVING COLOR, AND LISTENING TO
00:43:40OLD RICHARD PRYOR ALBUMS, AND
00:43:43WATCHING OLD MOMS MABLEY AND THE WHOLE THING. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS
00:43:45SACRIFICE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,
00:43:48BUT IT WAS ALL DONE IN THE NAME
00:43:51OF SCHOLARSHIP. BUT WHAT I FOUND WAS A MUCH LONGER STORY. AS I
00:43:55WAS DOING THE RESEARCH AND TALKING TO ALL THE FOLKS THAT
00:43:57AGREED TO GIVE ME INTERVIEWS, THERE WERE GENERATIONS OF
00:44:01PERFORMERS WHO FOUGHT THEIR WAY PAST THE STEREOTYPES THAT WERE
00:44:04HANDED TO THEM, WHO FOUGHT TO BE SEEN ON SCREEN, AND TO HOLD THE
00:44:07PEN. AND THAT BECAME THE ARGUMENT AT THE CENTER OF MY BOOK THAT REPRESENTATION
00:44:11MATTERS. YES, YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT BEFORE, BUT
00:44:14AUTHORSHIP MATTERS MORE. IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO APPEAR IN THE
00:44:18STORY. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE
00:44:19POWER TO TELL IT.
00:44:23>> [APPLAUSE]
00:44:27>> AND, AND SITTING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THAT HISTORY AND
00:44:30GETTING THEIR STORIES DOWN, IT REMINDED ME THAT HISTORY ISN'T
00:44:33JUST SOMETHING WE INHERIT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE MAKE.
00:44:37IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PRESERVE, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE PASS ON.
00:44:40AND EVERY GENERATION HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SOMETHING NEW
00:44:42TO THAT RECORD. AND THAT IS WHY
00:44:47THIS PLACE, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, MATTERS SO MUCH. THE LARGEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD.
00:44:49YES, IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US.
00:44:51ABSOLUTELY. IT PRESERVES THE
00:44:54STORIES THAT TELL US WHO WE WERE, HOW WE LIVED, AND WHAT WE
00:44:57VALUED. AND AT THIS MOMENT, WHEN
00:45:03SO MUCH INFORMATION IS DISPUTED, DISTORTED, OR QUIETLY DISAPPEARING, A NATIONAL LIBRARY
00:45:06ISN'T SOME LUXURY. IT IS HOW THIS COUNTRY KEEPS ITS MEMORY.
00:45:10WE LIVE IN THE AGE OF THE INFINITE SCROLL, WHERE THE
00:45:13ALGORITHM FEEDS US WHAT WE ALREADY BELIEVE, WHERE EVERYTHING CAN BE REFRESHED,
00:45:16SWIPED AWAY, INTERRUPTED BY THE
00:45:19NEXT NOTIFICATION. A BOOK REFUSES ALL OF THAT. IT ASKS YOU
00:45:22TO LIVE INSIDE SOMEBODY ELSE'S MIND FOR 300 PAGES, MAYBE MORE.
00:45:26MY BOOK WAS 366 PAGES, AND TO
00:45:30STAY WITH AN IDEA LONG ENOUGH TO
00:45:32UNDERSTAND, AND I HAVE TO TELL
00:45:34YOU THAT IN THIS MOMENT, READING AND READING SLOWLY, IS CLOSE TO
00:45:37A RADICAL ACT. AND READING
00:45:41MATTERS FOR THE REASON MY GRANDFATHER TAUGHT ME WITHOUT
00:45:43EVER SAYING A WORD. IT'S HOW WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE RECORD,
00:45:47THE WAY HE DID IN COLIN POWELL'S STORY. IT WAS ONE OF
00:45:50THE GREATEST HONORS OF MY LIFE TO FINALLY MEET SECRETARY POWELL
00:45:53AND TELL HIM HOW MUCH HE MEANT TO ME THROUGH MY GRANDFATHER.
