This week, pales to the best moment of american literature, tom wolfe wrote in one of his manifestoes on behalf of literary realism, we need a battalion of brigade to head out into this one with far and predictable of stopping and three claiming it as liberty property. As the trouble of turning yourself into an america is that you immediately expose being trumped by reality, the critics are forever basing him from going over the top, for using cartoon characters returned is the opposite. Mr. Wolfson satire pains into significance paint with a reality that he tries to capture. Charlotte simmons was born and raised in what grand ther virgid give me virginia and at Yale University and the start of his journalistic career at the university newspaper. University newspaper. I dislike american correspondent for the Washington Post he earned the prize for his coverage of the cuban revoluti revolution. His 1962, he moved to the tribune where he interviewed the Staff Writers signed and a leader in the new york magazine. Newspapers tracked with 1962 to 63 afforded him to travel to california to write an article for esquire. Stumped for an angle for the article he sent a note for his article to publish them verbatim and it described as a long spontaneous letter suspending the traditional journalistic whole scene as a voice on quote and post was born the new journalism. The rest as they say is history come of this and others were collected in the books. The candy covered land terrain making him the most talked about journalist in america and the newspaper correspondent. Two new books published on the same day in 1968 and the electric koolaid absent test as the observer and documenter of contemporary american experience. 1970, saw the radical chief in 1975, a tea and overcome in 197, gloves and mildmannered catbird where the generation was coined after, both it included critical trophy wife into the right stuff. The attorneys fees program into the right stuff was published in 1979 and as the sold on modern architecture from the bottom house to our house in 1981 is still required reading in these programs around the world. Taking a page from the surrealists to the vanities for the new york money culture, 1980s, 4 a. M. An appearance at Rolling Stone gave the pistons during 1984 and 1980 times into the section. This post due to both 1987 and remained a bestseller for the year. Full published 1998, in the end of the fold, he uses an atlanta Real Estate Developer in the 23yearold manual labor to paint memorandum that turns the 21st century and during this peer code of his life that cvs connections is to into the universities began. Sister graduated from the programs have my earprogram sems in 1998 shield at alexandria into the classroom and crash. Tom participated in the 31st during the program and in october of 88, it was a stunning freshman class but the daughters are industry of tom wolfe and alexander c. Used to father at the event and let the crowd know hes targeting men and help pleased she was when i was finally completed. [laughter] he was a gracious candidate speaking of different delivery posing for a classic debate poster serving as a Commencement Speaker and all the while doing research for a new book set in institution of a Higher Education that is on several occasions he spent time learning and observing like a trained reporter serving and to throw us off guard he spent a semester in residence at Stanford University to complete the research on his novel from charlotte simmons. Its my pleasure to introduce tom wolfe is going to talk about today, tom wolfe. [applause] thank you very much, david, and ladies and gentlemen. Its great to be back at duke. My topic as david mentioned, what is new in the south or great material in the south. Im not advertising. First of all, i have not seen the new sounds of the south recorded anywhere were in print. For example, you had the same experience as i have, you check into a hotel intervene in the morning you are awakened by the sound is. Their cubes of frozen biscuit. [laughter] the other is from about the end of may onto the summer, you go to the airport and rent a car and turn on the ignition if you aryoure blown back about 4 fee. That is because whoever left the air conditioning on i. Another one that i particularly like is if you go to a beautiful place like the university of virginia so steeped in the memories of the nation, it means so much to the educational horrors and is such a priceless piece of architecture. Your whole soul is engaged with this. And that is that we are. [laughter] ive never understood this, but particularly when you want to see something and enjoy it those are the new sounds of the south. I said im going to tell all of the writers in the audience that are selling literature that its time now after all these years something happens and you realize weve only just begun. I had just heard from a witness who was there in the audience got the following took place in the 1940s Scotland CountyNorth Carolina there was an attempt by the Cattlemens Association said they were coming down from the hills and everywhere else. They were waiting for the representatives to come around and started talking and reminiscing and so on. And they said it seems to me we are going about this the whole wrong way. There is one man who was called we wouldnt have to send over forces and all the rest of it. Just get rid of hitler so another guy said how are you going to do that. He said gets me in the boat and get me over there and i will take care of it for you. Im going to go to his house. He has a wall around his house probably. He said dont worry about that. Im going to worry gate to wait until nightfall and claim over with my rifle and hide behind the tree and hide there all night and he comes out then im going to let him have it. [laughter] i love that story for two reasons. The lack of security but also leavneeds these things up to con sense and committee meetings. I was there in last august and attended