I want to especially thank you for supporting an independent bookstore like politics and prose. [applause] get ready to click again. And a nonprofit like speedy levin. Your attendance is vital to us and we wouldnt be here without you, so we want you to know how much we appreciate you and your choices. Im excited to introduce because it is no secret among my friends and coworkers how much i love and admire diane ream. Shes a native washingtonian who began her career in 1973 as a volunteer and has grown into the producer, host and dc icon we all know today. Shes the author of several books including finding my voice, on my own, wife and of course the book you are all here for tonight, when my time comes, which addresses the urgent, hotly contested rights of the right to die movement. Through interviews with terminally ill patients and physicians, spouses, relatives and representatives of those who opposed the movement, she gives voice to a broad range of people who are personally linked
Good evening, everyone. Im just so so glad here tonight. Im going to say a few words about the strand before i welcome tonights guest. For a moment of history, the strand was founded 93 years ago by my grandfather, benjamin bass [applause] he founded the store in an area that was known as book row along Fourth Avenue just around the corner from here. It was the storm of the depression, and he defied the odds by surviving while all the other 48 bookstores in book row shutteredded. The store was then passed on to my late father, fred bass, who grew the store to a scale and popularity he never thought was possible. Now im the owner, and some critics said as a woman its hard, going to be hard to run the store, and id get wiped out by, in this digital age. Right, ha. [laughter] so i want to thank you and the book Loving Community in this audience for helping us not only survive are, but thrive through the agings. [applause] so its impossible to realize tonights book, watergate girl, without
Comes to mind, and probably comes to most everyone elses mind, is the 1918 influenza pandemic in terms of its rapidity, how fast it spread across the world, and its scope and span. In the 19 century the cholera epidemic would be the most, the clearest analogy. Susan we are going to have an opportunity to dig into some of those lessons of history a bit more, but when you look at the response, of course things are so much different for society now. You talk about how important it is to learn lessons from past pandemics and epidemics. What lessons have we clearly learned . Christian what lessons have we clearly learned . That is a good lesson. Im only smiling because as an historian it is not a was clear we have learned lessons from the past. The one lesson we probably advise and envisioned most is to roll out things as methodically as possible, to Pay Attention to reliable news holdes, to do our best, to certain sectors of society from spreading pandemics. We are not seeing a tremendous
Christian yeah, there are several. I think the most recent one that comes to mind, and probably comes to most everyone elses mind, is the 1918 influenza pandemic in terms of its rapidity, how fast it spread across the world, and its scope and span. In the 19 century the cholera epidemic would be the most, the clearest analogy. Susan we are going to have an opportunity to dig into some of those lessons of history a bit more, but when you look at the response, of course things are so much different for society now. You talk about how important it is to learn lessons from past pandemics and epidemics. What lessons have we clearly learned . Christian what lessons have we clearly learned . That is a good lesson. Im only smiling because as an historian, it is not always clear we have learned lessons from the past. The one lesson we probably envisioned most is to roll out things as methodically as possible, to Pay Attention to reliable news sources, to do our best, to hold off on blaming cert
Susan christian mcmillen, uva historian and associate dean for social sciences, author of the book on pandemics. I wanted to ask you as we start out, are there any historical precedents for what the world is its appearance in right now with covid19 . Christian yeah, there are several. I think the most recent one that comes to mind, and probably comes to most everyone elses mind, is the 1918 influenza pandemic in terms of its rapidity, how fast it spread across the world, and its scope and span. In the 19th century the cholera epidemic would be the most, the clearest analogy. Susan we are going to have an opportunity to dig into some of those lessons of history a bit more, but when you look at the response, of course things are so much different for society now. You talk about how important it is to learn lessons from past pandemics and epidemics. What lessons have we clearly learned . Christian what lessons have we clearly learned . That is a good lesson. Im only smiling because as an