and have his own set of problems too, you know? but he always had dignity which i thought was very important. but the times are different now. you couldn't put a show like all in the family on network television today for whatever reason. but what was stark about it was that it was very truthful and honest about where america was at that time. so it's one of my favorite shows actually. >> let me say thank you to the schaumberg for this great venue >> this event was part of the 2011 harlem book fair, and for more or information visit qbr.com. >> booktv has over 100,000 twitter followers. be a part of the excitement, follow booktv on twitter to get publishing news, scheduling updates, author information and talk directly with authors during our live programming. twitter.com/booktv. >> and now aaron pribble

recounts his year playing baseball in the first and only season of the israel baseball league. the then-27-year-old former minor leaguer recalls his experiences in israel. this lasts about 45 minutes. [applause] [laughter] >> i think i got it, after a brief fumble. thank you, everybody, so much for coming out. thank you, c-span, thank you all the viewers at home. c-span, we love ya, thank you for being here. [laughter] i really cannot stop grinning because there is so much love here tonight, it's unbelievable. we have student here, a bunch of my students here, and that's a really, really neat thing. [applause] we have little league coaches are here, we have basketball coaches, baseball coaches, people i've known since i was 2 years old, my god parents are

here. there's so many different people from so many different walk of life that it's just making me smile and grin, and i'm really happy, and i'm going to try to not cry or get choked up or anything like that. [laughter] we'll do our best. we'll see where it goes. so thank you, linda, for that really nice introduce. book passage, thank you so much for having us. this is a great bookstore. one of the great things about living in a community like this and being born and raise inside a community like this is the sense of community and almost like camaraderie, and that's true for the community, but also for the bookstore. one of the things that's so great about this bookstore is the sense of community. thank you all so very much. what i want to do tonight, i just want to set up a few of these passages, give you a brief introduction, and then we'll do a little q&a. a way you could think about this story is it's kind of like bull durham in tel aviv. that's one good way to think about it. [laughter] there's all the bull durham

stories in there, the fights, the antics, the knucklehead moves that you'd think from any minor league baseball game, anything like that. but it's in tel aviv. it's in the 40e8ly land. and -- holy land. and for me that was the special part about it. it was a place that i was really passionate about. so i had been out of baseball for, like, three years. i was teaching, i was pursuing this new dream of mine, this new profession, and i was back in hawaii where i went to school. and i was hacking out with a -- hanging out with a couple buddies and my old baseball coach, and he said, hey, aaron, did you know they're having baseball in the middle east? i thought he was making fun of me, and we like to give each other a hard time. i didn't believe him. about three or four week later i came home, and we had sunday night dipper at my folks' house. i googled israel baseball league, and to my surprise it is the real thing.

unless it was this elaborate prank that my coach was playing on me, there was actually a link. the i clicked on schedule, and i looked at their calendar, and the very next thing i did was opened up the window for our school district, and i realized to my surprise that the season was sandwiched right in the middle of our summer break. so i thought i think i can make this work. i played a little bit of professional baseball, scraped the bottom of the barrel of the minor league, and i was jewish. i contacted the director of player development, former general manager of the boston red sox. and i got him on the phone and basically said, hey, dan can, i'm kind of jewish, i played some professional baseball, i think i'd be a good fit for the league, and he made me fill out a resumé and said you're hired, essentially. so i was training for months after school with the baseball team, i was training with the guys. i left the day after school, and

i would get home two weeks into the start of the school year, so sandwiched perfectly right in between. [laughter] i mentioned that it was kind of like bull durham and tel aviv. somebody said i should have named the book shekel ball. [laughter] just to kind of zoom out a little bit and give you guys a little bit of context, we had six different teams. jersey right down here, that's my jersey that i wore in the league. we were the tel aviv lightning, six, seven team, the blue sox, all kinds of stuff. [laughter] the miracle, all kinds of different teams. i'm going to talk about that in a second. so we had six teams in israel attempting to play six days a week because, of course, you can't play on shah bat, right? but the only problem with that mathematical arrangement was the lack of baseball fields. so we had one really good baseball field in israel, and