the bristol 500 its a nascar race around a half a mile paved track. Its a short distance for cars going over 200 miles an hour. They are at a very steep angle of width 165,000 people it is the biggest sporting event in america and im not sure how many southerners know about this particular event. He would have died and gone to heaven if he had seen this 500. [laughter] here are the 165,000 good old boys and girls get the code could old girls in the stands. This is like something from the medieval turn on the tenth or 11th century when opposing armies and people would arrive for a week of hell raising celebrations and the rules of conduct were suspended. I saw them wind up being trained for a final they become lionel and people were having the times of their lives. Then here came the vips who went out to a huge Landing Strip that most had never seen. Its where the helicopters are part. And they are mostly people that have never been to a nascar event before an expected to see Something Like the indianapolis 500. Speak to [laughter] i think every male over the age of 35 should cover up as much of himself as he can. [laughter] theres nothing you can do about your skin. My children make fun of me but i think that i am when i wear a tank top to the beach and i would urge all men who are here. [laughter] anyway, im getting a little bit off the subject here. The doesnt count against my time. [laughter] when they get into the helicopters and all look like a praying mantis is. Then they come down over the track. The track is built like a megaphone of. You can see the race in the stand if you live on the track it is that steep. The overwhelming sound of the helicopter had been qualified as the sound coming up for me for the megaphone of the sand and people who come by helicopter then go to skyboxes. It removes you from the event. There are so many drinks dot in the meantime the fans are there in the stands and incredible noise goes right through the rib cage. Thats what i really want to mention is that the people who spoke to the race, and i think that this shows something about the south today. When the head of the Rifle Association who are no longer at charlton heston, president of the national Rifle Association, he spoke for all of 30 seconds and there wasnt an inflammatory remark or a rousing remark. People stood up as one to applaud. That was a show of support. Then an invocation. To look with favor of those that risk their lives for those who make it possible for those brave drivers to do what they do to show us what can be done. [laughter] that means that we ask in the name of our son, christ jesus. That may seem like nothing to you but if that case had been given in San Francisco, los angeles or new york where i live, he had been arrested for a hate crime. It sounded so strange. Throwing around the term good old boys is and accurate but it is credible for writers whether they live in the south or they dont think has to do with the role in American Life and i take a page from james webb, author of the book a good fight. One time fo the secretary of the navy under Ronald Reagan and he had been the most decorated marine in vietnam. He is en route of four novels. He went to annapolis and wanted to be a leader and a fighter and is blamed for things i never knew that he had been the backbone versus evolution. In the civil war both sides. And even though they are people from scotland and ireland into protestants and then he came to the United States and work toward and they bought inexpensively into battle applications. You talk to anybody thats been in the army and they were the original source of country and usually people who talk about rednecks its one of those terms about which people forget the origins like barking up the wrong tree. That comes from raccoon hunting, barking up the wrong tree. Who on gods earth is going to hold a vote next 25 years that these metaphors will hold on tight. Excuse me for a second. Now that you know its there i will put it up here. [laughter] they had a crucial influence on the 2004 president ial election and i dont think this has ever been brought up before. It brought out the crucial state, florida. Wherever florida went, so did the election. Then the state. The early returns were coming in from the big cities, cleveland and toledo. And it was a runaway for john kerry in cleveland and toledo and the Industrial Town of along the great lake is. A little bit later, in came the tally from southern ohio. But it was as if the irresistible tornado had rushed through the part of ohio including the city of cincinna cincinnati. If the city had been somehow removed from the tally fire george bush who had 150,000 votes, for election would have gone to kerry. That happened to be a settled by the scots irish. Not only that, one of the many reasons according to surveys that they voted against the kerry was that he was for gun control. You would think thats one issue. That one issue was an attack not on burns on your self, your people and way of life because you are bor were born fighting e constitution guarantees you your right and you are going to have them and are not going to take the government process lying down. Another example of a an old part of the new south, meeting a modern technology and the edge of technology in the world is summed up in a single figure. He is from the hollows of west virginia. His older brother worked in the gas fields but the Second World War came along and there was a program called the flying virgins because they didnt have enough trained pilots because they were College Education and so forth. As it became is a parent. He shot down two german planes and was shot down but smuggled out of france and spain by the french underground. I was told having gone through this experience he wasnt in combat again. He said im going to fly in combat. You should have been spirited about it. You can only shoot to german side factors. After the war he was sent off. People then couldnt understand him. I