Sir harold evans on booktv. [inaudible conversations] good evening. I am b owner of the store lot with my dad. My grandfather founded the store 90 years ago in 1927 in book row and iran its rand with 48 bookstores at its height in todays history and we are the sole survivor we have survived a big box, amazon and ebooks in the major mineral fire that blasted out all of our windows so we opened the next day. [applause] today sir harry evans is called the greatest in the most galion to editor of live. [applause] [inaudible] that says that all. The sunday times random house working as the editor in chief of writers in the British Press and a Lifetime Achievement and ignited 2003. Knighted 2003. The first time that kerry was 2004 filming a cspan segment on this floor responding to the Republican Convention and people were outraged that bush was the of nominee. That seems likely time today. Since then we have developed a close friendship i am always in off of how they know everybody and bring people together to conquer one project after another. Their daughter was a summer intern in was so loved that every Department Head wanted her to work in their department i had to break the news that she had to go back to harvard. I got off subjects. We are here to discuss his new book do i make myself clear . His number seven rule is dont be a bore. Hopefully we can follow that rule tonight. Were also honored to welcome Mike Barnicle the senior contributor to msnbc morning joe for print and broadcast journalist and commentator following rule number seven threat his career earning accolades of conservative media. Please join me to welcome Mike Barnicle and sir harry to the streets and. [applause]. And the strand is a heroic story and is sir harry, you are a legendary editor of the 20th and 21st century. What did you write today . Today with the former chancellor of exchequer. To talk about or you find truth and i have written a few words so i felt the strand was more important. In the book that is a gift to both writers and editors but most especially to readers because it gives an account of how easy it is to read something that has been well edited and squier and concise we dont want anything where they scratched their heads thinking what do they mean . One of my favorite chapters in the book is storytelling the long and short of it. So define clarity one that struck home to me was the helicopter patrol in afghanistan so lets speak to the need for clarity and those to different forms. When i was a young reporter i would arrive they said get away you are too young kid. So i did my best to tell the truth but the difference between breaking for the press like beat army or Mike Barnicle you have to be precise. With military precision with that automatic coupling and it is absolutely shocking because it shows that military position that is the approximation. And they are directed to look for a particular place in the looks just like the place they are looking for. So they circle again and talk among each other. So what is happening . Facebook for the arch in then they say there they go. And then Doctors Without Borders and of course, it is a disaster. So how did that come about . I tell that story not to make fun of the military so they were pretty frank about that. So when that camera man was killed by the Army Helicopter to see them gathering in the marketplace. They said it looks like a gun so they killed him. I personally dont stand for that but on this stage i feel i am not particularly fond of them but even he rose. Negative extension of that story and the right above that story the bureaucratic language, why is it so difficult for people who are smart people to write a simple declare it is sentence . That is the whole point. I am glad the last that the tests most of the time my emitter rage let me just give you example. Last year in coincidence with our 45th president and said political language in this was true of all political process designed to make it sound truthful in this is part of the Financial Times that promise to you dedicate ourselves to the efficacy of be measurable way to learn something so why did you say so . And then there was one of the founders of facebook. Saying that they are taking away the money that we need. So this is what they thought they would do. So this is what they wanted to do and from that perspective. So when i wrote this so donald trump with the certainty to be as effective as he was in the election we have to stop illegal immigration. And i hear the people that we are running against we have to build a wall. We have to do it. To say is a working . But you have to say that worked because all these long words so with that clarity of language. Some of those newspapers said today there was no translation and that is very different. So that certain tea and clarity of it so what you see make america read again like make America Great again Ronald Reagan said lets make America Great again. So unfortunately there was the type of certainty or clarity like that. So that is that certainty. So when i say lets be clear pushing through to the Republican Party but what i read with the measurable outcomes we have to learn to speak clearly. So it is okay but now as it relates to so i sit there getting angry and they greeted them by the way. So