that was a good start. we had one real field. the second field was a converted softball field with a light pole in the middle of right field which i'm going to talk about in just a second. [laughter] and the third one was built under cherished tel aviv soccer ground like three weeks into the season, so six teams attempting to play six days a week on three, one and a half, two and a half baseball fields makes for some interesting times. so things like, um, dr. ruth throwing out the first pitch of a game -- [laughter] i'll get to that in just a second. thing like an alleged terrorist attack on opening day, guys were really scared about terrorist attack on opening day. a near-strike when the league runs out of money, nearly runs out of money halfway through the season. there was almost a work stoppage. a trip by me and a bud key into the west -- buddy into the west bank, and it wouldn't be a story without a little bit of a love story, so here's where the

students get weirded out. there was a little love story. that section i will not read for you guys today. [laughter] so i guess, um, the way i want to set up this first chapter, when i was thinking about what i wanted to, what as passage i wanted to read to you guys, the passage that is under the podium , linda was mentioning that last friday i did a little reading as well. and this was in san francisco in the city, and it was for some of my buddies, and it was kind of like a friday night, so it was a little bit different vibe in the city. so i read about this chapter called the sex doctor, and i'm not going to read that chapter to you, but i've just got to tell you the story. so i'm getting loose in the early morning game because on fridays, you know, it's she bat, so we have to play early in the day because you can't encroach on shah bat. so everybody's groggy, everybody's in a fog, and i'm starting that day.

and i'm kind of grumpy myself, i'm upset that i have to pitch that early in the morning. we're playing the blue sox which is actually the best team in the league, so everybody's kind of tense, i'm a little bit nervous, and i see someone's getting ready the throw out the first pitch. and i look, and it's a short little blond woman with a white ibl baseball hat. and, um, the pa guy goes, and now, ladies and gentlemen, dr. ruth, the sex doctor! [laughter] and i'm doing my warm-up pitches, and i'm trying to get loose, and i momentarily break focus, and i turn around, and i go holy moly -- i didn't say holy moly. [laughter] i said something else, and i broke focus for a minute, and i tried to get back in it. so i get focused, we go out, and it's a close game. one of our guys ends up getting hit, and then in retaliation one of their guys ends up getting hit. both benches end up clearing, okay? there's a near brawl out in the middle of this soccer field

which has recently been turned into a baseball field. no punches are thrown yet, we heard over the loud speaker dr. ruth, the sex doctor, says, now, boys, if you play nice, i promise you great sex for the rest of your lives! [laughter] the kicker to that story, though, is two innings later somebody else gets hit, and we have another near brawl, so i guess we broke our end of that bargain, unfortunately. [laughter] would have been nice. [laughter] sorry, students, little editing needs to go on. so that was the passage that i read last friday because i figured it was appropriate for the occasion, but i couldn't resist telling you the story. this passage that i'm going to read here is another -- i don't know if it's my favorite passage from the book, but i really like it because it's a baseball chapter, but it's also a story about, um, kind of the mystical

quality of play anything the middle east. -- playing in the middle east. so i hope you'll get that from this chapter called "bus ride." and this story takes place just mentioned the softball field with the light pole in right field. we cut across fields of sunflowers through the obligatory security gate, down a dirt road, past some houses before reaching the softball field. the softball field? it was a shock, nonetheless. the miniature infield housed 90-foot base placed just short of the outfield grass. the warning track for the softball field, a thick strip of dirt arched across the middle of the outfield about 100 feet from the recently-extended fence which was now sitting up a five-foot hill.

and there was a light pole, as i mentioned, in the middle of right field. seriously. [laughter] not to worry, though, someone had duct taped a mattress to the pole -- [laughter] left an ambitious -- lest an ambitious outfielder should attempt making a play. stepping down from the bus, guys were ca vetching at full throttle. can you believe this? what a joke. i took my time to leave. i looked out past the spectacle of the field onto a sea of sunflowers. blitz l and withered -- brittle and withered, their faces now prostrated and sullen left a striking impression. i wondered if they faced down in the shame from these substandard playing conditions in honor of our presence or in disgust at our attempts to bring baseball to this holy land. in hallowed it was, some legends claim that past the sunflowers and left at the foot of a modest slope lay the tomb of king

solomon, son of david and once ruler of the kingdom of israel. large white alabaster stones canopied with black archaeological tenting protruded regally from the otherwise sparse landscape. it appeared the king and his sunflower foot soldiers were posthumously observing our every move. though we would have only 20-30 fans in attendance, it was clear i was pitching for a much larger audience. [laughter] warming up in the bullpen or, rather, the side of the hill and left, i noticed max coa nelson strolling down the line to get loose as well. evidently, today's battle for second place would feature a high school history teacher versus a 6-8 flame-throwing dominican. if pa guy showed up, i hoped he wouldn't announce it as such. in the first inning, both teams scored a run. ours was an rbi single from fish, and theirs came on a rodriguez home run. he was one of the top two or

