Sustained all those years. With a six month operation or to we protest their active 1947 through 1954 the entire time they faced resistance with religious leaders and Civic Leaders and they never back down. I always felt like we were those in which cassidy and the sundance kid at the end when they are followed in the people tracking them keep coming up behind them and finally they looked at each other and say who are they . That is the response that many people had in omaha. Who are they and what do they want and why are they here . Because almost any other location in the United States that would have been the response that this is another one of those groups because there wasnt. To me one of the most important parts of the pioneering effort in such an unlikely place. Welcome to the 31st printers row lit best i will give a quick thankyou to our sponsors. Todays program is being aired live on cspan2 booktv. At the end of the presentation we will take questions from the audience. So please line up by the microphone so the home of viewing audience can hear your question. Keep the spirit going all year round with a subscription to the journal the premium book section fiction series and Membership Program also please download the trip books as well as access to the digital book store we encourage everyone to post photographs and messages on twitter and instagram and facebook. Before we begin please turn off any cell phones and the flash on your camera. With that i will introduce our interview were from the chicago tribune. [applause] enough of that. Does anybody in here not know who erik larson is . That sounds like interesting name. Without argument he is you can argue David Mccullough if you want to as the best narrative nonfiction writer alive. [applause] he is also a terrific human being and you are unfortunately have to listen. The first time we have ever had a conversation that did not involve cocktails. That is true. So we may not be as normally fun as we normally are but we hope to be. Right now does lusitania you describe as a floating villages and steel i will not concentrate much as youll have 50 minutes to ask questions we have specific questions but to talk more of the process. You are now in what you call the dark country of the new ideas. That is not a term that i came up with but my good friend came up with that to describe the period with i am looking for my next book idea because id like other writers, when i finished a book i have nothing else on my plate so i start from scratch and that could be a long process typically it could be one year before start the next project that i am to see and snappish and pissy. [laughter] host you need something to attract your attention . Mostly it is dumb luck and chance. I do things that i hope try touche jog things loose in my mind. For example, i will actually walk through the stacks of my Favorite Library in seattle to pull books every of them to just read what it is about to expose myself to do things or new book said never would have come across this never has yielded anything ever. [laughter] but it is no way truly to make me feel productive. Id like to use it around. I can spend a lot of time looking at battles with the ken doll and of the japanese boat trade but that does not pay college tuition. One may be going to law school but we are not sure yet. I just interviewed a guy about how to fight off aging called a Spring Chicken swire very aware of my frailty. Chicago has been very, very good to you. Absolutely. Host if you can remember give us the seat that made you start doing the research . How many people love you like that book . At. [applause] guest first i will tell you on the eve of publication of that book i was convinced my career was over. I am being honest because two stories into a narrative threads that never really touch i thought they were going to bury me. But the way this came about a hardcover was 2003 but in 1993 i read a great novel called the alienist. Have you read that book . Is about a fictional serial killer in old new york. When i read that book i came away thinking i have a good sense of what old new york must have been like that i thought why dont i try to do a Nonfiction Book about a historical murder is a long story by the way so if you want to go to the bathroom and come back. You will be bored to tears. I thought i will look into this. So what went back to my Favorite Library and i started to read the encyclopedia of murder i dont know where i came across the killer i came across them though and there is a former hotel and the acid bath but i did not want to do crime porn. Something that mattered like gosse for parcourse Something Like that so i kept looking and found a murder that was not mysterious or interesting but it did have a very bizarre hurricane connection. I fell in love with the hurricane and that became the core of my book of the storm. [applause] that remains my wifes favorite. So i did that book again and i was ted i started to think maybe i should look for a murder. The thought of homes flooded through my mind once again but still i did not want to do a slasher book however always back in the dark country of notes it is and i did recall reading about him there was a reference to the chicago affair chicago fair that i never knew existed so i have nothing on my plate i will read about the affair it turns out there is a large collection of the worlds fair even in seattle which told me something this is interesting but the first thing i read was the teas that was academic i swear it was a feminist deconstruction. [laughter] it was mind killing. La was willing to read anything then i came to the footnotes. Lot of historians tend to put the best stuff in the footnotes. Truly because if you are getting tenure you cannot write about those things so the first one i came across was the trigger for this book where i read to be introduced to consumers at the first time of the worlds fair. Why is that a significant . Im a big juicy fruit gum shoe were and that it is a private six obsession because it is strange. If you set by someone who was to reduce the effort you think they just threw up but it is fascinating them more i read that i thought this is an amazing event and i thought i will do the fair and holmes would provide the juxtaposition to the darkness and the light. Host the last time you were here you said it was ford doubled in the white city and you really were insecure about that book. Those of you who have read it which i assume are most of you, i find that nothing insecure about that. Were you surprised