show lost history. and he is also the host of decoded. we although why you are here, with out further do let's welcome mr. brad meltzer. [cheering] [applause] stomach or having fun now just you all know, c-span is here but you know what that means questioning that means all of us book nerds are being watched by her fellow book nerds. that that were altogether one place. [applause] we have as many viewers as espn right now. [laughter] that joke does not work in sports places. i love coming to virginia, obviously the washington d.c. area was our home in a beautiful place for us where we had our children here, we had our lives here. we started writing here. it's especially important today, today's the day my dad died. and we mark today. and i know it seems like something sad part by loved my father specially loved biggins barnes & noble because my father used to go into our local barnes & noble, and he would always go yes i'm here for brad meltzer's to but he is my favorite author. and they would always say mr. meltzer, we know leisure son. but my mom and be like what you mean that john grisham is in the front window? not anymore. [laughter] brad meltzer is in the front window parts we honor my father tonight for the other person, i've a couple thank you pseudo- local bitter big ones and fun. start critic character beecher in the inner circle part i know my friend trevor is here. he help me invented beecher. come on out. this is a guy who helped with the national archive. people say al hansen beecher, that's it. and jim dey and sharon people helpless online under kate on site you stored this year for probate i went as we walk up last year when his. [inaudible] there's no costumes old tub of course would decide the week before halloween. i went on to it are nice and can anyone help move this cost them? doctor k came at total stranger and said i've got a costume for you it is homemade. and it was hers. my daughter were, thank you, appreciate that. [applause] this is the biggest thank you all. i'm a man of my word, hope at all times. but three ago made a promise. and the promise was that if -- i was looking teacher in 11th grade needed a kidney. she was dying. and they put a notice on facebook that said can you help me find a kidney for my teacher? if you help me find a kidney for might teach roe put you in my next book. that was my bride. and where are you amy come appear chimera. sue met don't clap yet i haven't told the story done anything about her. here's what happened. as amy writes to me and said i volunteered to be the donor for your teacher. i just what you do know, i didn't hear back from her purse and dwelt for a volunteers. and i say my arm going to embarrass you. but don't worry i don't know what possessed me by call number teacher or someone who volunteer i know you get a lot of them but check this when upward and it wound up, but all the people who volunteered amy was the match for my teacher. came down to florida are we a year or two years spent over two years. came down to florida, as the hospital and they gave out of surgery. she gave her kidney you are looking at a one kidney woman right here. when here's the thing don't clap for you have not don't the starbright here's the best part is starboard the best part of the story is this. when she was having surgery one of the reporters that was there and asked where the original e-mail was sent and she looked it was in spam and if i never would've called that day, it was just gone forever. and so come being a man of my word, you will see the character amy wags in this book. and finally she is immortalized as a hero she should be. so thanks amy. stomach she does the most amazing thing she actually reddit already showing to make shredded maker jerk. [laughter] so again i can't do any of that anywhere else. it's only in virginia actually get people to make costumes the ability i would say you know what, how do i get better? when do i do my best work? what was my best book? it was over 20 years which of the best ones? i went back. look i picked out which books of mine were the actual best. what i realize they had in common was they are the ones that had this amazing character. you need a character that just drove it. i love all the books have written and proud of every one. these have my favorite characters. i said that's what's going to be my motive at this time pre-that's what i'm going to do. so was on six years ago at a uso trip with the middle east. entertaining our troops. i can always tell you when we were there is a dallas cowboy cheerleaders right before sprayed the enemy fighters, and then us, the authors. [laughter] my friend said to me can you tape the audible sigh when you walk in the room and they realize after the dallas cowboy cheerleaders they have you? [laughter] was greatest among we went out to visit our troops. how many of them came up to us and said i love the country singers that come. i'm i love all the amazing people that come through here whether it's the mma fighters are the cheerleaders paid but this is the first group that's it for me because i am a reader. and that is fantastic to me, right? we can find a fellow nerd, yes let's be friends. i love doing uso to her prayer but it was on the uso tour that i finally comment really learned about dover air force base but we all know dover. pulsing sadly those flight cover coffins that come out of the plane we all know that too well. but he didn't know is dover also handles the biggest cases. when the space shuttle goes down those bodies go to dover. when 911 happened, the pentagon victims went to dover. nones was to know better know their identity they go to dover to that means dover is a place and holds secrets and