the rest of his family except for a few cousins and aunt and uncle were murdered in austria by the regime. >>host: how did your parents meet? >>guest: my father is man of many lives who did many things in many places before he finally moved off the reservation and taught high school on the reservation. he told me just recently,, he had been around for 45, 50 years. it was only when he moved that he felt like he finally had a home. rejected everywhere he went. he said that on the reservation he finally felt understood.

the kids grew up. working on the same health care program. they are coworkers, essentially. fell in fell in love and have the troublesome children that they have now. >>host: here is the cover of the book. you talk about that life is not all bad on the reservation,. >>guest: my cousin, my first cousin. he has been in prison for a while on a number of charges i may argue that our lives are not tragic, but they are hard. he grew up close but has had

it much harder than i. so even in one family you have a range of experiences, , but he we will be the first person to say that his life is not a tragedy. i am hopeful and proud of him. >>host: indian casinos good for the reservation? >>guest: have corporations been good for america? yes and no, right? casinos are good and bad. of course, multinational corporations are good and bad. casinos provide revenue and income and jobs and infrastructure. so building roads and hospitals and housing,

casinos do that. do they encourage gambling and drinking and smoking, sure. like any big business they are complicated. not all good, not all bad, but they have certainly changed the face of reservation life. >>host: how much time do you spend away from your home base? >>guest: lately it has been -- i am i am home three and a half for months per year. i love my job. i love teaching. then i get homesick. and so at some.in my life their will be balance, if not parity.

>>host: david treuer, here is the book, "rez life: an indian's journey through reservation life". thank you for being on book tv. >>guest: thank you for having me. >> you're watching book tv on c-span2. book tv, television for serious readers. >> and this is book tvs coverage of the 16th annual national book awards. we are at chipper yanni in new york city. you will see the award ceremonies as well. the 16th year in a row. well,. well, for awards are given to authors this evening broken down into categories.

the five finalists include roz chant, john lahr, evan osnos, also edward o. wilson , and finally anand gopal who was with the "wall street journal" for many years. he covered the afghanistan war. those are the five finalists we hope to talk to each of them. we will carry the entire ceremony. the host for tonight is daniel handler.

you will see him throughout the evening. there are two other awards given, the medal for distinguished contribution to american letters being given to ursula le guin, dispossessed is one of her books, left-handed darkness is another one. finally, outstanding service to the literary community, president and ceo of a group called first books. books. so this is book tv coverage of the red carpet of the national book awards in new york city. after after this you will see the actual award ceremonies. >> nice to see you. >> good. >> yes.

>> and on the red carpet right now is roz chant. having her picture taken. hopefully we we will be able to talk to her in just a minute. joining us now here on the red carpet is david steinberger. chairman of the national book foundation. >> an organization that is committed to increasing the impact of great books on the culture. it is great to see her up their. the first graphic work ever to win a national book award >> did we just here what

your vote was? >> i am not allowed to vote. we have judges that we fly in. they have lunch, and we tell them one thing. you have to pick a winner. no one knows who they we will be. >> how do you pick the judges. the former president of brown university. >> picking great thinkers, writers, leaders of the culture, a journalist, librarian, bookseller, different judges every year. a huge commitment. i think the selections speak for themselves. >> can anyone submit a book?

>> it has to be published in the united states within the year, and the author -- the publishers actually submit the book. >> what about self published >> a great question. i'd can't talk about that right now. >> what is perseus? do you have any nominees? >> we do have one nominee in the fiction category. we tried to stay impartial. it would be great. >> many different iterations it has changed over the years. do you think you have hit a rhythm as far as the presentation, the number of awards? >> we are thinking about what the right way is, and

we go back to our mission. that is what led to the famous after party and opening up the judging to people other than writers. making progress. a bigger crowd tonight. the largest i have ever addressed. that feels like progress. >> keep your publishers had on or your ceo hat on. it seems as if the publishing industry is settling down a bit with amazon. is that a fair assessment? >> that is an interesting question. it is an exciting and dynamic time to be in the industry. amazon is a part of a vibrant industry.

never a dull moment. >> david steinberger, president and ceo of the perseus group. some of your publishing houses include. >> basic books, running press. >> and chairman of the national book foundation. >> thanks so much. >> now, one of the finalists for the nonfiction category, somebody, you have probably seen her book -- works, but probably not her face. this is ketan. the first graphic novel. >> memoir. >> memoir, thank you. to be nominated. >> nominated for their young adults category. >> and it is a nonfiction graphic novel.