talking about the Trump Campaign and the wall so you edited literally millions of newspaper stories. Is there row linkage that make you think about things to summon the motion in a reader . So tell me how and why. Want to get out of the swap. Lets imagine 30 or 40 years from now. So how are you feeling . So why the u. S. . Before he reads that the roger angell could make up a paper clip do that. Is a check me now. I have been worked over by the kgb and then also from 87 if i pointed my hand you like a pistol the bull would hit your knee. Like slamming a door in your face. Now still face a new with one hand what i see is a blurry and certain vision on your right and left. Nothing in the middle but cheer up so if i take my hands away benefit disappears and then to be pretty terrific on today. And i you feeling great. So with he is 93 i feel sorry. It is by the way that he writes in with that simple language those concrete images does that the answer the question . Yes it does. In the book this old man riding from the yorker but the of upside in the writing negative impacts like Health Insurance policy. Has anybody read their Health Insurance policy or the Car Insurance policy . Soap star with each through an ethan hedrick. He was born with Cerebral Palsy. And a half to stretch the muscles. Said to have intense physical therapy. So the muscles of the mouth do not develop as a huge lead speech there be as well. And with that insurance policy. And said to have a very good chance of walking. So some of those means by which they were able and restored by a court order. And they refused and ended the service so it meant he was imprisoned without the ability to communicate in a simple matter because Cerebral Palsy can be treated to the extent that the victim can learn gradually to communicate. Sova the would draw all of that condemned him in bed judge explained i cannot overrule the policy language what was the rule the word that escaped . Promised to restore speech they said he has not uttered a word we cannot restore something that is not there. So there was a diabolical argument because that suggested it doesnt have to go back to a mythical state but the improvement but there was that 50 50 chance so that is the story of ethan. Is it education . Or why so many of us have difficulties . Some of those magazine pieces it is like wearing snowshoes a and a machete. [laughter] that is one of the things that i describe in detail so just imagine in then it begins with the pri victory clause. Given the circumstances so this is where people get shipwrecked in a panic in there sixth or 70 worse before they get to that. If they can get to the point so now you were screaming because it is incomprehensible. So it is a predatory cause. So is that true . So is that what they and then remember something else. So put that in there also. But i certainly used to be. In the number of People Better so scared because they get to the clause that said which. The difference between that and which so he said i will never enter that which clause again but it will be recognized it to know what you want to say dont even use the us. To be ;. So all of these other things so years ago for many years, when i was writing five columns a week by reagan into that issue in the beginning of that which caused of Harvard University but after a brief while i figured in terms of writing the way they speak the you think that is in no k way to go . But then you start to describe the problem to say send me the email and those that had been in the Harvard English Department nobody will rescue. Is and this is a real issue of the language police. When i was writing the book i knew thered be a subordinate clause or maybe you can say that it is in the normal sense of the word so im expected to get arrested any day now so to have a word without a firm. In the book is love interesting anecdotes and compelling stories they expect those writers to read count the number of people that you know, including me that have difficulty writing and tell a and unless they get that lead down perfectly. The first paragraph could take you in our. With 850 words. But not until i got that first paragraph down the rest is 43 minutes. That is familiar to me. Because writing editorials and then to share with the guardian i spend the first 44 minutes on the first paragraph. Thinking it is up masterpiece the paragraph was not very long when they sent it upstairs they just sliced the first paragraph. So i still have that fear. Even this afternoon most writing calls out in my wife is a writer and she has made me a better writer. She says to the vomit draft that is wonderful. In there is the idea and then it turns up to be entirely edible. He sent me the vomit to draft but it is okay now. One of my favorite memories. But my wife but with that normalization and. But does of the is the now that this sort of dave herbert go they all have endings to alert you to make that authorized. Ill authorize that cameraman to make me look good. So do you see the authorizations that i have so many zombies but take my word for it. And les to go by the book. To see all of the authorization and participation. And the of most frightening words of the book you are pros. With respect to a whole army and then to say things two or three times. That is