mysteries. you better believe that i wanted to get into that place. and so i went there part i thought you know what, this is what i did attend the secret tunnels below the white house but have done that hidden labyrinth below the capital. i know when i go in i'm gonna write my book in that house going to be. i was humbled when i got there. because when i saw the care that these men and women it dover, what they took for fallen soldiers, there's nothing i'd ever seen like this. this was bigger than the white house it was bigger than any place i had been. because you realize the families of those that have fallen troops and their families, they didn't believe what happens into this out with their own eyes. to the people there will rebuild for 14 hours someone's cheekbone and then smooth it out modeling clay so family could get one last look at their child will rebuild an entire hand because the mother specifically said i want to hold my son's hand one last time. work country right now. whatever your politics are on both sides are starving for heroes. here's where the real heroes were prayed this is the best of us working on the best of the best of us. and i knew it right there that i had to tell the story. this was what i knew i was going to be so i started by, i always bring it to the people i'm talking as if here's what i want to do i want to see if i can have a body. the escape artist opens with this. it's one of my favorite characters i've ever written named nola. noel is dead. the government says she's dead, she died in a plane crash. and when her body is brought to dover, our hero, zig, he pulls down the sheet and realizes as he opens up that there is a secret note hidden inside of her body. and the note says, nola you were right keep running. and he realizes no is not dead, she's on the run she is the escape artist. i had that general plots part i gave it to one of the people, i worked there with people and they left their them all the same things, how could you hide a secret note on her body? in one of them said to me, if you are on a plane and the planes going down, if you the timing is right depending on when you eat it, the liquids in your stomach connection protect the notes. and that had actually happened. i was blown away by that. right? and i knew in that moment there was the plot. and i know what you're thinking right now print because every time i fly in a plane, i think of what is in my notes, right? [laughter] notate every time you're on a plane right now and you had that turbine should not be thinking of me. you can think of brad. please don't make your note to me. i think when you write a note like that when that happens in real life, you are reaching out. and i knew in that moment i wanted to take that and put in the book prayed with no is looking for there's like no keep running. noel is live. that would've made a much better version of what happened. in this sad story. but that's where i started. and i knew i had zig. i knew he was a divorced guy he was missing many things in his life pretty was really upset. he has a hole in his life he needs to fill. that's a big important part of him. and that's one of the characters and then we are filming the history we were looking for the 911 flag. were actually here in virginia. we were filming their pride we are happy to find the flag it was great i didn't tell anyone at the time is that they gave me auteur of the base. and were walking around this army museum. nic there show me paintings of adolf hitler prayed there showing me these paintings file these amazing military artistry i said why does the government what is the army of some chart? explain to me that since world war i, the u.s. army has had a painter, actual painter on staff who was in charge of painting disasters as they happen. whether storming the norton engine beaches in normandy, with his going on vietnam, whether a 911, that currently exist there is a painter, a war artist they called the artist in residence at still on staff or is it you're telling me, everyone else's racing with guns blazing, you are telling me that someone is running in with nothing but pencils and paintbrushes in their pockets? that's the craziest person in the whole world i've got to meet him and they said no, no. you need to meet her. her. i was like oh it's a woman. of course it's a woman. she's amazing, right? and i knew right there without even meeting her i knew nola. that was it and instantly i got her. it's a woman who can go out there and see things that no one else can see said brad after meeting you now know so much more about you. i rattled off a list of all these tics that i have and that i do that i don't even realize i do. i'm time but the obvious want but things was like wow see the world different than idea. the great graphic designer, we see a stop sign he sees the greatest representation of graphic design ever created they can be read in any language, he sees the world differently than we do. and there, nola was born. is this woman my girl the dragon tattoo part of course i love the people's not therewith to the growth the dragon kept tattoo battle take the complement at any day. she'll look at your belt buckle of crows get on what i because you're a hunter nessie i aim with. she will see every time you walk past a reflective service you check yourself, you are vain perch he sees her weakness. what nola sees. she has so many herself and she has hull in her life she's trying to fill. give these two characters. when you have this plot. noel is dead, she's going to be racing out of their prayed that's the plot for 20 years i've been doing it i can always figure out how to build the vote lime sailing the vote. but to me i