facade, i devote a lot of time to george washington as slave holder. earlier generations seem to think it a trivial or inconsequential fact that he owned 300 human beings. washington was deeply conflicted over the whole issue. he opposed slavery in theory, but he was never able to make an issue of it in public. even in the founding, slavery was the most divisive issue, and washington knew that this was a subject that he broached at his peril. i wanted to write a book in which washington s slaves are not simply faceless names mentioned in passing, but to the extent that the documentary allows it really emerge as full-blooded has has human bein. i talk about billy lee who was a great hunter and rider and rack contour and who accompanied washington every single day during the revolutionary war and was actually very proud of it, liked to reminisce about the battles. i talk about martha s favorite slave, she was a young seam stress who finally escaped to freedom in the new hampshi
spent two years interviewing stanley dunham s friends and family, including president obama. she discussed what she learned about the woman that raise the the 44th path with national journal s major garrett. the title is a singular woman. what is more important, the fact that president obama s mother is singular, or she s the mother of the president of the united states. what fascinated you most about the woman? guest: i got interested in her during the campaign. i was doing a series of pieces about then senator obama. i heard about her. i was interested in the singularity. yes, of course, i wouldn t have come upon her had she not been the mother of the candidate that i was writing pieces about. to some extent, the justification for the book is that. but the thing that we don t expect is that a person in our national political life had a mother with such an extraordinarily unusual life. so i think for me it s the singularity. did you approach this as a student of pres
garrett. host: the story of the book is a singular woman, the untold story of barak obama s mother. what s more significant about the title? the fact she s a singular woman or the mother of the president of the united states? what fascinated you most about who this woman is? guest: well, i got interested in her at the beginning of the campaign. i heard a little bit about her, and i was interested in her singularity, but, yes, of course, i would not have been upon her if it was not for the candidate. the justification for the book is that to some extent, but the thing we don t expect is a person in our national political life had a mother with an unusual life. for me, it s the singularity. host: did you approach this as a student of presidential history or as a portrait of o mother? guest: i approached it as a journalist. i just wanted to know who this person was, and obviously one s mother is bound to be somewhat influential in a life, but to have a mother who lived i
host: one the title of the book is a singular woman the untold story of barack obama s mother what is more important about that title? that barack obama is mother is a singular woman or mother of the president of the united states? what fascinated do most? guest: i was interested in her during the campaign. i was doing pieces about the senator obama and i heard a little bit about herbert rye was interested in her singularity. but of course, i would not come upon her had she was not the other of the candidates. it was the justification of the book but we don t expect a person in our national political life have a mother with such an extraordinarily unusual life. for me, it is the singularity. did you approach this as a student of presidential history, in america or in may 20th century or as a portrait of a mother? guest: i approached it as a journalist. i just wanted to know who this person was. obviously another is about to be influential but to have say mother who
virus interested really in her singularity. but yes, of course i wouldn t have been had she not then the mother of the candidate i was writing pieces about. so, to some extent the justification for the book is that, but the thing we don t expect is that a person in our national political life had a mother with such an extraordinarily unusual life. so i think it s the similarity. host: did you approach this as a student of presidential history, a student of women in america in the early 21st century or as a portrait of a mother? guest: i approached it as a journalist. i wanted to know who this person was. so obviously one s mother is bound to be somewhat influential in one s life, but to have a mother that lived in such an unconventional way i think possibly might suggest even more of an influence or more distinct kind of influence. when i got into the story i began simply as a journalistic curiosity but when i got into it all of the things you mentioned were of interest t