at the level of success . Very surprised. I got an inkling Something Interesting was happening talking to the diversity of chicago my first shock given though logic of publishing we introduced it in new york [laughter] but i will mention one thing. That happened in the direction. Two people showed up during question and answer to young women they were well groomed but it turns out they said they were direct descendants of the serial killer in both corporate warriors. [laughter] that is the part that scare the hell out of me. [laughter] but one of them said we are so happy about this book of first time anyone has done our black sheep relative justice. [laughter] then she says as a matter of fact, were having a Family Reunion. [laughter] on saturday to i want to come . [laughter] and i probably have a lunch date with charlie manson. [laughter] host can i assume that in the garden of the beast that somehow was born out of your Research Ford double in the white city . Working with an interesting woman at the tribune. Zero connection. No connection whatsoever. You could not have said i will do take on hitler in world war ii . No. What happened it had to do with the political situation thinking about the garden of the beast it was getting creepy as the administration was putting political agents into the departments firing u. S. Attorney zaph five endicott me toothache to think what is the political Tipping Point . What would it have been like to live in berlin . That is the question that popped into my head. It is more convoluted that then that i went to a bookstore again trying to be productive but then 1700 pages and no pictures small print and the rise and fall of the third reich. Is some could say they could love the book about the third reich and that is what came together with a political situation and to realize the author of the book was there in berlin and had socialized with all these characters before the war how anybody knew this would turn out to so what what dash have them like if you did not know the ending . If the neighbor in the cafe but what i have been thrilled over board . But then a question to find the right characters and really thank god i came across his daughter. With the church introduction to talk about her lovely day it may with the true character has long banned obscured very curious and why certain things to get buried like that. And i would argue that most people though lusitania was a boat and is not. That is not a story. That is what we pick up from highschool. But one of the first revelations today is we didnt get into the war for another two years. When i first read this that cannot be true. I was doubting because of high school but to be more relevant questions of the serial killer and though worlds fair with this storm that destroy galveston people and texas know what they teach but outside of that nobody knew about it and tell i stumbled across it literally from the new york world and again nobody knew about the worlds fair of 8093. Where there has been millions of words written mostly light doing that but the initial line or the fall said to move gave life throughout the of their books. That was the big saying it was a mental obstacle it crossed my mind because i like maritime history id like to the flying dutchman i probably would have done a book about the titanic is James Cameron had not done that. But there was an obstacle the something kept gnawing at me so i would parachute into an archived to look at the materials in their realized that this is just a of a glimpse of what was available but it occurred to me such fine textured material to have this so deep and so rich that i thought i think i can do something here that is to put on Alfred Hitchcocks at to do a book of nonfiction is suspense. That was my whole goal it is almost impossible to do heavy research but that is how a cave about. Because my feeder is people are burned out. To you feel at this stage with the best sellers do you feel any pressure with each new book after the success of devil . Yes. [laughter] alleviated by a glass of red wine . The only way to alleviate the pressure wind and rand bourbon help but you do feel pressure and anybody who says they dont is probably still draw. But what you have to do i will do a story i really want to do. Prettify interested in this fed is my feeling. But i dont know. But i will tell you they dont mince words. Your wifes Favorite Book is a i guess that is like your favorite daughter do you have a favorite . I dont. Because i can. It is like my daughters i dont have a favorite daughter. I have a favorite wife. [laughter] you met her on a blind date. If the bills have a successful marriage . [laughter] we have been very just about 30 years. The first date was terrible. Tell me you did not go to libraries. We just went out for a drink and dinner. No chemistry nothing. But then a couple weeks passed and i thought i was so arrogant that i called her up again on the theory that everyone deserves a second chance. [laughter] i knew you would be horrified by that. To appreciate the value of family is incredible. And also because as you know, you cannot get lost in your own little world with toddlers and teenagers in those who learn how to you drive. Host you use your kids to your advantage with the devil he did not have her out on the street to sell copies but. This goes back to ruth printers row. So i had my daughter do that. It was so cute. I tried to have a comeback for this. She is 21 living in new york. She said it is not happening. To have the question that most people will say i have a question this second partisan is but. In fact, we had started to talk about it earlier. A number of homicide cops had turned up in a cave in to hear the talk but the guy gets up and those of you who know the story chicago won the right to do the worlds fair over new york had washington. This. [laughter] be careful with your questions is a fabulous book. I cannot pick my favorite myself. Devil in the white city is way up there there rises to the top but that every couple of years he has a new book that will top that. I hope this is a good example but the source of things punctuate so effectively white herons swam from the ship to have no feeling of feet when i went overboard he felt as comfortable as if he simply entered a Swimming Pool and so composed when he came across a floating book he picked it up to examine it. I dont want to know where that kind of detail comes from i dont know i am just in all. You are in the presence of the master and the coup will die and as a pretty good