said don't do it. weights. don't start the book until you have nola. until you have zig comments until you have it all. it will make a better book. and then i had this. in 1898, a man named john albert wilkie is put in charge of the u.s. secret service. he is a magician pretties actually friend of harry houdini loves to do magic tricks himself but it's the only time in history that a magician was in control the secret service. i love that, right? [laughter] that's a good detail. a couple books have been trying to figure how to use it for it i just couldn't figure it out pretty just don't want to force that in there it's not just vomiting up information part has to makes sense. i couldn't use a configured out. and then i started looking into houdini's life right houdini had his own secret service. harry houdini had his own secret service which is a fantastic idea. that's how we used to do so many of his tricks. he is going to virginia they would come in the secret service would come first the week before prayed they would figure out what kind of handcuffs the police use, what have blocks from the jail door, i need come to town say lock me up with their handcuffs and put me in jail and i will get out. guess how he got out, he always had the inside information. his secret service gave him the answers. and i was like i need secret service i want my own too. harry houdini was also obsessed with death. never got over the death of his mother, never. when i looked at houdini's life, we own of the escape artist shows the lockman something looks like he skidded diana gets out. that's the escape artist. but the other part of the shows i didn't realize is where he spent time defrauding and showing what fakes these mediums were and people who did séances were. this is a time after world war i, we admit lost many sons in the war. i know it sounds so silly now, but there are people who say your son sent me a message from beyond the grave. i did was to talk to you if you just pay me $5, right? it sounds so obvious. the back then they didn't know. people were being taken advantage of. it's called spiritualism there taken advantage of all the time. harry houdini hated it. contractors by the beyond the grave he hated parades a part of his show was always dedicated pulling out these people who did séances and showing they were frauds. one of the things i love is harry houdini was so obsessed with death he gave secret code words for his family and to his friends that if they died and there is a sands and they came back as a ghost that he would notes them. so is really like i don't believe any of this nonsense, but in case i am wrong. [laughter] here's your codeword. the secret code word that harry houdini gave to his mother, the woman's his death he never got over was supposedly simply this, this one word. forgive. forgive. it's such a simple idea. and i knew that i had zig had this hole in his life. i had nora the artist with a hole in her life or at here's harry houdini the hole in his life. all this, every person here every person watching has someone that puts him in that hole. it may be addiction, it may be abuse, maybe the loss of a loved him. we also that moment we get kicked down, we are in that crater we've gotta get out of that crater, we have to come back to life. truly come back to life. and who is harry houdini who taught at best do it. forgive. especially starting with yourself. and when i learned that, then the escape artist, new all the puzzle pieces fit together and formed a picture, that's when i started the book. that's where the escape artist comes from. meets obvious to the book that's relevant i love i can talk about it. twenty years in we can learn what we take away? can talk about my dad will have her rituals. we'll have our rituals the things we can do. i want to tell you that for 20 years now, this is my ritual. twenty years. when asked first writing here in washington d.c., and sent out my first book with 22 rejection letters 24 submissions. we are waiting for number 23 and 24. have a good news was the two editors said to me that they like the book. actually went and met with them they really liked it. my agent told me at the time go and sit at your places your presale points, we buy the phone and talking to both of them today from going to call you at whatever time it was part and i'm going to tell you what their offers are pretty think they're going to bid against each other were going to have a real bidding war. i'm thinking to pick up the phone she's gonna tell me how rich i was gonna be right? i was in debt at the time i was in college debt from michigan i thought this is it, this is my moment she's going to tell me. and i will never forget, the phone rang, is all excited to hear how well we did. picked up the phone and will never forget she said sorry kiddo, and every day for 20 years, every day i sit down to write i sit everyday before i touch the keyboard before i did anything. i repaint the entire moment part i repaint what kind of phone i was holding as well as old clear see-through ones you could see the wires inside's and 80s that was high-tech but right? i picture the formica desk on my left and the swivel lamp at every college kid has because that goes with cheap desks. i picture the bed that was on my right, had no headboard or anything as a bed and mattress because that's what we had. i picture the little terrorist in washington d.c. it looked over. the parking lot. and it's a fire station that i was staring at which had three doors. i picture them every day predict say those words to myself. sorry kiddo, sorry kiddo, sorry kiddo. twenty years and going. because every single day i want to be as hungry as i was when i was 