Have a chance to study our situation i do dash chance in college but then hopefully to have some impact to talk about the condition of our people and what i think about all the athletes that we all grow up in special circumstances and we want to go back to do the right thing but i still feel that i am capable to give more because of the opposition all along. What is this article referring to specifically . People were trying to pick me against michael and for me i felt that we could do more but it is it me or you to tell anybody. We just want to lead by example and hopefully a ready can play along. Were you apolitical activist when you played greg. I think thats what it is but it was the person that was growing up in the Civilrights Movement with dr. King he left a the marching orders for militarism and economics but those are the three things that i felt that i thought the of the athletes and entertainment would get on board. Was a controversial question might think the biggest was to win the championship but that was considered controversial but for me that was a cultural norm of who i am to go to make sure he is a responsible person. And that comes from the great honor and community but that controversial part of it the effect that a had on my family as far as they were concerned that this is being your career. That other people have more power than not being able to get a job that is still crazy to me when i think someone that has that ability. To burst what happened quick. After the first championship we had a chance to go to the white house president h. W. Bush to come to the white house but for me that was a cultural and an opportunity for my people to represent for the community that were disenfranchised so wanted to write a letter to the president to let people know i am not coming on behalf of myself but to be a champion for the people but for those people who would not have a chance to come to the white house that i hadnt then what had a chance to go if not for the championships are won it use that opportunity as best i could end as respectfully as i could it was in disrespect at all but the from the outside looking in. But is me having the nerve. What did the letter said . To be disenfranchised the port of how we oftentimes with for policy and how thats concerned for fighter jets and the military movement and basically they piggyback on dr. King with the agenda because if we can rectify the that is something to do better and that is what the letter is about. Did you get a response back. Nodded all but not from them that you can play anymore. That happened one year later but that was shocking because from Elementary School we wrote letters to everybody we wrote letters to our cousin. So as a man to make the most of the opportunity. What was the reaction from the Chicago Bulls . My teammates that this was the first time on the International Scale so it is funny how me and my teammates at the time where someone apologetic but for the wider audience i said dont feel uncomfortable. If you are and that is something with your place. So for me that was one of the greatest days when we went to the capital at that point in time i thought this is the restitution this will continue to run xx put this in your book, how much money were you making . Last year was 600,000 in 1992. Was that a healthy salary yes it was marginal i was in my ninth season going into my tenth but the amount of money i could have received as an unrestricted free agent and that is what i measured by the economic gap of joblessness if we have the resources then we can make a difference that may be using alone. So i felt like that was an opportunity to make something happen. What is your connection to arthur ashe . I was blessed to see him when he won the u. S. Open. One of the things i learned at that time as a young athlete in between sets he would sit down and meditate. That was so cool to me. The next and the coach called timeout he was like water you doing . He said you have to watch the plays. So for me in my household was like family even though they were not there. They told me at a young age the athletes to watch and what not to watch. He was one to watch. Muhammad ali, arthur ashe, they were athletes that came into my life because my Family Planning on me to study them. Keos so introduce you to apartheid quick. Absolutely. Up until that time i knew we knew something about the slave trade at africa but does at that time it was another part of the world and how we could Impact Africa with the stance against racism. From your book as of blacks did the nature i learned at an early age that black people even the wealthiest had been conditioned to wait for the white man to sign off. To that degree where we are right now, often time we make allies outside of our community. Soap to me it is necessary to have that freedom of mind and resources from the standpoint at an have to apologize to do things for black people so we could be respected or take a step up and that the women have taken the vanguard position to make sure that we set the agenda so that our future generations. When did you experience this wet. Probably Elementary School. Your family says you have to be on this side watch out the westside but this is what is going down it isnt about you being over there because this could happen to you but it a mother would tell her son if you see the police carry yourself and certain type of way you cannot move like somebody else so you are marginalizing yourself you can have a brilliant mind you could be the next einstein the you have been conditioned not to feel good about yourself and that is our life feel so blessed to have a family over one another was of secretary so as a young boy i am watching black leadership i am watching my mom knocking on doors for petitions this was only 68 swire was blessed. Hughes said he made 700,000. 