three hitters in the league. he exuded professionalism which was no surprise given his minor league experience with the boston red sox. great player or not, rodriguez's first homer was cheap. i threw him an 0-1 fastball away which he popped 290 feet to the right. jeff was playing behind the light pole up the hill with his back against the 280-foot fence. the ball waterfalled just over his glove to tie the score in the first. it would remain is 1-1 until the fifth. the first baseman pops to shallow left. from shortstop, he flew back and camped underneath. our left fielder misjudged the pop-up which drops between the two of them to load the bases. i thought briefly about whether the play would be ruled a hit or an error. after a strikeout, i threw a

change looking he was looking to go big fly thinking he would jump at the off speed. the pitch was closer to his belt than his knees. sufficiently ahead of the change, he was nonetheless able to make good contact given the pitch's height. he hit another pop-up, this time to left. our left fielder ran up the hill and pressed against the fence. the ball landed just over his outstretched glove for grand slam and his second home run. we ended up losing 5-3. in the second game, he hit two more home runs -- this time both legit -- propelling the miracle to another victory placing them alone in the second place and dropping us to third. it wasn't right to deny props, but it was also safe to say we were hurt. i knew in the long run it would probably even out, but that sentiment was of little comfort in the short run. it was my first loss of the year. to be honest, i forgot what it felt like. my last loss came three years

earlier in france, and i was having trouble making sense of the o emotions. searching for some solace, i could blame a portion of the outcome on the short, bizarre field. i was thus far undefeated and had been throwing well, and i was now 5-1. i wondered if all five runs were earned and thought only two should have been after the mishap in left, i heard the score lean over to the bench and say, what do you think, hit or error? ah, give it a hit. [laughter] if it was my team, i'd have said the same thing, but it wasn't, so that was five big ones in the wrong column. i could probably go talk to someone about changing it which players did here all the time, but then i'd be a fucking stat rat like the rest of them. ..

och will i have a good er a? focus on throwing strikes down in the zone and you will get there. not only that the product is not important. it is important but rather the best way to achieve one's goal is concentrate on how to get there. hence the reason i don't read the paper or look at my stats until after the season. let's get back on time. [applause] >> that was a dramatic pause. maybe the applause was wrapping up already.

maybe this last part is worth it. sometimes the ride home takes an instant. this day it took forever. perhaps i was overly pensive after the loss but pulling away from the game i know is the setting sun. there was a large blood red or of casting a rosy glow on the hills of the west bank in the distance. rays of light shone through fill the bus windows as the sun and the impact with the looming rise in. i thought of the impoverished arab in the west bank and king solomon and his israelite prodigy. to care about baseball and a centuries-old conflict was still raging? if baseball couldn't help unite these lands what good was it? staring out the window of lost track of space and time. suddenly i was back in france during a trip from paris to our home in to lose. i used for all intents and purposes we could have been on a bus in west texas as the view was identical. i yellow line raised beside the foreground followed by metro

metronoming telephone tolls eliminated by the faint light of the setting sun. in a vain attempt to be like my dad was back there who was a working musician until always borne i remembered the hook to a song i once tried to write. staring out the window the miles pass on by and france merges with texas in the twilight sky. how many times in how many conditions have ridden the bus? whatever the final tally i could add to this on one mortars. as i dream of peace in israel and palestine it is another long bus ride. it is just another long bus ride. it is just another long bus ride. [applause] if you do end up reading the

book there's a chapter, the second loss of the season, it is called losing stocks. i am sweating so much sweat is dripping off of the brim of my cap. i literally can't hold on to the baseball. i am just going to throw it and we will see where it goes. that is what i feel like up here. i am sweating. you need to call the reliever. if you don't mind i don't mind. the reason i chose that passage was what i preface that one of the great things about the summer was the combination of baseball in all land. for me this wasn't just a field. i remember having a dialogue with king solomon. looking out there seeing -- you want us to be here? i see this came. is this the whole deal? that made it really special. i should have mentioned a few of