>> the book is about my parents last year's and my taking care of them and about that part of life which we were all in complete denial about. that is where the title comes from. because when they did pass away they were 95 and 97. >> people who see your work know that you have a sense of humor. >> there were some very grim aspects. it was the combination of a lot of emotion. yes.

>> who is your publisher, publisher, and how did you find out you were nominated? >> my editor called me. >> what was your reaction? >> i was shocked, exceedingly surprised and happy. it is a great honor. >> when did you start with the new yorker? >> in 1978. >> from the time i was little. i like things that were funny. attracted to that. it was a wonderful way to combine writing and drawing. one thing about this book, i

did not half to just use text or pictures. there are also photographs. it is a flexible forum. something i have been attracted to my whole life. >> "can't we talk about something more pleasant?" is the book, ketan is the author. a familiar face, harvard scientist kayfor, two edward o. wilson, two pulitzer prizes and 20 books. >> thirty-two. >> i'm a very self absorbed person.

>> written one this year that has been nominated, the meaning and human existence. >> probably an inverse relationship between the ambition of the writer. >> what is the meaning of human existence? >> at the beginning of the book i think a lot of the content can be redlined by two expressions. we are a somewhat maladapted species in that we have ended up at the present era with the paleolithic emotion

and medieval institutions and godlike technology. but actually where we come from. the way i approach it is recognizing that history makes no sense without prehistory. it makes no sense except through biology. thus we find the linkage between humanities and science on the other side. >> for those of us who flunked biology, what does paleolithic mean? >> forgive me, stone age. >> are we accidents?

>> in a sense. a combination of rare evolutionary events to set the stage. studying the origin of social systems. of the first 20 or so times that advanced social order existed does not necessarily imply intelligence and culture. it has followed the same set of evolutionary changes that prepare the species for taking that last leap occurring primarily through groups competing with other groups.

animals big enough to take that was us, and we were evolved from a primate, a large primate. >> just recently a probe landed on a comment. and they found carbon on it. what is your reaction? >> i think it is thrilling. we will find life. in fact, in fact, in the book that we are now discussing i take that up as to how many star systems we

may have to go out to and how long it we will take before we can take close examination of the life we do find. evidence on some form of life. >> your fascination with ants? >> it grew with time, from my boyhood. but i soon discovered that we no so little about them and they offer such tremendous opportunity. for example, chemical communication. that was what i really got started with, studying pheromones and that chemical code. they smell and taste there way into an advanced social

organization. they they do not see or hear. >> in your long career have you changed your mind about any of the theories? >> you hit the bull's-eye that time. one of the principal supporters. i thought we had the solution in kinship. but in the last ten years i have begun to find more and more cracks in this theories mathematicians and a few others who are experts now

dismiss that theory and return social behavior back to the population. an extension of modern population genetics. why that was done and what it means now. >> what is the 33rd book about? >> it is called the end of the anthropogenic. the age of man. the proposal, the changes that we have brought to the earth. in an argument to save the rest of life, i suggested

that we need a really radical approach to global conservation. it would give half of the earth to humanity and half to the other 8 million species on the earth with it. i think that is pretty fair. we actually can do it. and that could solve the conservation problem. >> edward o. wilson, "the meaning of human existence". i have always heard when people ask you, what should i do with ants in my kitchen , what is your answer? >> the question i am most often asked.

watch where you step. maybe a bit of tuna. report back. bring out members of the colonies to surround it, protected, and eat it. you will thereby see life so different from our own. >> edward o. wilson, thank you, sir. this is book tv live coverage of the national book award. talking to some of the finalists.

we will be live a little bit later with the award ceremonies as well. the host this evening, also known as lemony snake it. chairman of the national book foundation and president and ceo of the perseus publishing group. [inaudible conversations] >> and as we continue to talk to some of the finalists let me introduce you to one of the finalists. congratulations. >> thank you very much.

>> how did you approach your books and afghanistan. >> a lot of books out there don't with the policy. what struck me was more so the human stories that taught me so much about the conflict. i tried to relate that to readers. one is the story of a talent than commander. described to me how he joined, why he joined, and what you hope to see. >> you have given me a lot of propaganda. once i started asking about the childhood he started

opening up. over the course of the year he delve into the story. >> from the countryside. >> the common language between you two? >> we spoke in one of the two principal languages of the country. your first book. >> i got a call one day saying i was nominated. still sort of surreal. >> were you ever fearful? >> with him, no. you can go far.

i felt safe. you have to be careful. >> when you met with him were you searched? >> basically my territory. >> was he anonymous? >> i changed his name for the book. for example, he switched sides of the number of times >> what was the reason for switching sides? >> this is the way that it works. many members tried to join. part of the story is because they were given the space to do so.