look like sam shepard. In the end he would say of. Instead of saying i disagree with something, you have different phrase. Anything you did or said he looked at this and i got this from many people that were there at the time, it communicated the message will ge would get me one time and they will have four more holes in your nose. [laughter] finally, because of the civilian test pilot who is going to fly an experimental rocket plane asked for too much money they asked him to try to make a sound barrier and they asked how much he was required to do that. At 283 as a month kean broke the sound barrier in octobe october 1947 and many of the exploits were not even if in the test but they had their windshields covered with ice and i talked to one of the pilots and he said he had flown over and came down. His windshield was covered, couldnt feel a thing. He said he flew up beside him on his way just like his old fishing buddy. He said he was socalled because they believe there was anything wrong so they hold him and he landed and tom wolf see what thf his maneuvers, he would fly over about 100 feet into a template for over. The view would hear all of the pilots within the air force base talking. [laughter] and most Airline Pilots were trained in the military. Finally, i knew none of this, but they led me up to the control tower and suddenly there was a message that said. Out they came 290 feet, clearly speed, 295 knots. I would request permission to their arrival. As he was off to on the other, that means in just a moment on the rocket plane thats going to have to seem diagnostics so they could turn not requesting permission, im just asking permission for speed to [laughter] who is fat and he said a guy named [inaudible] but where is he from, hes from boston. [laughter] i said with that accent and he said yeah. All we have to do is let him in the air over the air force base and they will all stop talking like chuck yeager. Thats the first panel i was aware. Then i realized its one mans x. Lights had gone through the world of flying and that became the theme from the entire book which is the governor who prov proved. There were two words they were ever used out loud, acceptable and unacceptable risk because that is the closest they get. Now, by way of suppressing the importance to me, going out outside of your own ordinary boundaries and outside of domestic arena which is concentrated on by so many talented writers and somehow, someway seatin seeing what is oe outside of your own experience, anybodys personal psychology is previewed by two things. Rather the intersection of two things. One is a setting in which you are living. It can be a bond, it can be the air force, it can be hippies. But that setting is going to have a crucial effect on your life and you have your own personality and psychology. But it intersects and the setting is where your luck life and personality is created. This is similar to the theory from almost 200 years ago, the period of the zeitgeist, the period of the age. After the historical effort has its own tone and then you can try all you want to escape that zeitgeist, and it isnt going to do any good because it is going to end hinge upon your life, and there is no way on earth that you can escape it. To me, i believe that is substantially true. And i think thats why it is so crucial for writers to do what writers did routinely in the 19th century, namely look for material outside of your own life and in the programs in creative writing students tend to hear the following over and over again, great with you know, and that is great advice but now what do we know. Most of us know only our own lives and thats what you end up with the phenomenon of a brilliant young writer cannibalizing all of the materials of the first 25 years on this earth comes up with a brilliant novel that gets great reviews and then the second novel is about a young writer that got reviews on his first novel. [laughter] hes trudging up to the fifth floor of some dip decrepit walkouts thinking about the fact that he has nothing, he has no power and it isnt a really interesting novel. Thats because all that is left is what happened in the preceding two heres. They could never let anything like that happen. When they were to do this notorious school where parents what are th park the children ty didnt really want around, he went out there as a parent, pretending to be a pair and and ruled a son and he spent the day, soaked up the atmosphere and it provided an incredible beginning is enough nickleby. Thats come forward in time to join steinback was our winner in literature. As essentially one for the novel the grapes of wrath hell did he happen to write that, his family was trapped in one of these labor camps in california and he went through hell and wrote about it, not at all. He had already written a novel that had been developed that he joined staff of the San Francisco news so that he would have a valued reason to go around to the labor camps during the Great Depression after so much farmland had been wiped out in the tremendous drought known as the dust bowl. He brought an old truck and put in some clothes and food and go from one camp to another where many were from oklahoma and were trying to make a go of it. He finally came upon a family of for were living under a carpet and they have caps and grass, like a gigantic birds passed and the delights of the family had two miscarriages, late term. As soon as he saw them he got the idea for the daughter and tom and i dont think that america will ever forget the grapes of wrath. For me, the important thing is not that, although this can be important, but not by doing and cooking advice website if your own life that you can get colder. Details and realistic things he would never have thought of, but it can get you a sense of symbolism and the experience can be compensated in the lives of one family if you never had a notion of what this experience meant to these poor people. Every person on earth