Newsday in the 19 sixties and the book was supposed to be done in nine months. It took seven years in the publisher gave in advance of 2500 he became consumed by his research and quit his job five years later he submitted the first 400,000 words and asked for a second payment of 2500. He was refused a so their home to support this work and then to remain his soul publisher and what a Remarkable Book it is with the sheer narrative power he is an astonishing writer and the powerbroker is a masterpiece one of the most important biographies of the 20h century bob caro has twice won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. Twice the National Book critics circle award and virtually every other honor including the National Book award and the goldmedal biography from the American Academy of arts and letters. Caro has a unique place among political biographers. He is the standard by which the fellows are measured and a society of american historians presenting bob caro said the powerbroker best exempl
The myth is the central symbol around which what some people call american exceptionalism has been organized around the frontier that meant on the myth and the land the Frontier West came to symbolize a certain attribute to identity that think about the United States unlike other nations has the ability and the election read to use expansion that was built into well before the frontier in the late 19th century became the symbol of expansion the social experience to move one is foundational to us identity. No other nation has been so able to organize domestic politics through the actual reality of expansion and then increasingly the mythology to point to the frontier and respond to social problems with limitless and endless growth in these were the foundational premise of the United States and the founding fathers. And those only for the declaration of independence wasnt just add natural right that the condition of all natural rights. And what is his saxon ancestors to escape germany an
The frontier into the certain attributes of american identity. Its been the ability and the luxury to use expansion which was built into well before the frontier when it became the symbol of expansion it was foundational to the u. S. Identity and no other nation has been so able to organize its domestic politics through both the expansion and increasingly the mythology of expansion being able to point to the frontier and say respond to social problems and social demands with a promise of limitless for endless growth and these were some of the foundational premises of the Founding Fathers from the beginning. Thomas jefferson and the very First Political track three years before the declaration of independence and the right to move into the right to migrate west wasnt just a natural right that the condition of all natural rights that allowed the ancestors to escape germany as it was comfortabl consular datio the British Isles to the atlantic to of course the new world and it was the abil
Is this live . Can everyone hear me . Welcome. My name is kyle byrd im the executive director of the leon leavy center for biography. Over the past 12 years the leavy center has awarded 44 major fellowships to working biographers. Each of these fellowships is not worth 72,000 so its not chump change. To date some 20 biographies have been published including ruth franklins biography of Shirley Jackson which won the Prestigious National book critics circle award biography. I also want to spread the news about our brandnew holy unique Masters Program in biography and memoir is just started this autumn with at least 17 students enrolled which is phenomenal. Brenda is actually both former director of the leon leavy center and teaches the core courses in new Masters Program. Our next program is next wednesday, september 25 at 6 30 p. M. With david netzel giving the annual leon leavy lecture on biography. Tonight im very delighted to have Benjamin Moser in conversation with brenda one apple.
Hes also author of prelude to cruise which is winner of the penn joyce author award for poetry and at the 2015 stonewall literature award. Poetry collection is also a finalist for the 2015 National Book critics circle award as well as awards lambda literary and the publishing triangle in 2015. Saeed jones served as cohost of buzzfeeds morning show and served as buzzfeeds lgbt and culture editor. He grew up in lewisville texas and earned a ba at Western Kentucky University and an mfa at Rutgers University in newark. He lives in new york city and tweets at the ferocity. Thank you for being here saeed jones. As a side note, the southern festival of books remains completely free because of Strong Community support and we want to keep it that way. So you can donate on the web. Humanities tennessee. Org or by the southern festival of books or by the collection plate thats been passed around. Saeed is going to read for us. We will have a q a and when we get to the q and aplease use the microp