the guys on my team. i told you about six teams. one of the reasons this is such a great experience is i was blessed with an unbelievable cast of characters. our third baseman who is one of my best friends was nathan israel bloomberg fish. he has shoulder length curly hair. looks like a combination of howard stern and the biblical stalin or moses or something like that. our catcher was this wild man from australia and my best friend who was a pitcher on our team was the first israeli to play division 1 baseball in the united states. a neat little cast of characters. one of the guys who is probably my best friend or closest to it. the first guy i met in the league, a guy named jeff hastings was also a teacher. really neat, first guy i met and the last guy i said goodbye to

was my friend jeff. in the book i mentioned not disparagingly we joke about being a red neck jew boys. that sounds kind of funny but my grandmother was born on a working cattle ranch. my mom is a jew from new york. both are parents, important to expose us to both sides, both traditions. that was a good thing. they did it right. because of that going to israel i got to not only explore what i was at the what the former pro but as a jew as well. that was important to me as well. this next passage i am going to read to you will be the last one about my first shoebox dinner in israel. i am sure you have been travelling but it is need to travel somewhere but a different experience to actually live some place and get to know the people because any place is about the people. nice to go to paris and the crepes and have food and wine but it is different to live

there and get to know the people and see what your life is like. that was a really special thing for me, getting to know these israeli families. we arrived at our destination from the canary region also known as the sea of galilee where jesus purportedly walked on water and jews turn to it and grapes and wine. this particular section was the urban planning equivalent of the geological subduction. one of the few places where large scale slow-moving change was headed. 100-year-old structures replete with traditional islamic archways and geometric tapestries collided with have finished modern apartment complexes. three loud shots rang out behind a large stone wall. we jerked are heads down anticipating a fire fight.

what was that? jeff exclaimed. dan muttered to himself in hebrew, probably nothing. we walked cautiously into a construction zone. through two doors and down a secret flight of stairs, around a corner into a large protected courtyard. just then two bright green dots sales into the air. dan's expression faded. kids were having fun with fireworks over the wall. he shook his head and smiled and said fucking arabs. we had a few in the other direction. dan explained pleasantries. they grinned and said referring to the ongoing fireworks display it sounded like a gun battle. showing off my vast knowledge of hebrew, i said what is intifada? , you later. coach, give it to me.

my high school basketball coach came with the kerchief, white my brow. given up to the coach. thank you! [applause] he is always there for me. where were we? the brow will be dry for a second. what is intifada? tell you later, i said. fearing he did not want to hear about the palestinian uprising in gaza and the west bank in the 1980s and the turn of the century. israeli occupation of these lands was controversial and resulted in countless deaths on both sides. we entered a small apartment, stone floor school to bare feet gave way to a kitchen and living rooms and which one on top of the other. we were introduced to dan's mom and his and and his cousin, our backup right fielder was there

too. conversing with them i immediately felt that home. after a quick tour of the apartment i found myself on the balcony leaning over the railing looking into the dusk. is beautiful here i said. his mom smiled warmly and spoke proficient in english but seemed shy about her accent. i was thinking of something to say when she pointed to the land outside the courtyard. this is all arab. we are settlement she said half jokingly. and 3 with a chuckle i was uncertain how to respond. dan clearly did not support the settlement but i was unsure about his mom. shortly thereafter if he appeared on the table and we were ready to eat. unfortunately my aches over the premium which will return. i seemed to remember jewish -- words but couldn't remember what they meant. i started sweating more than

usual. give me a break. it was a shabat deal. i was toast. if you do prayers and stefan will just watch. i don't know what i am doing. prayers? dan left. we don't do any of that. i just come to eat. he sensed my trepidation and patted me on the shoulder. you will be fine. except for the heavenly garlic mashed potatoes and define schnitzel there was nothing religious about the meal. we began with pepper cabbage slaw and traditional israeli salad of diced cucumbers and tomatoes. the schnitzel came next and it did not disappoint. the likely breaded kosher chicken was succulent, tender. jeff and i indulge like we have not had a home cooked meal in weeks which was true. the conversation at dinner went between hebrew and english. we spoke about israelis being crazy drivers. everyone was cognizant of

keeping those involved but off a lively dialogue that i did not understand the. in addition to chatting with jeff during these moments i reflected on shabat. the weekly creation of a space to pause was imperative. the important part was spending time with friends and family. for me it was a wonderful time. the conversation took a turn to the argumentative but my conversation was limited to volume, inflexion and the occasional word or two. an exchange like this could only be about politics. voices raised, hands flew up in exasperation and homemade pickles were devoured like

ammunition but no one appeared angry. all seemed to be enjoying it. suddenly the discussion turned quiet. dad's mommy endeavour the table looking squarely at jeff and me and said dan, he is a palestinian. referring to her son. his entire family began to laugh and dan was irritated. just like on the balcony i could not tell if his mom was serious. in any discussion about the conflict, sarcasm and sincerity were close friends. as the meal wound down i could take shallow breaths, a full stomach encroaching on my lungs room for air. i dreamed of a couch to lie on but along came dessert, watermelon and cantaloupe and strange fruit i did not recognize. what is that? jeff asked. prickly pear. we call it sabra. it is the informal name for is really because they were prickly and tough on the outside from years of toil in the desert but remains weak on the inside.