has a great autobiography to write if that person could only understand what is unique about his experience and find the imagination, he can write a great autobiography that would be remembered forever, but he didnt say a everybody could write two autobiographies. [laughter] thats the problem if you want to write just one book by all means, write about what you know. Its perfectly valuable material in both the details, i recommend keeping journals and memory is so rapid you wouldnt , to some of yosome ofyou probably know. [laughter] when i go about reporting, i make sure that i rate down, if i cant take notes on the scene or tape record on the scene, before i go to bed i write down everything that seems worth recording before i go to sleep because once youve gone to sleep, maybe it is just my mind, i dont know, but there isnt all that much left in the morning. So, whether its going out to do stories about those the new latin america and asia and in the south, with a rich topic that is. I needed. [laughter] expand your powers of literature. Thank you so much. Applause [applause] thank you. Im not lingering appeai am noto gets more applause. I would ask if i would answer some questions if you have any and i would be delighted to do that if i can. The what is the origin of the word red neck . You can see these big left arms. Leaning the arm out of that pickup truck. [laughter] thank you. Hello mr. Wolf. Twenty years ago useful gap Miami Florida international university. I was there and i have a question. [laughter] if you remembered it this long. You mention prior to the civil war the wealthiest plantation owners all had a painting in their home done by a painter named subaru . And said that nobody knows that name anymore better friend told me the name she remembered. But you also said at the time by the year 2000 nobody would know picassos name. Do remember saying that . You said by the year 2020. [laughter] [applause] not that he would be forgotten but remembered of the 21st century just give me a little time. [laughter] it in the 16 years we will have this discussion again. Thank you. [laughter] they were voted as the three living painters all fully forgotten. So i predicted picasso in the year 2020. If i see another face the two eyes on the same side i am cashing in. [laughter] telus the origin of redneck . I was coming downstairs to ask you that. [laughter] if i had known what is sensitive topic it was it would have expanded. [laughter] if anybody missed what i was saying. [laughter] mostly about rednecks. [laughter] i am a duke student its been a few years since i have read but i also believe its one of the best pieces of the 2t century literature genre. Im also wondering if you would comment compared to whats going on today with the current scandal . So comment on those commonalities. Yes. I would be happy to. I had a novel about a college in which there are a group of rough and sexually aggressive lacrosse players. And the District Attorney running for reelection in the district when she badly needs black votes and he is also pleased to find that mythical character that any District Attorney urines for in such a situation known as the great white defendant. I have also written a novel about the young woman who lied before a grand jury. Let me tell you in fiction lived within 600 miles. [laughter] i have two questions one is given what you just said how do you feel about the recent memoirs . Do you read a lot of memoirs . I assume you are talking about james frey scandal . Autobiography is the only consistently strong form of prose and it never goes out of fashion even in the 16th century the autobiography remains a powerful form and there is a discrete part of the whole autobiography. George orwell said that autobiography is an outrageous form of fiction. [laughter] but some of his most powerful work was autobiography like down and out in london and paris. The form is extremely powerful and we tend to assume that if someone is writing about his own life then he knows the details and everything he reads is truthful but the antecedent is Robinson Crusoe which people in england assumed was a real story of a man marooned on a Tropical Island it was believed to be the actual letters written that a young woman who was working in the employee of the entitled english man described of the attempts to stay out of the kernel clutches of her employer. On the day the letter arrived in which he forced her to marry him to achieve his aims in the town which is now a part of london people came into the town square ringing the church bells in celebration of her victory over this man. I dont know the particulars of what frey did the it is apparent he helped himself to massaging the facts quite a bit. Do you remember this on oprah show . And then the facts came out she issued a statement praising him then invited him and the editor on to a show and then had a real inquisition to which frey was reduced to a trembling stock of numbness. [laughter] now i only go on about this to give you some advice if you are ever in a situation you are attacked as someone as important as Oprah Winfrey here is what you have to do immediately attack. [laughter] oprah. I do not believe what i am hearing after multiple reports from me twice in the same Program Throughout the public media for you to buckle under to Public Opinion i do not believe what is happening. [laughter] that attack. [laughter] i havent read any of your works. You have hours of pleasure ahead of yourself. [laughter] i have met know much but i have heard people speak of your issues on the latin american and population and she was writing from the standpoint of an advocate for border issue issues. Do you see yourself as an advocate of the south or more of a lover and cherished of what you observe. I observed the social sector. I just record what has happened that day. To me the greatest enjoyment in life is to introduce what i have discovered two readers. I do believe in objectivity despite what you hear