00:45:57AND IT'S HOW WE MAKE SURE THE RECORD IS BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD ALL
00:45:59OF US. SO THIS WEEKEND, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LEAVE WITH A
00:46:03BOOK YOU CAME FOR AND ONE YOU DIDN'T BUY WAY MORE BOOKS THAN
00:46:06YOU INTENDED. I SAY THAT AS AS A
00:46:09READER, AND IN THE INTEREST OF
00:46:10FULL DISCLOSURE, AS AN AUTHOR,
00:46:13ENGAGE WITH A VOICE THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOURS, A
00:46:16STORY THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOUR OWN. BECAUSE THAT'S THE
00:46:19WAGER THAT EVERY GREAT BOOK MAKES THAT A STRANGER CAN BECOME
00:46:22FAMILIAR, THAT SOMEONE ELSE'S STORY CAN CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE
00:46:26YOUR OWN. AND REMEMBER THAT SOMEWHERE IN THIS ROOM IS A
00:46:28STORY THAT ONLY YOU CAN TELL. AND SOMEWHERE OUT THERE,
00:46:32THERE'S A READER THAT'S WAITING TO FIND THEMSELVES IN IT. THANK
00:46:34YOU. AND HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY
00:46:40NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL.
00:46:51>> PLEASE WELCOME AWARD WINNING
00:46:52HUMOR WRITER AND ADVOCATE, JENNY
00:46:57LAWSON.
00:46:57>> [APPLAUSE]
00:47:03>> OKAY, Y'ALL, I AM NOT A
00:47:06SPEAKER. AND SO I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE
00:47:10MY ADHD MEDS HAVE WORN OFF, I'M GOING TO BE READING A LITTLE BIT
00:47:12BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT ME TO
00:47:17RAMBLE. SO MY CHILD LEFT FOR COLLEGE, UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS
00:47:19AGO, AND I PANICKED BECAUSE I
00:47:23IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT THERE'S SO
00:47:24MUCH I FORGOT TO TELL YOU. AND I
00:47:27THOUGHT, I NEED TO PUT THIS
00:47:29TOGETHER. AND SO WHAT I DID WAS I STARTED WRITING DOWN ALL OF
00:47:33THESE LITTLE THINGS THAT I HAD LEARNED THE HARD WAY. AND THIS
00:47:36GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER, AND IT
00:47:39BECAME A BOOK, HOW TO BE OKAY
00:47:40WHEN NOTHING IS OKAY. AND IT
00:47:44INCLUDES ALL OF THE STRANGE
00:47:45TOOLS AND TRICKS THAT I HAVE USED TO LIVE WITH TREATMENT
00:47:49RESISTANT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND ADHD AND MEMORY
00:47:52ISSUES, AND CHRONIC ILLNESS AND
00:47:54SELF-DOUBT, AND DEALING WITH
00:47:58IMPOSTOR SYNDROME, WHICH IS SCREAMING AT ME RIGHT NOW.
00:48:00BECAUSE WHO AM I FOLLOWING? ARE
00:48:03YOU KIDDING ME? LIKE, I LITERALLY, I SENT A SCREENSHOT A
00:48:06MINUTE AGO TO MY SISTER AND SHE WAS LIKE, ARE YOU ON A PRANK
00:48:09SHOW ANYWAY, I'M NOT REALLY
00:48:13GOING TO TALK ABOUT MY BOOK. WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS I
00:48:16OFTEN GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM
00:48:19YOUNG PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT MY WORKS HAVE HELPED THEM TO SEE
00:48:22THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE, AND HAVE GIVEN THEM WORDS TO ASK FOR
00:48:25HELP WHEN THEY'RE STRUGGLING.
00:48:27AND I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THAT'S ME
00:48:31GIVING BACK, BECAUSE SO MANY
00:48:32BOOKS SAVED ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG,
00:48:36I WAS PAINFULLY SHY GROWING UP, AND MOST OF MY BEST FRIENDS WERE
00:48:40THE PEOPLE THAT I MET IN BOOKS.