24 years old living in this town. and i never, ever, ever want to think i am done or that i made it. the moment i think i made it i'm finished. i always want to be so hungry that i always put on my best work. that's how you can learn pride we can all do the same things we do in life every day. many of us are so good at our jobs. we are so good at doing it. but he wants in same thing over and over? like a magician, we need to reinvent herself sometimes. we need to have that moment will reset then it this way i'm going to get even better. you don't have to change it but you have to think about it. sorry kiddo. sorry kiddo. sorry kiddo. sitting is aptly tying the person i was with a story. you can't even make this up. and we happen to, just because the way we're going throw pass that fire station as i was telling the story. listen i am staring at the fire station right now. here it is for the one i picture this morning at five and when i woke up this morning, thank you kiddo and i love that part a love that this town brings that back to me. i love i get a new look at it and i'd love they change the doors in the last two years on that fire station. but is still the old ones every day in my eyes in my mind's eye. so with that said, that is the introduction to the escape artist read what i would love to do is take questions pretty because i will always inspire more talking. you can ask about anything. you can ask what the kids books, will give you a quick update on the kids book. one interesting thing that happened and for those that don't know, do this line of kids book with chris ellie opelousas the amazing artist. i was tired of my kids thinking of loudmouth sports people we i am abraham lincoln, i am rosa parks i am jackie robinson for him. hennessy do not hear is not so in his scores lead appoint spirit here is jackie robinson this is what hero looks like. my daughter guides did i am lucille ball for him because i want a female entertainment hero who wasn't famous for being thin and pretty. so lucy is not just to be okay in different she spectacular print so she loves her dog so i did i am jane goodall for her. but our youngest is our creator pretty loves to color and drop. and for him i did i am jim henson. and i can tell you, that when i was five -year-olds on sesame street, jim henson proved to me you can use your creativity and do good in this world. and i hope if i'm doing nothing else, all i'm doing today is trying to ease my creativity to book it into this world prayed that's all i inspired to do. and the amazing part is, is a quick update on the kids book, as the election was approaching last year in november. we saw something amazing happened with the kids books. and to heroes started popping up better than anyone. it was i'm martin luther king jr. and i am george washington. they started selling like crazy. then the whole series started sewing like crazy. you have to understand in publishing just about everything is down. right? i love book tv will be have c-span you're so incredible they support the written word. they support the most important and most dangerous and most valuable thing in the world. ideas. alright that's what book is full of, ideas. and i love that part of it. but books are down, movies are down, ratings are down because our summary things are looking at. there's netflix and semi things begging for attention on facebook and everything else. our kids book were selling like bananas. we quickly realize what it was. it was that everyone was tired, just like i was of turning on booktv. it wasn't a democrat or republican thing. but they were all tired, turning on booktv and seeing politicians. what they wanted to show the kids was leaders. we have a difference between the leader and a politician. but we need to do is that i love people buy these books. not just buying i am amelia ehrhardt or i am abraham lincoln. they're not just doing i am gondi or sacajawea or truman, love these and the i'm books to build a library of real heroes for the kids and grandkids and their nieces and nephews. that's what the kids books are about i live any person who is wearing one of our kids books t-shirts you get an extra hugs from me. and again let's look for the questions again you can ask but tv, comics, escape artist yes, sir. >> shout out i will repeat it. >> i love you focus on a millie ehrhardt, i want to see a book on i am carol burnett. stomach on the list. i will tell you this about a millie ehrhardt since you mentioned it. right now prayed with this group we can get there okay? we are working right now on a lego a millie ehrhardt set. here's the thing. we went to lego ideas and lego ideas has a rule if you get 10000 people to vote for your set they will consider making it that's how the ghostbusters set got made all these other sets that came out they come through lego ideas. we are at i think 8200 sharon will tell me 8300 >> 8003 to 400 as of last night 8400. we need to get the 10000, we have 30 days to go. so go put the words lego amelia ehrhardt into google. it'll take you a second to register put a vote in there. i want to get the 10000 for it i'm tired of vying for my kids based on toys or superheroes i would love to get the kids in america a real hero. so please while you are in line, standing around don't talk to the person and make friends. we don't need more friends right? [laughter] go to lego a millie ehrhardt help us vote. thank you for reminding me of that. >> >> toymaker government sources nervous? while you ma'am have just made everyone from the government nervous. stomach the best parties events pretty had an event last night in maryland and here we are in virginia. all of the real spies in all the people who