i tried one. a fruit's flush with sugary. the seeds were difficult to get rid of. you could chew and swallow them but they went down rough. you could spend them out with everyone watching it was awkward. sort of like the israelis themselves. after the meal everyone reclined lethargically in the living room which was the same space as the kitchen and dining area. the cardinals game was running on the tv providing ambient background stimulation. a modern-day fireplace. when it was time to go we stood up and said goodbye. thank you very much. it was great. jeff did the same. that was pretty was chagrined about his family's dinner table argument is specially his mom's rating. i replied this made me feel more at home. combined equal parts and vote -- embarrassment and a guilt mix with the need to feed the planet and you have any jewish mother. you are welcome, i will see you

next week. we are having ravioli. we did come next week and the next week and the week after that. i did not know it at the time but shabat would be, as regular as my starting against the blue sox. both were exciting but the latter would double. our shabat dear came to end the friday night was just getting started. [applause] the second passage that i read last friday night to different group, the citigroup. the next chapter is called sa sabr sabros, the formal name for israeli. that is where the love story isn't it is that since this is a family crowd we believe that that.

those of the passages of wanted to share with you. if you have a few questions and will give me a break. after that, that will be it. [applause] one thing to remember. speak into the microphone but you won't hear yourselves on the p a or anything like that. >> how did they draft? >> how did they draft the six teams? great question. early on in the lead up to the lead they did a fantastic job. they have all jersey's, all team names. they have a draft on espn led by sports reporter jeremy sat -- --sh --shat. i mispronounced his name. he lead the draft. there was a lot of hubbub and buzz around it.

the new york times was covering the league. it was a really neat thing. they had a draft and got players from all over the place. the thing that really pushed the lead over the top was once they started out dominican in the league there is an interesting history between israel and the dominican republic but the '80s that out a little bit as their excuse to get dominicans in the league. once they arrived, players from one country ranked the countries in order. they would be the best. they were incredible players. both had minor league experience. vladimir guerrero's brother was in the league. the guy whom played major leagues in japan. the really impressive players and they were drafted as well. >> what made this the last season of the israeli baseball? >> great question. without getting into the business plan or finances too

much the leak was insolvent. we were close to going on strike when we did receive our checks but since we were halfway around the world what were we going to do? it was the result of financial difficulties. if you don't have a lot of people coming in paying for merchandising it is hard to generate revenue. the financial issue. for several years they had been talking about starting up the league again near the new york yankees talking about getting financial backers to go over there. the first and only so far and we will see if we do it again. >> can you talk about sandy koufax? >> he was drafted as the last player of the league as a symbolic gesture. he doesn't like publicity too much. thinking of baseball and israel, he has got to be there he is our guy but he wasn't involved with

the league. we decided to draft him anyway. he was 71 at the time and probably still could have pitched. >> was the reference to the sea of sunflowers and the ghosts a reference to field of dreams? >> this is what i like. no is the honest answer but now absolutely. the book is rich with symbolism. absolutely. i am stealing that. >> did you have to be jewish to be in the league and what was the percentage of jewish players? >> no, you didn't have to be jewish but the league had a bit of an identity crisis. it didn't know if it wanted to

be the best league in a jewish country or the best jewish leader. the equations i figured out was the more jewish you were the less good at baseball you had to be. we had these dominican guys who were unbelievable. great experience. if we had a view -- a few more religious jews as well, some of the guys could have made the junior college team so it was an interesting relationship. because of that a former pro struggling with his identity i place myself squarely in the middle. >> what is the background between israel and the dominican republic you mentioned? >> the dominican republic had an interesting role to play during the holocaust in terms of taking jews in after the holocaust and providing refugees refuge. israelis and jews:certain debt

of gratitude to the dominican republic as well. [inaudible] >> ships were turned away from the u.s.? that is part of it. >> we were coaching mock trial when you were writing this book i think. >> you have a question? you can give an opening statement. >> 2 shea. can you describe the process of writing? you were teaching and getting a master's degree and coaching. i couldn't figure out when you were writing the book. how did you do that? >> i didn't have a girlfriend at the time so i have more spare time to devote to other things like coaching the mock trial team. coaching basketball, very your shout out. doing a number of other things. it was a story i wanted to tell.

