Its a big night for the National Book foundation, for literature, culture, the big night for all of us. Whenever i have the opportunity to stand in front of people i always mention my mothers name, irma jean christin. She is the reason i like to say about my mother i am th imed amm because she is the woman she is or was. My mother was my first teacher. My mother graduated from college the age of 17 the first person i17 in the firstperson in her fo college for me to be a wellknown literary advocate in this nation, a place where only a few generations ago it would have been illegal for me to read is no small thing. [applause] literature is the birthright of every single one of us if you can read in at least one language you are in my definition free. That is to say no one can pull the wool over your eyes are give you what they want to call alternative facts and convince you what you know to be true is in fact not true at all. If you can read at least one language, you have the wherewitha
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
Everyone to the 68 National Book award. [applause] like most people here tonight i have always been an avid reader and i come from a family of avid readers and i have birthed at least one avid reader, the jury is still out on the younger ones. As an only child and the daughter of two only children it wasnt uncommon in our house to find everyone in separate corners, each of us buried in a book. Huge nerds, you might have called us. Its a privilege to be in his room full of huge nerds. I feel right at home. My mothers father was a rare book dealer in chicago so the nerd gene goes back even farther in my family. One year there was a terrible fire and my grandfather store and the fire itself didnt reach the volume the fire hoses did. Water, water, everywhere. His whole inventory ruins and my grandfather felt he had no choice but to close up shop. My grandparents packed up and moved to the ozarks in the heart of missouri where my grandmother was from and they both were effectively retired a
I started the book with a quotation from Thomas Jefferson the execution of the law is more important but if you think of leadership to get the answer right or the policy right to communicate at and implementing an the argument and make in this book is that president s spend so much time on communication that leaves them little time to think about how they will implement the of policies that were to implement so that involves understanding organizational capacity. It is a piece of the federal government that you give this job to it is it capable . That you are asking us to do . As we begin the National Book gourds plays will go onto the stage, oleary will mark. [applause] can you hear me okay . What a nice night broken to the 2016 National Book awards. Get used to it. What to a weak. How was your week . This was very bizarre for me. Wasnt this a real light and watching election since i was a kid that was exciting i dont know if i would use the word exciting in the same way as an asteroi
Supposed to be, happy, pretty, pampered and without worries. Nearly the exact opposite of my life up to that point. I was done. I unpacked my entire room in less that an hour. I walked to the end of the hallway to jades room. She was still unpacking and in deep conversation about which things her mom would have to take back to new york with her. I returned to my room and flopped down on the belled. I had no television on the bed. I had no television or radio. I listened to the conversations through the paper thin walls. Did you see that little girl from california . Shes here all by herself. It sounded like jade. She was talking to her mother. I know, she said, thats so sads although i couldnt see her, i was almost certain she was shaking her head. He felt sorry for me. I drowned out the rest of the conversation. I couldnt take it. I focused on the green flower on my bed spread and blinked hard to push back the tears. I didnt want anyone to pass by and notice me crying. I sat there wor