work in the intelligence community they'll come up and tell me secretly, i do they'll come up and tell me you never who they are prettify try to pick them out of the crowd right now i would never pick correctly. whoever you think it is it's wrong. this woman came up to me last night gave me the nod. and i'm like you were telling the grandmother oh my goodness. and she's like nola is a bad. i'm like wow. [laughter] and i love that. i love the intelligence community has been so supportive. here's the thing to answer your questions which deserves a serious answer. i am not an investigative reporter part i am a storytelle storyteller. and when i look at dover air force base and is trying for a house going to get in there. i tried going in the front door but if not i'll try to grow the back. so went to the front i knocked and said basically want to write a book about dover pit of great respect for let's see what happens. to the true credit there so kind to let me and prayed they gave me three years of unprecedented access. no one gets into dover, trump is shut it down no one gets in there anymore. so has the details you can't see. i got access to places you can't go. i think, i hope, i knew i did research with president bush and had help from president clinton pretty think the reason they talk to me it's the same reason the secret service talk to me. i work with the secret service now for i think 16 years. and every acronym in this city i've worked with over and over again. what they do is they say to me, hate brad i can tell you this right here but you can't write about it. you need to understand it so i can say about this one and you can write about this. and those i don't break my word. i can get my name in the paper. i can put my name in the paper and that will get me some press mass going to be a good thing. but i don't want to do anything that undoes the safety of our country, the security of our country, there are stories to be talked about because they are interesting because they add a part to history. they are just there. they're going to put someone in danger. true danger i want no part of that. even when you see something it sounds really cool i changes security protocols prayed they are always change on purpose for it i know what they are. they write letters and say you know what, you said it's a swipe card it's a pin thing, i know i changed it. i know it's coming. [laughter] i know it really is but i don't show you what it is. and i take that very seriously. and i think the reason they help me if i'm guessing it's because i write about what a love, not about what i hate. that's it. i am not an investigative reporter who is there to make you look bad and pick you apart. i wrote that book and true to my word i said to them i love what you do here at dover. you take care of our fallen troops. they deserve the best, they deserve honor, dignity and respect for it and i want to show the world this amazing universe that is here. they took me into this room that is an incredible room. it has all the uniforms that you see prettier you go to a candy out there's gummy bears, gummy worms, there's dozens of them. they have a room or walk it and therefore manikins. and it is the whole room. almost as big as a spacing here. it is every metal and every ribbon you can imagine, purple hearts, ribbons of valor everything. when you step into that room, you feel the entirety of it. how many people we are talking about here. you see the ultimate sacrifice right here. in the fort manikins, army, navy, air force, marines for in unifirst. nameplate and there they all are. and then there's actually another room but i won't road in the book so keep the name low quiet. there's a rumor you go in it's all the things that a soldier leaves behind when they die. it's the immediate things. it's yourself phone and your sunglasses. the visor that was next your bed, your wallets, a laptop, but there's a things they immediately sent to the families and those are the heartbreaking ones. the pictures of young kids, right? the cross that they wear or the star of david. or maybe you see things the ca wedding band part of the most heartbreaking one of all an unfinished letter that's never going to get finished. writing to their son, right into their daughter. tell them what they're thinking that day how much they miss the them. finished midsentence print you can't say love dad love mom yet. it's the perfect metaphor, right? a life unfinished right there. a letter unfinished in the life unfinished. it is heartbreaking. and these people deserve all the love we can give them prayed we can't bring them back prayed we can't experience their pain. but we can give them to make sure they are treated with honor, dignity and respect. and they knew when i came to them that was a story i wanted to tell part i love that we've been able to tell that story. how many people of quickly read the book and said oh my gosh i never knew about this place print and i so admire it now. i hope that's why i make people nervous. plus i'm very fidgety. [laughter] i see a young man question the back shouted out. [inaudible] >>. no kids a great place to meet people's on the internet. [laughter] , can we just get up round of applause for every parent who brought their kid here. [inaudible] is just here. you brought your child here and all we do is talk about morgues, i really appreciate that. every parent is going home with the best questions initials newsnight. [laughter] that is my free gift to you. but chris elliott has a great question. chris and i, sinew and have on the i'm books prayed so i met chris because i loved his work in marble. the reason i loved him as he had this cross tween it always look