00:48:41WE LIVED IN RURAL TEXAS, BUT WE
00:48:46COULD WALK TO A BOOKMOBILE A COUPLE OF TIMES A MONTH, AND
00:48:48THAT WAS A PASSPORT TO THE
00:48:50WORLD. AND THAT LIBRARIAN WAS A
00:48:53WIZARD. AND I WOULD WALK IN AND SHE WOULD SAY, HAVE YOU MET ALL
00:48:57OF A KIND FAMILY? AND SHE WOULD SAY, HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS TREE
00:49:00THAT'S GROWING IN BROOKLYN? AND SHE WOULD SAY, YOU LOOK LIKE
00:49:04YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY. HAVE YOU HAVE YOU MET RAMONA QUIMBY?
00:49:07AND SHE OPENED ALL OF THESE
00:49:12WORLDS AND PEOPLE AND IDEAS. AND
00:49:14AS I GOT OLDER, I HAD READ
00:49:18EVERYTHING IN MY AGE SECTION OVER AND OVER, AND I BEGAN TO, LIKE, MOVE OVER TO THE
00:49:22RESTRICTED SECTION. AND, AND MY MOM WAS LIKE, YOU CAN'T READ
00:49:26STEPHEN KING. YOU'RE A CHILD.
00:49:27UM, AND SO, AND MY MOM IS A
00:49:31PROLIFIC READER AND SHE WAS LIKE, SUPER RESPECTED, BUT ALSO
00:49:34LIKE, YOU'RE TOO YOUNG. AND I WAS LIKE, TOTALLY. SO I WENT AND
00:49:38I STOLE ALL OF THOSE BOOKS FROM
00:49:39MY GRANDMOTHER. UM, AND, UH, WHO
00:49:43TOTALLY KNEW I WAS DOING IT. UH,
00:49:46AND SO I, AFTER I'D READ ALL OF THE STEPHEN KING BOOKS, I MOVED
00:49:48ON TO THE NEXT BOOKS ON HER
00:49:51OTHER SHELVES. AND THERE WAS
00:49:54SOMETHING SO DANGEROUSLY EXCITING ABOUT READING THESE
00:49:58FORBIDDEN BOOKS. AND WITH EACH
00:50:00ONE, I LEARNED SOME SECRET PIECE OF THE UNIVERSE THAT MADE ME
00:50:03STRONGER. UH, FROM THE COLOR
00:50:07PURPLE, I LEARNED THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS NOT THE ONLY
00:50:10PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO LIKED
00:50:11BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS. AND FROM
00:50:15HER COPY OF STEPFORD WIVES, I
00:50:16LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING YOURSELF. AND FROM HER V.C.