from others but it is objectivity of the ego as a writer if you believe what you are doing is more important than any cause, any issue, any Political Party anything then the wolf being at your door ilk about the parties but your craft and the ability to other people i would think every other writer would have that much egotism and i say it all the time with Public Relations and the cause to me its a form of degradation. How can you degrade yourself like that . Hello. I wanted to ask what you thought of the film adaptations of your book and were you involved in production . I was not involved in any part. The first one probably very few people would remember it was based on a nonfiction piece of Jimmy Johnson near north look sparrow and it was made into a pretty good movie starring jeff bridges. I did terrible at the box offic office. But jeff bridges is the best actor in hollywood there is no such thing as a bad bridges movie. May be mediocre or a bad script that you will not have a bad experience in a theater with him. I dont think the producers did a sincere job sticking to the book and bonfire of the vanities. But then to become a way humbled. And then said they had to make in two hours or less. [laughter] but those like dances with wolves with three hours and 20 minutes. You cant run a movie business that way. Are you working on any book . Do you have thoughts on that topic . Saying im working on a book on immigration that is so interesting. [laughter] and now to have a little more interest. That i can see right now i am much influenced by journalism and literature in new york even if i wanted to ignore it i would not be able to. There other things in my life that are just below the surface. I am from the south and grew up in virginia. Ways to go to bed at night with prayer which i think the lord i was born not only in the greatest country, but also the greatest state in the greatest country and in the greatest city because richmond is the capital of virginia. Not only that but in the best neighborhood. [laughter] in the best city in the best stay in the best country. Because from my bedroom window you can see the fireworks of the state fair. [laughter] what was better than that . It was only half a mile away. I still feel very close to the south even though i havent lived there for a long time. After 9 11 both announce this was gods punishment because of indulgence of homosexuality. To me, thats nonsense. Because as these right to wean lunatics and piling on and Jerry Falwell i grew up with people like him. And so much of life. And in the immigration area and those that come to this country legally follow all the steps would resent the fact illegal aliens can plan. Not at all. And those that are under attack more or less because they consider the entire controversy from latin america. Why else would they argue so heatedly over the subject . And harry truman defeated do we in the election against all the odds and predictions so what happened . He came to a town in minnesota founded by germans. It turned out they all voted republican because in 1970 a democrat declared war on germany that made them look like bad people. And how much of our lives are determined that way. And then we have a delayed late entry. [laughter] thank you for coming. What are you reading right now . And for the young writers was something they have to read in your opinion . Right now im reading the human beast. I tend to read over the last ten years a lot of dickens, zolh century hence my hectoring and getting material to write realistically. In general terms there are american writers anyone who has an interest in writing a novel should read. There are from the same. 1839 which is a great period of literature. After that american novelist became little obedient colonials of the french. Financially like psychological novels and dont get their hands dirty. Grapes of wrath. I also red badge of courage by Stephen Crane who was a newspaperman and then died of tuberculosis i believe from sleeping in the flophouse is over and over again. To find out what their lives are really like. Theodore sister carrie tried to capture the big city both chicago and new york. I dont think anything he ever did later was up to the standards. To talk with and he hung around seminaries. He was our first Nobel Prize Winner in literature. Either appointed by him as the magnificent book that hed learned a, but i dont find that interesting or readable, i would also, to see how lyrical the literature could be, thomas wolfe, my namesake wrote lyrically and so well. You have been a wonderful audience and i cannot thank you enough. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] i postmaster general will testify before congress this week and next week on u. S. Postal Service Obligations during the corona virus pandemic and 2020 election. First before the Senate Homeland security and Governmental Affairs committee. Monday and he testifies before,e House Oversight reform committee. Watch beginning 10 a. M. Eastern on cspan2. You can also view both hearings on cspan. Org or listen to the cspan radio app. The president available in paperback, hardback biographies of every president inspired by conversations with noted historians about the leadership skills that make for a successful presidency. In this Election Year as americans decide who should lead the country this offers perspectives into the life and events that forged each president s leadership style. To learn more about all the presidency and the books historians, feature cspan. Org the president s press available in paperback, hardcover and ebook, wherever books are sold. A look at programs with the late author concludes with his appearance at the Miami Book Fair in 2012 for his final bottle, back to blood. [applause] hello, everybody. Welcome. On behalf of all of us with the Miami Book Fair who want to welcome you to the 29th of book fair [applause] this is a remarkable undertaking. It takes the work of hundreds and hundreds of