like peanuts meets kelvin and hobbes, right question rent that's what he did he did over and over again. it's easy for cartoonist use cute. what chris did as he could do hard. i want my kids to be off their phones pretty want them to be off their for the only way you can do it is to give them something better. i gave them crisper die am not the secret weapon, chris is a secret weapon. i'm not the great wider it's chris's art your kids are falling for. i know if i gave them that, they are adorably want to learn more but he is our secret weapon for it and met him truly on the internet pretty follow me on twitter, we became friends because he's a history nerd and we have mutual friends that introduced us. don't talk to kids on the internet that was a joke. i don't need a lawsuit. this town is bringing a lawsuit. everyone says i'm a lawyer i know, i know, i know. i met chris we just hit it off of the love of history. it was an easy choice. picked him out from there. we been having a great time since. okay yeah. >> what is your timeline for i am ehrhardt? see what yes show your work so we know it to buy prayed the next kids books. really quickly about them. in two months, and mate were coming out with i am gandhi the graphic novel which is the same taxes i am gandhi kids book. but when the election happened , i was just finishing i am gandhi. in either 16-year-old son. in the country was just ripping each other apart. remember election night? they were killing each other. and i was having none of that. i said you need to read this book. you need to see we are stronger and we don't hate each other. we show the good in the world as opposed to putting anger in the world heard i had read just the script for it of course we had drawn it yet. it made me realize that my son needed this. and i needed to get this to older kids, to middle school and high school kids. and adults too. for those of us who read comics. so i brought on board everyone from david mack to phil gimenez, the best comic book artist in the whole country. they gave us her best amazing group of artist for the best part of it is everyone is working for free including myself. i rewrote the book to make sure it matched the graphic novel format. all the money for the book goes to feed the peace and gandhi's mission. that comes out in may. right after that i'm doing superman for action comics 1000. which i am so nerd only excited about. because they're bringing back superman's red trunks beast i said can we bring back the trunks and every writer on there is we all would wear under under on the outside of our pants prayed. [laughter] and superman's coming back with his underwear on the outside of his pants. my youngest son is i don't like it like that. i said you're wrong go to your room. [laughter] that is bring it back. superman wears under on the outside pretty will be in summer 1000 we didn't know if they're going to give us the okay for praise i wrote to the artist, john cassidy has been the story and i said we don't have it okay yet. so if they don't give us the okay, never draw him from the waist down. in the story. because he's going to be wearing those trunks. right? [laughter] i said no matter what happens don't rise as i'm in i can hide it with the kate. i said you my man, that's it. that's it. [laughter] and then neal armstrong is in the i'm book it comes out in september. chris ellie obelisk has been begging to do neal armstrong since book one part he wanted to do even more than abraham lincoln. we kind of followed him because it's like abraham lincoln prayed so he finally got to draw and he just drew every on every rocket he made it so detailed was sent to a friend who used to work at nasa we were nervous about this stuff are we always books to the top people only did i am martin luther king jr., we had doctor kings, the family of his top lieutenants with the writers of march, we had represented lewis read the book for us because he was there, right? were like is what we have to do. when john lewis is reading your book your like i hope i don't mess it up right because it's his life too. until we sent it to the guys used to work at nasa came back right what you think in the you guys are such nerds. [laughter] we you're gonna love the book. i will tell you this one seeker, don't tell anyone, even others like a national television watching the snow and noses were doing it when you read i am neal armstrong. i'm not to say anything when a sit here when you read i am neal armstrong we went to the scene or when he gets to the moody looks back at the earth. and i wanted to be immense pretty want to feel as big as it looks. we first drew it just wasn't working. i did is i asked for summing special in the book that when you look back it folds out both ways. and it is a giant spread like this and you get to see the entire earth from space and it is beautiful. so neal armstrong comes in september. then one of the new project no nose about is in january, i'm doing my first adult nonfiction book. and i found this book about george washington during the revolutionary war, during the early battles in york there's a secret plot against george washington some say to kill him and merge him some say to kidnap him. but a secret plot against george washington. when washington found out about it. he gathered together 20000 troops, brought them to an open field. took the guy who's responsible to plot against him and execute him in the largest public execution at that point in north american history. george washington brings down the hammer, right? he's like that's what you do to me i am george washington, put me on the dollar bill, washington out. that's will dialogue by the way. [laughter] historically. [laughter] i