00:50:20ANDREWS. I LEARNED THAT YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE OUT WITH YOUR
00:50:22BROTHER IN THE ATTIC. WE ALL
00:50:29READ IT. TOO YOUNG. UM, AND
00:50:33IT'S PROBABLY NOT A NECESSARY LESSON, BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN
00:50:36HAVE A BROTHER OR AN ATTIC. BUT
00:50:45REGARDLESS, BOOKS SAVED ME AS A LONELY CHILD. AS A SCARED
00:50:47TEENAGER. AND THEY SAVED ME. NOW
00:50:50THEY GIVE ME COMPASSION AND KNOWLEDGE. AND MOST OF ALL,
00:50:53HOPE. AND RIGHT NOW, WE NEED
00:50:57THAT. BECAUSE IN TEXAS, BOOKS ARE BEING BANNED AND RESTRICTED
00:51:00AT LEVELS I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT
00:51:03JUST TEXAS. I SUPPOSE IN SOME
00:51:06WAYS, I HOPE THAT THAT TERRIBLE
00:51:08BOOK BANNING THAT'S HAPPENING
00:51:10NOW CREATES THAT SAME CURIOSITY
00:51:13OF FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE AND EXCITEMENT THAT MAKES KIDS SAY,
00:51:16WHAT IS IT THAT'S SO DANGEROUS IN THESE BOOKS? WHAT IS IT
00:51:20YOU'RE AFRAID THAT I'LL DO WITH THIS POWER AND THIS
00:51:23KNOWLEDGE THAT I'LL GAIN FROM THEM? WHY ARE BOOK BANNERS SO
00:51:26AFRAID OF ALREADY MARGINALIZED VOICES? AND THEY'LL DISCOVER THE
00:51:30SAME THING. I DISCOVERED THAT IF YOU READ THEM, THEY BECOME YOUR
00:51:34FRIENDS, AND YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM, AND YOU WANT TO
00:51:38PROTECT THEM, INSTEAD OF BEING
00:51:40AFRAID OF THEM. TODAY IS A
00:51:42REALLY SCARY TIME TO BE A
00:51:45LIBRARIAN, OR A BOOKSELLER, OR A WRITER, AND THAT MAKES THE WORK
00:51:48THAT WE DO EVEN MORE NEEDED TO
00:51:50SAY TO PEOPLE, YOU ARE NOT
00:51:54ALONE. HERE IS THE WORLD IN A BOOK. AND PERHAPS RIGHT NOW YOU
00:51:57ARE WRITING A BOOK WHICH WILL BECOME SOMEONE'S VERY BEST
00:52:00FRIEND, OR WILL GIFT THEM WITH
00:52:03COMPASSION OR KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL CHANGE THEIR LIFE. THIS IS
00:52:06SACRED WORK, AND SACRED WORK IS
00:52:08ALWAYS THREATENED. THE
00:52:13BOOKMOBILE LIBRARIAN AND THE BOOKMOBILE AND MY GRANDMOTHER
00:52:15ARE ALL ARE ALL GONE NOW, SO I CAN'T THANK THEM HERE. BUT I
00:52:19CAN THANK YOU HERE FOR THE WORK
00:52:21THAT YOU DO AS WRITERS AND AS
00:52:25READERS, AND AS LIBRARIANS AND
00:52:28AS ADVOCATES. YOU OPEN WORLDS TO
00:52:31OTHERS, AND YOU LET US SEE AND
00:52:34BE SEEN, AND YOU SAVE US IN WAYS THAT YOU CAN NEVER IMAGINE. AND
00:52:38I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR IT.
00:52:41>> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
00:52:58[APPLAUSE]
00:53:00>> WOW, WHAT AN EVENING, MR.
00:53:02BENNET. CAN I STEAL THAT QUOTE
00:53:05ABOUT A NATIONAL LIBRARY? THAT
00:53:07IS REALLY VERY COMPELLING? SO
00:53:12WOULD YOU HELP ME THANK OUR
00:53:16AUTHORS TONIGHT?
00:53:17>> [APPLAUSE]
00:53:26[APPLAUSE] >> AND NOW, WE INVITE YOU TO
00:53:29JOIN US ON THE MEZZANINE LEVEL FOR OUR RECEPTION. AND I LOOK
00:53:32FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU
00:53:34TOMORROW. 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
01:00:36HALL TO SIGN UP. THE MOST IMPORTANT SUPPORTER OF THE
01:00:39NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL IS DAVID
01:00:40M RUBENSTEIN, A STAUNCH ADVOCATE
01:00:44OF READING AND LITERACY. MR.
01:00:46RUBENSTEIN HAS BEEN THE LEAD
01:00:50DONOR TO THE FESTIVAL FOR MORE THAN A DECADE NOW, AND HE IS
01:00:51ALSO CHAIR OF OUR JAMES MADISON
01:00:55COUNCIL, THE LIBRARY'S LEADING PHILANTHROPIC GROUP. SINCE 1990, WHICH PROVIDED