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
Then i am a libertarian. And in most of what i write the certain amount that is oriented to diminish human liberty. Cspan do i remember you saying we ran for mayor of new york that this may not be you but as far as you are concerned you would just as soon through the garbage out the window let them deal with it and the government . Your main one memory is exchanges James Baldwin and when he was defending the littering on the streets it was a form of protest against the city for not paying close enough attention. It isnt very helpful to use that energy think he would make a good mayor. Cspan if somebody buys the book what will they get . They get the best i can give them in various modes over the past eight years those were eventful years covering the collapse of the soviet union they cover the death of some very important people. And my sister who served as the editor it is the mood of which i write with carl sagan and mario, and Teddy Kennedy and so on. And then to analyze the problem
[applause] if you are not yet on the email list, signup. We just added senator amy so now for tonight, were it was unforgetting. Bobs story about the genius of the political like his subject, caro has no peer. Over the years bob has spoiled us with his portraits of robert moses and Lyndon Johnson and treated us to slight left turns in the narrative, his diversions into fascinating bystanders, they might form the basis of future studies in and of themself. So consider his new book, working, as a companion piece to his great moses and johnson books, and today in 2019 is more resonant than ever about power used for good and power used against the greater good. As the book answers core questions, it raises more, as caro gives us deep background into the ways and whys he does what he does with such graceful shorthand. Asra if his books werent physil and intellectual evidence enough about why he takes so long to crank out the next volume, caro gives us the background on the reasons he goes t
Im glad to see you. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming to tonights program. So i am the founder of Writers Block now launching a 23rd year. If not yet on the email list signup now looking back robert caro the last time he visited was 2002 it was unforgettable. With the johnson political machine with a powerbroker extraordinaire and over the years has spoiled us to treat us to slight left turns those that are so rich in detail they could form the basis of future studies in and of themselves. So consider the new book working as a companion piece and today in 2019 is more resonant than ever for power used for good and against the greater good. It raises more giving a deep background into why he does what he does for its physical and intellectual evidence and not cranking out the next volume for the reasons he goes through every sheet of paper to get to the truth that essence of political power. It is conan who possesses media power. Is one of the funniest guys in the planet and there
we will be honoring book writing with four awards. i n am the eckstein a faculty fr at columbia journalism school and especially happy to be here because i was back in 1997 i guess 25 years ago part of the foundingng crew that set up this program. tony lucas was a wonderful nonfiction writer and reporter who was not only great at what he did but also cared a lot aboutt the field. this kind of work is not part of mass culture shall we say. but it s a distinct community that care about it and are devoted to it and help and support each other. he put on with me a big conference on nonfiction writing into the new york state writers institute in albany in 91 or 92 called tellingel the truth. at the time of his death he was the president of the authors guild. he just did as much as he could possibly do but for his own people that do this work and i think that he would be pleased to see what the program named after him has become. i got to know his widow he was an equally remarkable