just one pointed out. say ye old doll or is exactly the same. >> the george washington stories called the first conspiracy the plot against george washington and the birth of the counterintelligence movement. ucr counterintelligence operation started after that. when someone took a shot at the big man, we started fighting back. that's where it begins. so the first conspiracy comes out in january prayed those of the books that follow. okay will do a couple more questions require. yes buddy. [inaudible] usually when you write an i am book. you put in the next character in their print i want to know who will be the next one for neal armstrong? >> this kid may be the smartest one in the whole room. just pointed out we do secretly hide. we had a couple things every book. one, i am hidden every book, chris draws me in every book which makes me the bald where is waldo. we also hide the number 27, we hide superman and there actually. but you're the d.c. lawyers watching is totally not washington or clarke kent. [laughter] we always hide the next hero the next book. if you read i am harriet tubman you can find neal armstrong. he asked who would be in that book i should be looking for? which is very tricky of you. so wearily you are the intelligence person in the crowd tonight. we are making them younger than ever. and i'm not telling you, i'm not telling it all. [laughter] but good try, good try appreciate that. okay way back in the back i see you there. [inaudible] stood next the question and haven't made any movies? rated movies you doing tv? we might be doing tv. i'm looking at someone in this room who knows exactly will be doing something in tv. we are not announcing it yet. but we will be doing it very soon. and it's not we think. it's going to be great. when the time comes. [laughter] trust me i love secrets, right? i can keep a secret,. [laughter] he's going to get them i can tell. but for me i would love for them to make a movie. i don't seen on casting this yet zig is easy with books and everything. [laughter] by the way to tell you they ask what you know you look like that doctor in er, clooney right? [laughter] thanks for laughing at my handsomeness. i appreciate that. but for me if they make it, god bless go with it. i love that he could to tell the stories. i have loved it for 20 years now i've been able to tell these stories. whether they make the film or not that's okay by me hollywood messes up everything anyway. people were working with be like much better. other quick questions yes go ahead? >> 13 years ago i. [inaudible] stomach my friend here i've known forever came to the signing at wegmans which is a supermarket. and it was the craziest place i've ever signed. it is no question the white house, right? that's where it is. i got invited to a private lunch at the white house. not in the big area were all the reporters get to go or the state dinners are, was in the presidents private dining room. i got invited to go there. and when you go in and you sit in the white house, we are in the lincoln bedroom. you are walking to the presidents private area the top two floors of the white house is where they live. no secret service up there. it's just you, it's the big deal, right? you sit down, you don't just pick your seat for to sonicare really grab a seat we got nona know they don't trust you do that. they tell exactly where to sit. there is a little card and it is engraved with the picture of the white house on and it says mr. meltzer's most beautiful sick card you've ever seen her life it's right your plate. as i sat down i said i'm totally stilling my card right? and mrs. bush was first laid the time leaned over to me and said you know brad, all the novices they always try to steal their cards. [laughter] and isaac look, mrs. bush, charlie took my card. and my card is absolutely at my house i've got it i stole it. i took it. but again signing books up there is a bananas put a member when bill clinton was president i was walking through the west wing. we got to where redoing a book party. we got to go in the west wing said she would put on his desk? it's my one regret is we didn't. we would've gotten so much trouble but it would've been worth it. [laughter] to put the book on the president's desk. the only other place is right is clinton was leaving a friend of mine worked for the white house press office. and we had the most genius a marketing idea of all time. what we did was we knew they were going, i think they went to south africa. it was a long trip it was a really, really long trip it was somewhere far. what he did his east neck me on the plane before they left from andrews air force base, we took 50 copies of the book and we put it on every seat. [laughter] because they knew they were stuck in there. it was like they had movies back them or anything, we knew they were going to be stuck. we are marketing geniuses. and they were just using it pillows for everybody but it was a good thought. alright one last question though signs and books, go ahead. one adult one kid. when you got in the red. [inaudible] for your i am books a medical hero? >> the best thing about kids they have a list of demands. [laughter] they come and tell me what the next book should be. i like everyone you picketed not pick the obvious ones. there's a kid in maryland i'm not joking about assuring this is true, wait a minute show you, you can even make this stuff up. this is what a kid last night brought me. hold on got a political output it will be worth it i promise. almost done. where to no. is. this is what the kid asked for it last night. [laughter] that's a really short list. and then. [inaudible] [laughter] thing that was great his eyes