father. Dont be too much in an odd if you read that correctly it should have been freer easier fear not feat. [laughter] it is feat because i crossed through it. I had no feeling of fear when i went overboard. [applause] erik larson. Line up to ask your question. Did he go to the Family Reunion . No. Those of the kind of question is that rely. I said i could not go. You have said different style almost like a novel and i feel that your books have they seemed you intentionally right to get the message across as opposed to getting history across the . No. We could take 50 questions in 50 minutes of every answer is like that. [laughter] but it is interesting. I never set out to have a message to get across that it is not necessarily intended that as it happens has proved wrong. Coming close to the idea but i had no intention to make any type of soapboxes to preach but once i found my character you have to go with what you have got to i love nuanced characters i have been criticized by people for including martha in the book for not being more urges rental about the ambassador and his daughter were to take a break a more judgmental stand but you have to tell it the way that it was this is how they experience in that time. Back in the day when you used to do appear i solute to end all three events for devil in the white city when you bring those stories together i believe you called that a parallel narrative. Dual narrative. You said it was very difficult to do and that book would be your last and obviously it wasnt. What attracts you to that and is this your last one . [laughter] are you a stalker . [laughter] you can never get away from your past. Clearly it is a dual narrative by never wanted to do another because it is like writing two books instead of one. And i did in fact say publicly i would not ever do another one then the next book really was which was completely by accident. Believe me i told my wife i am just going to be attacked people will accuse me to do a dual narrative but i love the story that was the story of the second most famous murder in british history but then i would argue that is the last i would do. I dont look in the garden as the dual narrative by delicate this one as one. I dont have a question but thank you for all the great books that you are providing. I have been telling friends that if you had written a book you only read half the story so what i mean is the notes to the back of the book that he provide so much more information that you were not getting a. For example, he puts in the footnotes where you can go to a website to see films of people boarding the boat that was taken on the boat and it was so nice that you offer all of this Additional Information to their readers. Thank you very much. Faq for your comment because i have learned over time that people love the footnotes and i love that because that is said genesis of devil in the white city but i work very hard at my footnotes for what would not fit into the narrative so thank you so much for getting a. Have you seen or are you aware of the production of devil in the white city . I have not seen it. I highly recommend it having read the book. [laughter] i will make you a deal. Having read the book i was anxious to see the production i thoroughly enjoyed it. There has been a lots of love movie buzz about devil in the white city what is going on . Is still under option. Leonardo da capriole intends to do it there was going to be a change of the studio but they are still progressing. My experience is when movies are made from books nothing happens very quickly. The book comes out that there is a movie with actors it is terrific but but for my books. [laughter] you mentioned earlier to write the book not knowing the ending to know how your book is ending before you write the first sentence . Very astute. You need to break it up in two phases after i finished my research i know quite early when i do the proposal but novel you have to have pretty much done and turned and before that with nonfiction the publisher acts more like of venturecapital list. It is a good thing to realize when you think about why some books are expensive to read researches the expensive process. I make of pitch that was very detailed based on my preliminary research so by the time i had that i know where that book will most likely begin but i do always know the ending. 1c and will come very early in the process and you think that is rival and the book. That can change there can be additional material that follows. I love the idea to touch base with characters at the very end of the book to see what happened to them in the end. With the music streaming off but i want to know the main ending. Host would you were younger you had a dream to become a new yorker cartoonist. Do you draw now . I gave up my aspiration editor of the age. 38 or 14. I swear to god they came back within 24 hours. I think they had a guy weighty at the mailbox. Send them back. [laughter] but i love to draw. But it was the work to become a novelist. If you sit down to write a novel of that ever happened . I have four complete novels in maya jurors at home in my office. It does not include the novel that i wrote with a competing career at 1375 page novel i think it was good. It had a sex scene. I have never had sex. I bet there is 100 publishers to say we will publish that. It gives us of a lot of information to make us come alive is a lot of that from your research from your own feeling of Character Development . It is nonfiction and threw a hand through. That the main characters will be rich to come alive on some level. But once you decide to your characters will be it is a process to go the distance. Looking for those little bits and pieces. But what it might come down to our choice details and that is what is is about. But the specific things that will light the imagination if you put those in the right places in the right structure space of the book that is more richer and more alive than analyzing would suggest. This is my last question and you can buy his book what do you read for pleasure . I read fiction almost exclusively because over the course of the day especially doing research there is a lot of awful and nonfiction out there some very dry stuff i have to go. Anybody in particular . I just finished day book today called missing person i love anything that is well written i love recently of book this is where i leave you the first 25 pages have seen is hilarious you have to be a of a guy to appreciate that but but those that i always go back to our hemingway or john