1992 what about 1993 . O. Basically i was blacklisted so for me it was from the standpoint tiles partly with say hang in there. One of my hanging in there about . Anytime i would say anything then he could not play anymore. Im going to ask questions. Wetherbee scotty or Michael Jordan but anybody because i was a Union Representative so wasnt ever about me but of the collective sigh of never been about making my 250 million. It is about me making that many in 1993 but it bothers me that this is happening here. We should not be in the condition that we are in with the amount of money that we make in the athletes that are from here. That bothers me. But when i with sinn milwaukee i am watching television and they say it feels secure living in a war zone so at that time i felt the first half to see what is happening in that is violence so surgery is required so we had the operation to unite us so that is where that came from. I want to build an organization to utilize of visibility and economic influence because were doing things in the community. Q right in your book aloud of athletes have charities or foundations because your tax lawyers have advised that. Is cool to give a basketball camp but what are we really doing . On a daily basis on 9 to 5 because my position is the way the world is right now if we are not out there every day, i have four boys my baby is four years old from a standpoint i know there is work to do so be courageous or get out of the way. Because if you are not for what they can stand on right now that is the generation like right now doesnt care about life they have no hope so the mindset if ico i will jacked you. How was that mentality . We can do something about that. I know that can happen. Former nba player and his book long shot. Booktv cspan2 spinet if you look at Tattered Cover with the green carpets and a twostory san the dark wood the original barnes noble superstores were modeled after this. Borne 1936 so when he was growing up he did not grow up in the era when fathers were typically heavily involved with kids so that was part of it and that was the most important as family was secondary for scheerer. We do have a l. Continues the area they use the drainage is for calving we also have mule deer so there may be some fonts out here and coyotes are other common mammals occasionally there is a bear in the area. By the 18 eighties denver itself had gotten rich from mining and it wanted to become the queen city, the center of commerce the leader of the western United States and at that point decided a mint that they could be proud of would be part of the process bisbee because. The theme of this years festival is this whats your story and we encourage you to share your story on twitter on is to gramm or face book. Keep the spirit going all year by downloading the application where you will find all Chicago Tribune premium book content and the complete printers row schedule. Comedown today together free e book and 5 off the todays program will be broadcast live on the tv if there is time at the end for questions and answers use the microphone located to your right so the whole dealing audience can heargh your question berger before we begin please silenceogram yourself phone and turn off your camera flash. F your please welcome the editor and general manager. [applause] spee9 good morning i love the smell of books in the morning ended is great to be around a bunch of friends to feel the same way. Ar it is my pleasure hutu kickoff todays day of live fast and it is my great pleasure to welcome bradley to list the author. He is the chair from american studies and professor of history at hillsdale college. He came over this morning from South Central michigan and is here to talk about his book of russell kirk and the question is who is the man undoubtably to cast a very large shadow of american political and intellectual thought and it could be argued he still does but yet to that is not a name that isnt known much these days your book does many things but it also helps to serve as aoo marvelous embracing introduction to russell kirk we will talk about many things here today but for starters please give a quick overview of this man and his importance. A thanks for coming in the sunday morning it is a great pleasure to be here. Russell kirk for 1918 into extreme poverty and something he experienceded during the first 35 years of his life to varying degrees. Viet he was always bookish and became interested with the stories that he believedki he believed those collected works certainly no doubt there was a certain geniuss 11 d with a very unusual youngin man. He ended up going to Michigan State and served in the military for five years when he came back he got his graduate degree at Scottish University of st. Andrewsarned t and strangely enough that dissertation became a million copies best seller the timing was just right and hit the market and going through seven editions over its lifetime. There were a number of disparate voices and libertarian battle all number of voices that kirks book that allowed something forf right ck at the korean war. With the Barry Goldwater movement also a reagan movement. And help to coalesce and what is interesting and the conservative mind comes out it is very different to offer shorthand for political thought at this point or on the opposite extremes we have entrenched terms that often lead to stereotypes and then to bring the strands with some type of coherence. Unbacked in have long to be well published author never anticipated that success in did not project is a change the world but you are absolutely right we have forgotten this day in age and once cooled water fails with that horrific failure his fortunes go down as well of take 30 more years after that. It takes those 30 years to rebuild the reputation back to where was. Enough tha with that is fundamental to the original movement. P. Is not thinking in terms of a political movement. But his idea of conservatism is a western face but to figure out away that was its own thing so allied of conservatism very poetic and literary. To set the stage conservatives are really having a place that the table as they cemented partrt of the spectrum coming at of the Great Depression to have radical ideologies germinating there was a general feeling that ever meant control in ways bigger than ever before was necessary and modernism was a path for mankind and along comes kirk who presents a different path. Very antimodern in leading beautifully into this comes out of two impulses. As a collectivization so no doubt the conservatives from the beginning was radically abroad of those regimes that we see from russia and germany and other places prior to world war ii. It was also feared at home through progressivism weather was educational bureaucracies and kirk was very fearful of these universities or government called the of the colossal anything that was