like this kids totally crazy and then i saw the second to last person write about beethoven was brad meltzer and i'm like you're my favorite child. don't tell him otherwise i sit every single one on here print which i'm not but i lied to the child to make them happy. [laughter] right less question you got it. >> my 9-year-old wunder would you ever do like a writing class for kids to collaborate with you? spinning the question is can i do a contest with kids and collaborate with them. collaborate them but i would not paying them heard i would never pay a child. this is of my own kids wanted to do breed semi- daughter said to me when they she said data want to write a book. i'm like i've waited my whole life, i've waited my whole life to hear my child, my offspring to tell me she once my job and were going to write a book together. i sit honey were gonna write a book together were ready. and so we said the first thing we've got to make the cover. and so he made the titles about a dog she loved and so is a dog book. we got the title, and she had drawn a picture of a dog. miss it okay put the authors name of the front parts i put her name on the front. as can put my name with ad brad meltzer on the bottom she says maybe we should leave your name out of it and i said you just got me out of this deal? you're not going to be a writer you're going to be an agent for you are a hollywood agent. she totally cut me down at the knees. while ruthless i'm never working with children again. they will turn on you and a dime. i do like that idea that's a good idea. right when you wrap up at this there's a lot of books to sign. and the only thing i really need to say is thank you. thank you course for hosting me, thank you for letting me have this writer's life. and i can tell you that when i look back at this life, i know this wasn't again it's not like it was my midlife crisis but it was my midlife crisis. is trying to look at the how do we get better? where to be go from here? it sounds so crazy that a book that focus so much on loss in the end of life that you can really find and you learn so much about what living is. there's a line in the book that says just because you're not dead doesn't mean you're live it is a vital line in the escape artist for me. just because you're not dead doesn't mean you're live all of us have things in our lives. someone said it so smart it's every person you meet is going through a battle that you know nothing about. right? be kind. and to me, i think all of us who are fighting, whatever your battle is, right? come back to life. escape. i think the ultimate thing we always thing to skate means run away but i really want to be an escape artist that i don't think it's about running away. i think it's about starting with forgiveness pretty thanks about not turning on yourself i think it's about joining us back in the land of the living. so on this night when i think about my father and the loss that i suffered those years ago when he died, i don't have that sadness print and fax them just wrote me it was an amazing story, my dad was actually struck by lightning. and his father was actually struck by lightning. and that is crazy, that defies all odds. i thought to myself, i remember even more when my dad would tell a story it seemed like nonsense like he was exaggerating like where the odds to people the same family struck by lightning two generations at different times for it my dad was a kid when it happened. i thought he imagined it. but with that said at his funeral and when i wrote his eulogy is that i don't know if it's true but i love the story and i'm making it a metaphor so don't mess with a metaphor might die got struck by lightning. in a few weeks after a guy writes to me through e-mail or through the website and he says hey brad, someone pass along the eulogy wrote for your father you said you didn't know if he got struck by lightning. and i just want to tell you, that he did. because i was there that day. i was there and i saw it happen to me too. and he goes on to tell the story exactly how my father told her he was a camp friend of my dad's. and in that moment, this e-mail that i had opened, this letter this man sent me, this person the stranger sent out to me it was one of the most important person in the whole world by doing the easiest thing about showing some kindness and reaching out. i had reached out and he reached back. so again, forgiveness, right? forgiveness. and i love every single person who supports these books free to live all those who help me escape and the best way. not running away but running together. and thank you for coming out to support the escape artist. thank you for 40bim books. thanks for creating every crazy tv idea we have a special the ones coming thank you, thank you, thank you. for letting me do this for 20 ys dad this one is for you. love you. [applause] : : >> later journalist erica barnett looks at addiction in america and discusses her own struggles with alcoholism, her book is quitter, a memoir of drinking, relapse and recovery. >> as folks are arriving, i will say good evening and welcome tonight live online bookstore, i'm one of the owners of greenlight

Related Keywords

United States , Washington , Florida , Vietnam , Republic Of , Whitehouse , District Of Columbia , South Africa , Maryland , Virginia , Dallas , Texas , Dover , Americans , America , American , John Cassidy , Millie Ehrhardt , Nola Noel , Clarke Kent , Jane Goodall , Martin Luther , Chris Elliott , Harry Houdini , Erika Barnett , George Washington , David Mack , Martin Luther King Jr , Jim Dey , Al Hansen Beecher , Chris Ellie , John Lewis , Neal Armstrong , Brad Meltzer , Lego A Millie , Carol Burnett ,