absolutely necessary. So with that alone recognition to make us a great newspaper editor. With the 20th and 91st century. So when you read the newspapers in my view that you ever go into friend to back there may be something on the front page to getting free are sad or happy . With of likes and dislikes . But added quickly enough. But then years ago but there is no undue cause for alarm. No cause for alarm. Not a firm for what they described on paper. In with that district that distant. So then one of these days so i have wanted by that when they go to sleep a night time wanted. [laughter] would anyone like to speak . Questions . He has a dancers. [laughter] this is totally unnecessary. But that fever pitch tone of the internet is provoking people it to be taken to the utmost. That is a temptation and it is the same with the words. And then they are not quite sure. But then that is what theyre really means. Could do you worry at all about the newspapers online journalism much of that is tremendous. Between the Washington Post and the new york times. Is dead of multiple times a day. But do you worry . And with this intensity may get by 1 00 or 3 00 or 5 00. In the bid to take refers paragraph from the editor. Aisle is works on a. The fed the face with his fantastically rich so that level of editing and not to be as intense as it was. And that makes that wonderful. In what we have been complaining about and that has been phenomenal. If i were working with him. [laughter] good luck with that. To talk about that relationship of the priority of of words and ideas. So as to use such clear languages send clear to have the clarity of his mind . So in the campaign i did not like that at all. And this is the lesson for all of them. So to discuss this in the book that with no qualifications whatsoever so that is day question. Because that contradiction of gullivers travels the to describe as a politician who cannot tell the difference for what he really believes. I cannot answer that question so what is your answer . Editing somebodys words is one day we were helping them shape their it is have you come across where editing the word helps to clarify . Do i want to . No. The dizzy ethical question. And then to make that message clear but space we did not want to propagate that untruth people literally challenging. And don though way to was a deadline. And then they say what is this pochette . So then watch out for though which. Support of the answer to your question, sir harry harry, address a portion of what they were speaking about earlier. Of the objective of the written page and to give you an example this occurred early in jeanmarie may be the first we go to gary in manchester New Hampshire to have a rally at the Manchester Verizon Center snowing, i. C. E. Storm people im able to move in cars . The distance of about 20 miles and was late in the place was packed the be three or 4,000 people, all white. They played the eclectic songs beethoven him paul variety that turned up full volume in then with his family to strut back and forth on the stage cheering and yelling and screaming the first thing he spoke about was the wall and the crowd went wild in he uttered some of the other words we will do this san that since then we will get that walloped first day of the crowd erupted again. And then the league to talk about the wall over to retrieve its. And i just walk around because they think that i look normal. And then you realize is the same way that they looked at the numbers on the powerball on friday night. He was going to win for them and build the wall and has made billions in the great deal to them but the emotion was a leak. In that was vividly expressed but in fact, that that is the point actually. So picking up the emotional echo. And then calling people deplorable. So this is fair game. But one of the dangers continually attacking the credibility of the education in their lives and those academics the media is now called the enemy of the people. And nothing to be said about that emotional vividness. Alarm is the right word. And with the armistice of truth. But actually this is a good point. Coming out from 1984. Jindal this is wonderful stuff. But then people are dying of tuberculosis. But what we have and did you have to a understand what is being done. To a understand the power in the face of the public. And then try to get day message to us therefore we must struggle to retain and that maybe the moment how can i put it . Of that prophetic in sight. Goahead. What about nonfiction and . How long have we got . And with their accounts and the wife would kill me but from the time that they were speaking. And to say that those numbers are exaggerated. But i had to respect that but i have to say to you i dont think my life depended on the. In bed all have the imagination and with the works of nonfiction to go back to shakespeare or dickens. And with one of my favorite books. Isnt as an incredible writer. And then but then finally and i can see what is happening in the small dusty town. So with that philosophy so i take my favorite five books. [applause] sir harry evans and a legend do i make myself clear . To give me the aura of credibility. Thanks diligence for coming down here. Do i make myself clear . Copies are for sale. [inaudible conversations]