Section in depth. Youll see special guests like Walter Mosley, last month we had david ignatius, the Washington Post columnist in the thriller writer who writes about the cia and such. This month we are pleased to have the Pulitzer Prize author Colson Whitehead as the guest comments most recent book he underground railroad. What is the appropriate response when your books are praised by oprah, president obama, you win the Pulitzer Committee National Book award, so what is the appropriate response . [laughter] guest this book has taken off in a way that was unexpected so most of the i just thank my lucky stars and sleep a little betterne and try to enjoy it despite my best efforts. Host why does that put you in a better mood . Guest ive been writing for 20 something years and sometimes you write a book and people dig it and understand it and other times nobody cares and it sort of disappears. So i have the pride thinking i did a good job on the book and the bonus of other people thinkin
Center in 2001. This Brooklyn Historical Society Program is about an hour. Welcome, everybody. It is so great to see the room full like this. Im marcia eli, Vice President of programs at the Brooklyn Historical society. And we are really, really excited about tonights program. I just wanted to say very quickly that if you are not familiar with Brooklyn Historical society, it was founded, we were founded 151 years ago. And it was the middle of the civil war. And a group of prominent brooklynites realize they were witnessing history. And decided to take it upon themselves to found this organization in order to steward that history. And this building actually was built as the Historical Society and opened in 1881. When it opened, like we have here tonight, it was a place of civic dialogue. In fact, back then this very room had an auditorium and thought leaders came here and spoke. Right here where we were standing, president Woodrow Wilson spoke. Dr. Arthur conan doyle spoke. Senator Henr
And it is great to be back here all the time. A few years ago, after agreeing to write a book celebrating the centennial of Grand Central terminal, i casually suggested an audacious but catchy subtitle, how a train station transformed america. And almost immediately i was struck by second thoughts. Individuals and events shape history, but could a single building . Luckily, Grand Centrals 100 year imprint on commerce and culture, its pivotal role in urban development, and codifying landmark and air rights, in shifting manhattans Cultural Center of gravity from downtown in midtownstep manhattan, turned out to validate the subtitle after all. Aell, a building, albeit monumental one, was one thing. Could a single object be transformative . That question arose after the British Museum and the bbc collaborated on the history of the world in 100 objects. That inspired a spate of collections on subjects including bird watching, the first world war, cricket, the future, the beatles, shakespear
Full like this. I am the president of external brooklyn ere at the historical society. Really, really excited about tonights program. Iliar with the am society, it was founded we were founded 151 years ago. It was the middle of the civil war. Group of prominent they lynites realize that were witnessing history, and upon ed to take it themselves to found this organization in order to story. D that hi this building, actually, was built as the historical society. And was opened in 1881. Like we have here tonight, it place of specific dialogue; in fact, back then, room had an auditorium. Spoke, so, ere and right here, where we are president woodrow spoke, arthur doyle senator henry lodge spoke, and probably most tonight greely spoke. Which, of course, brings me to introduce our guest tonight. Has been at times urban Affairs Correspondent since 2005. Prior to the time, he worked at the daily news for fifteen years. Has won numerous awards. As a journalist, he has written books on Grand Cent