Hilary and for now i am pleased to introduce tonights author and his new book the fever of 1721. Stephen coss has a bachelors degree in journalism. He has worked as an Advertising Agency copywriter and served wisconsin Election Officials when he is not working or writing. The fever of 1721 tells the history of the worst smallpox epidemic to hit boston. It set the stage for scientific advancement including the controversial but effective smallpox inoculation. The pittsburgh gazette calls this book solidly told and the wall street journal called it a deeply researched account. Please join me in welcoming stephen coss. [applause] stephen i am a wisconsin election official. I am not in wisconsin. They are having an election. I had to vote absentee. I would rather be here right now. The line of fire. Stephen exactly. That is a nonpartisan position. It is a fancy phrase for poll worker. I get to register new voters. Firsttime voters, naturalized citizens. I like it a lot. Thank you very much
To study, although i wasnt planning on being a historian. I was originally going to go into the foreign service. Cspan can you remember when you first got interested in history, say, in high school, or even grade school . Guest no, because it was taught so poorly in high school i cant imagine why i would have been interested in it from the High School Teacher. He used to have us read from muzzey, the textbook. That was how we did history. Each would read a paragraph, and hed go up and down the row, and i would plan ahead when i would be reading, and then id go ahead and read on my own and keep my finger on the spot which i would have to read. But so it was not because of the teaching. It was just something i was interested in, despite the very bad High School Teacher we had. Cspan where did you grow up . Guest i grew up in new england, in Greater Boston lived in worcester for a while but graduated from waltham high school, which is a little town right outside of boston. Cspan and do yo
I wrote an oped in in the wall street journal i will be talking about that later on by an excited about that i want to know why that is important to tiein the theme of the book but the last time, let me back up if you dont know what socrateses in the city is a lot of people dont know what that is first of all, thank you for rappee of your early bird dinner and hustling to the tv i know is very tough and i appreciated it i have been on cspan before a they get my humor is okay. But i want to say this is the isocrates is in the city event normally i interview someone we have tons of videos of the interviewing extraordinary people. I cannot even think of the aisle list but if you go there you will see we had clad well. We had a share, jack carter burns and allen also George Plimpton the injures sisters the smothers brothers flip wilson. Added a and castillo that was of a cameo in the rich brothers break here of this stage i have interviewed them all. Charles darwin. So we have had the ecle
Talking about that a little bit later on but im just really excited about that. I want to talk about why that day is importantportant to me at kind of ties into the theme of the book. Im not talking about the book yet, introducing myself first. Lp wctually, let me back up. Kno if you dont know what socratesc in and the city is and if youre watchingop on cspan book tv yo, have no idea. I want to thank you for wrapping up your early bird dinner and hustling to the tv, i thank you for that. Tv its tough to pull yourself away. Golden corral has several suitsp and i know itsre tough to pull yourself away that i appreciate. Ive been on cspan before, they getetbefore a my humor. Its okay. Want to but this is a socrates in thes h and the city event but its a little different event. Normally i interview someone any you can go on youtube. We have tons of videos of me ex interviewing extraordinary people. I cant even think of the list e now. Bu but we had Malcolm Gladwell on the stage, we had sha
Last time, let me back up if you dont know what socrateses in the city is a lot of people dont know what that is first of all, thank you for rappee of your early bird dinner and hustling to the tv i know is very tough and i appreciated it i have been on cspan before a they get my humor is okay. But i want to say this is the isocrates is in the city event normally i interview someone we have tons of videos of the interviewing extraordinary people. I cannot even think of the aisle list but if you go there you will see we had clad well. We had a share, jack carter burns and allen also George Plimpton the injures sisters the smothers brothers flip wilson. Added a and castillo that was of a cameo in the rich brothers break here of this stage i have interviewed them all. Charles darwin. So we have had the eclectic gas and socrates in the city gets its name from socrates. I am greek so i can pretend anything is not worth living the only unexamined life is not worth living. It you are my frien