to back a couple steps. before i went over there everyone had their minds on baseball and of the holy land is a weird combination. my mom and a good friend named russell hill who is back there as well who is an unbelievable offer in his own right is my literary coach. a lot of great basketball -- russell hill is my literary coach. he encouraged me to keep a journal and my mom did as well. win somebody in the business says keep a journal you take it more seriously. a lot of times they talk about journal writing and it reflective thought. i kept a journal and road every day and when i got back i had a trove of materials, tons of words on the page that i would pour out and our new are had a story to tell. all these crazy things that happened, i tried my best to get it out there. with the help of russell hill and the few other authors are

respected her set about trying to tell my story. the one thing they all said in common or the one thing they all shared is if you read a lot you know what good writing sounds like. so i read a lot and i read more and more and it is one thing to read and enjoy a story and another to read with an eye towards the mechanics of the language. hard to you put beautiful sentences together and keep in mind the larger plot and climax and stuff like that? i went through cal was drafts. russell hill looked over a bunch of draft and said this is good and this is not so good and this is the direction you should go and i did my best. i will get a little cheesy and maudlin for a second but it is worth it. we have a lot of high school kids here. one thing we try to talk about is don't be afraid to fail. people say they will run a marathon and write a book. i am not writing -- i won't do it. a fa was afraid of getting shot down this never would have happened. you do your best and let the chips fall where they may.

process over product. [applause] >> one or two more? >> was the transition hard from becoming a teacher to a baseball player to a teacher again? >> great question. it was an interesting thing. it wasn't hard but it was interesting and somewhat difficult. somewhere through the summer after you start using the f bomb you refer to your old ways. during the summer i didn't think about teaching. it was in the back of my mind. i was a baseball player competing for a championship and i wanted to win. the last day of the season, the day before i am set to go home i am faced with a decision and offer a contract to be the first

player to pitch professionally in the united states. a heck of a decision. my boyhood dream, something i poured my heart and soul into ever since i could walk. it was a really important thing in my life. do you follow the boyhood dream? another shot to make it big one last time at your boyhood dream or do you know when it is enough and when to call it quits? i came back home americans oil and decided -- made my decision. it is pretty obvious that this point. it is interesting to walk into the classroom and remember you should drop the f bomb around high school students. that was an interesting transition. one last question or two more. >> we heard about the baseball stuff but what about your jewish identity and being in israel.

what did you learn about that? >> great question. i never had a bar mitzvah or baptism or anything like that but i felt connected to the history and one of the things i feel most passionate about in terms of jewish tradition is a sense of remedying in justice. the shea du -- i got in the teaching segment and field sense of duty to give back to others. he to whom much is given much is expected. i held tightly to that ethic. that was one part of it. the other part is this called to the left-handed jewish guy who sweats more than he should. when i went to israel i remember looking around and seeing every

type of person you can imagine. every color of the rainbow. the girl i have a relationship with is a tall and slender yemeni do. we come from opposite ends of the planet. opposite political ideologies. i remember thinking if there's room enough for all these people there is room for me too. [applause] a couple more? are we good? [inaudible] >> we may run out of books because there are so many of you and it is such a wonderful book. they have a green form you can fill out if you want the book. aaron will come and sign them so you will still get a copy.

he will come to your house. >> do i get the last word? i could mention every person by name but that would take too long. my family and coaches and teaching friends and students, you probably won't nowak and i can't put into words how much it means to you are really here. it is a beautiful place. a strong sense of community. i want you to know from the bottom of my heart i appreciate you coming out. thank you very much. [applause] >> this event was hosted by book passage bookstore in california. find out more by visiting bookpassage.com.

[bell ringing] >> notice the color of bourbon. that pretty amber color is all coming from the jar on the inside of a barrel. this is where bourbon gets all of its colorado lot of its flavor. currently they discovered over 200 chemical flavors in the jar from the barrel. >> this weekend we highlight frankfurt, kentucky on booktv and american history tv. look for the history and literary life of kentucky state