antihumane importuned for all conservatism at that time but the other temples that we have forgotten with modern conservative this was the defense into believe very strongly was the voice of socrates and plato andat that they were attacked in a make sense. Sciences great but they will use that to make larger bombs sowed to round out the question one of the things it is tied to one there were horrified. And was horrified of the dropping of the atomic bombs i do think those events put together the dropping of the bomb first of all the development that a physicist would even consider, this was too much indigo and into detail to see this as a stoic response. As a number of u. S. Militaryve e not because he was depressed or suicidal but our honor as americans were so tainted by the attack on the citystaintedt navy was the duty to have wrecked impends and to be horrified by this. With a little more retail of the brand of conservatism we almost cannot help but fall into the trap may elsie the cartoonish liberalism on tv that for kirk serves as the mean and an attitude to conserve and preserve to pass on to future urd generations rather than to advocate paid philosophy or agenda. What was his brand of conservatism . As you said so well there are not many conservative voices may be some daylight Robert Nisbet and a lot of these people were not of the ivy leagues not only Corporate America but the east coast elite but dont want to suggest it was a prime motive but they were proud the institutions on the east coast as well. But the word conservative as by a uh person at the sister schools and he uses that in an article in the atlantic he wouldnt get that it was political of t. S. Eliot and is an conservative and a political sense but not until after World War Two that it is planted aroundntered but really they have that type of real strength. D of reald party becat a rallying cry in robert taft takes a non but that conservativism that book the conservative mind will define that. He uses the term can intentionally. Not until august 1964. As seek converts to catholicism. We should believe in a higher power the author of the natural law and the dignity of every human person. And ashley sounds like the vatican. Someone during uh Vatican Council did is all very humane but i stress to use the term can and that meant a truth that wasnt easily defined so he is trying to avoid a fascist conception of the state he doesnt want to be the ideology or the platform and that way of thinking is what you would call a stoic borg to deism or christianity it is good enough to have those ethics as a way to move forward and from the beginning very catholic and very jewish not until the revival of the new right so the Great Movement has the religious overtones but not like oral roberts or jerry falwell. So in 1953e that shows that the very proud anglo heritage. Back a couple of and was a spokesman for what became movement. What did the book accomplish for and yet that is what it became. And was published eightst years for he passed away and he even says most likely this will be the last revision. Each addition changes last chapter and the original typed title because kirk thought that all conservatives that he could not imagine anyone stepping forth to move into the future to stop radical progressives on a certain degree that was not atypical whitaker chambers to join of losing side. Fies with and with that catholic theology and the german scholars. Did translate to an uncertain is of but the conservative mind is published in every major periodical several review it twice that they feel they have to go back and look again. And it is just a 19th century man and was a romantic. With an idealistic from mantic when joy though walking to workers and as a very eccentric person just as eccentric as they come but that word conservatism brings in all the disparate schools pro liberal arts and in santa fe but it does bring together a lot of people and one person who was taken is a pilot from arizona Barry Goldwater. And the conservative mind is with edmund. And his thought talk about the importance of the other people in the book the other litany of conservative since is a great way to predict. Roughly 29 people looking at their lives. That is the important with the 29 characters peoplemp like advert edmond. But this obscure british figure that we dont remember very well harvard historian of the classics. But there are names that we know very well like t. S. Eliot and that is how he ends the book they become. Very good friends 1953 and that shapes their thought profoundly metal think we could have conservatism here or abroad for him to end his nobel prize but certainly he bookmarks of bookend for the conservative mind so the two great figures of the day john adams and then ends with t. S. Eliot but. Is important iq have a great privilege of the American Republic where a teacher every two years i love it but i always make sure as the students are reading dickenson or jefferson we do a good deal of. Because i like them but he was the leading he was sexually treasonous to defend american rights for his whole career he truly believed that americans had inherited the very long tradition the right to be in the senate until Proven Guilty habeas corpus and believe we were the true englishman. So there is a sense that is very important but it is equally important to state he is not unique 01 in a very long line of thinkers said even though kirk starts his book with him he is the inheritor of socrates of all the greats through the western tradition and represents that so for that idea to come forward that is his understanding that we as americans for the audience especially looked at Ronald Reagan if you look at him and his speeches in 81 and 82 talks about the greatness of america but he talks about america defending the greatness of the of west and draws thatwest later as reagan becomes nationalistic and is concerned with the western tradition and the best of it the conservative mind obviously set the table for kirks career as he was a ryder truck his life to help found the National Review with buckley was ana syndicated newspaper columnist widely read across the country about the maung t. S. Eliot that was a creative figure if for nothing else to be remembered for that. Despite the fact he did not talk about conservatism as a party or agenda or politics but did get involved with