Author which is out this week. There be a link at the bottom of your screen and i know most if youve already to preorder the book, thank you so much. But if you want to purchase your copy, its right on the screen. He isnt off at columnist for the new york times. Hes currently a commentator on news hour and all Things Considered with the meet the press, hes the author of several books. Most recently the Second Mountain a quest for moral lif life. Both of which were near times bestsellers for going to hand it over to them in just a Second Period after a couple minutes were going to open this up to q a. So if you have a question you can go ahead and write in your question in the ask the question box which is of the bottom of your screen. So without further ado, rabbi jonathan and david brooks but thank you so much. Host david really didnt . I will do some questions in a backandforth conversation. I was like to start out with the most broad first question. And that is, you have written 30
Question number get there as many as time allows and to purchases and financial contributions to make help ensure the future of the independent bookstore. We appreciate your support now and always. As you may have experienced the last few weeks if we do have technical issues we will resolve them quickly thank you for your understanding. In the New York Times bestselling author winning the National Critics circle award, award, and the Catherine Porter award the American Academy of arts and letters. They will be discussing his latest book that is described as a colorful we creation of definitive history. The Seattle Times calls is a blend of history and memoir with the Bigger Research efforts. That makes baseless essential reading for anyone trying to grapple with the Affairs Since the end of world war ii. For happy to have them here tonight. The floor is yours. Thank you and its almost as much fun as being in Harvard Bookstore. And we have this kind of conversation a number of times but
Cspan2. Tonight beginning at 8 00 eastern booktv features several programs with the late author and columnist William F Buckley junior. And joy booktv on cspan2. I am the director of programs and partnerships for the massachusetts political society. Our program is a look at tradition summaries. We are joined by professor Donna Harrington who will speak about books for 19thcentury publishing. She is a professor of English Communications in new rhode island, she has a degree from marymacs college and a phd from the university of illinois. As a former magazine writer and editor her Research Interests include 19thcentury culture, womens magazines and the radical alternative press. Before we begin i would like to extend a special welcome to anyone who will be joining us for the first time. If you are not familiar with the massachusetts Historical Society, we are the first Historical Society collecting and publishing and sharing our histories in 1791. An amazing collection of 14 million page
Middle of the 20th century. Is been to world war. And to his whole view of himself in this world of community of potential has changed. He came back to southern texas and realized he could no on another because of what is born. And he and thousands of others southern black people from texas and louisiana have moved to los angeles. And we follow him as this kind of unofficial detective. He reveals what life is like in parts of los angeles had not been talked about. Host how did you come up with name. I was writing a story and a voice was speaking firstperson, and i was talking about this party that he was given and talking about how he was trying to pay money to raise his rent. And then he was talking about this woman who is in love with but she was in love with this other guy and then mouse comes in and looks at the person who is talking aces hey how you doing. And thats where he came from. Host what voices he supposed to represent. Walter what he represents is now the africanamericans
Our society had trouble with in recent years. That makes us wonder how strong our institutions will prove to be, how we will rise to a challenge like this. You cant help but see it as a time of crisis but because it is the time of testing it is also time to think about what americas strengths are, what we are good at and how we can build on that to address the enormous problems we confront. Host how did we get here . Guest that is an awfully complicated question. Our country has always tried to strike a balance between the dignity and the quality of the individual on the one hand and some form of strength of community on the other. Every free Society Faces that. Our society has in the past century emphasized the individual, emphasize liberty, emphasize freedom and diversity and that has brought some enormous advantages and benefits but there is another side to that coin and the other side look Like Division and fragmentation and isolation, it can look like alienation and loneliness and