In speaking with two of the leading lights of the english book world, two of my neighbors in brooklyn. One is johnny campbell, the other is jessica the noodle of the green light bookstore in my neighborhood bookstore. Welcome to both of you and thank you for taking the time to speak. I want to talk shop with you guys give people inside baseball about our new lives as independent book people. We will start with you jessica. What has this doneto your business . It a lot really fast, right west and mark its been a real reinvention over the past six or eight weeks. Midmarch there were a couple of days where we were like we need to consider closing . Suddenly it was like yes, you absolutely have to and you also need to send everyone home and in that week of transition, i think march 21 we close the doors and walked away from the bookstores that was terrifying because we didnt know what was going to happen next. I feel like we were in a fortunate position that weve already had a really welle
Because i didnt plan to publish during a pandemic. Ive been reaching out during that time for friends and colleagues to find out how they are doing and what they are doing. And maybe to take up a little inspiration along the way. Now im speaking with two of the leading lights of the book world today two of my neighbors in brooklyn, one is Johnny Temple of Akashic Books the other is tran eight from the green light bookstore, my neighborhood bookstore. Welcome to both of you and thank you for taking the time to speak. I want to talk shop with you guys and give you some insight baseball about our new lives as independent book people. Ill start with you, jessica what his is done to your business . [laughter] its a lot really fast, right . It has been a real reinvention over the past six or eight weeks. Mid march i feel like there were a couple of days we were like do we need to consider closing and like yes you absently have to. In any also need to send everyone home. That week of transiti
We are going to have a great night tonight. We are honoring literary liens, emma white will be honored, a big night for the Massive National Book Foundation for literature, culture, a big night for all of us. When i have the ability to stand in front of people i mention my mothers name jean christian. She is the reason i like to say about my mother i am the man that i am because she is the woman sheis or was. My mother was my first teacher. My mother graduated from college at the age of 17, the first person in her family to go to college. For me to be a wellknown literary advocate in this nation, a place where only a scant few generations ago it would have been illegal for me to read is no small thing. [applause] literature is the birthrightof every single one of us, no exception and if you can read in at least one language youare in my definition free. That is to say , no one can pull the wall over your eyes. No one can give you a set of what they want to call alternative facts and co
The 40th annual american book awards. I say it is very appropriate that we are holding this ceremony on the day of the dead. In San Francisco. And in california, and at the end of the west. Not just geographically mind you, you go any further west, you are in the east. Far east. So just this last month, afghanistan turned 18. I say its you say is going to vote . Congressional budget for every 24 hours the war cost hundred and 74 million. So in a city named for st. Francis, who city fathers and mothers now treated citizens as if they were merely detritus of capitalism, is trying these big two. And if state named for a black lesbian amazon clean of the islamic faith took up on that, but these are just the names that we know right now. Because there are monday names for this place became long before any of us were here and there will be monday names to come. In fact the origin of those names came from a group of people who arrived from youre up are increasingly starting to up here within
Ainsfieldwolf who had this prize way back in 1985in she understood that literature could serve as the potent elixir in this fight. In the 84 years since the prize was established, our country has made Great Strides forward with regard to respecting and embracing our diversity. But recently we have taken disheartening steps backward. Reported hate crimes have risen sharply in the past several years, including, of course, the mass murders at the Mother Emanuel Ame Church in South Carolina and the tree of pennsylvania. This is a national trend, but it also hits close to home. According to the southern poverty law center, there are more organized hate groups in the state of ohio than in kentucky and West Virginia combined. A great source of re was one, ba clarion call for action. We must rewrite our Current National narrative to vigorously oppose bigotry in all of its forms. [applaus [applause] and tonights ceremony provides an opportunity to energize that sense of purpose. This is the 16t