>> where did you grow up, where did you go to school? >> i am from new jersey. from then on i was fixated on that part of the world. i was fascinated by this war on terror. they decided to try to find out. >> how long long were you there, and would you go back? >> i was there for two and a half years and would definitely go back. it is kind of like an island surrounding it is insurgency, violence. so it is almost like a

bubble. >> just had their election. new president coming in. >> very hopeful. he operates very differently than karzai. so a lot of hope, but at the same time there is a war going on. so the fundamental change. >> anand gopal, kaythree,, "no good men among the living: america, the taliban, and the war through afghan eyes," where did that title come from? >> the idea that their are no heroes and no saviors. >> good luck. thank you for joining us here on book tv.

[inaudible conversations] >> as you can see, filling up here in new york city with publishers and agents and authors. after the red carpet arrivals there we will be six awards given out. two literary awards. author, novelist, fantasy author and also an award given out for outstanding

contributions to the literary community being given to the ceo and president. [inaudible conversations] >> john lahr, "tennessee williams: mad prilgrimage of the flesh." >> he defined and helped us on the postwar boom. those great years, 1944 and 1955, the american per capita income tripled. and american individualism changed because people could pursue there desire.

he helped shape and define the discussion between self-sacrifice and self-aggrandizement. a wonderful writer who had a sensational life. >> was he a socialite? >> not at all. he wrote 70 plays, short stories, wonderful poetry,, a lot of which is included in the book. i think tennessee had a great gift for literature, so he did much more work and

was far more influential. after all, 19 movies were made from his works. he defined postwar america. as great as great of a playwright and important as his works are, he did not have the reach. i i mean, if you save blanche, stanley, these characters live beyond the works, larger than the plays that contain them. he has put those characters into american folklore really. >> quick aside, did i say your last name right? >> john lahr. >> how did he get the name tennessee? >> his father is from a very aristocratic family.

he took it as an nom de plume. a lot of his forebears were pathfinders, and he saw his career when he began in the late 30s as pathfinding among the dangerous world of booze while america. >> what is it about american southern writers we tend to celebrate or study a little bit more? >> i don't recognize that category, but they have a great eloquence, humor. they are haunted, i think twice haunted. the white culture created a

sense of guilt which filters through the narratives. >> if he looks familiar, coming from the family that you did, did you no tennessee williams at all? >> i was the literary manager in the early 70s. i met him then and only once you know, you don't need to necessarily know the person to write a perception about them. diaries and letters. a great wealth.

the most autobiographical of american playwrights. what my book does and why it is different, i chart the internal geography. his plays exactly represented his internal state. and so their are many, many things i would cover that you can sort of see what he was thinking and feeling while he was writing these great place and even the less great plays because they reflect his ever-changing, internal role >> where are his papers stored? >> some in austin, texas. harvard has a great collection. and columbia.

a small holding at the local society. >> what is the pressure like? >> it is the best job in the world. you have more space, can write with more intelligence , have the keys to the king will. do your job and cover the theater, it gives you access to virtually anybody. al pacino. i think people step up. they know that i will write well about them. the new yorker is fact checked and will be taken seriously.

>> have you identified another topic? >> i have identified it, and the person has agreed in principle to do it. i won't say what it is. the modern playwrights in the context of their lives. arthur miller or wilson with reviews of their work. >> 105 nonfiction finalists. tennessee williams. thank you. [inaudible conversations]

>> were watching book tv on c-span2, at the national book awards. where it is held. talking with some of the nonfiction finalists. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> hi, there. >> and now joining us on

book tv on the red carpet is one of the award winners tonight. >> first book is an international organization that provides brand-new books and educational resources basically serving anyone in need. we have a network of about 150 thousand classes and programs. >> how do you do it? >> a relationship we call collaborative disruption where we reach out and aggregate programs serving the base of the economic pyramid, the lowest 30 percent, a a group of programs and classes that have never been reached. >> how do you get your books >> we buy a lot of them.

we want a thriving publishing industry and represent a brand-new market they will be readers as adults. washington dc. >> i started with two friends of mine. i was a lawyer at the time. >> there are one or two of those. >> they catch you and make you a lawyer. i just started seeing there were no books in their programs are homes. almost 120 million books we have given away. >> where do you get your money? >> about 50 percent of it is self-funded.

and about 50 percent are corporations and individuals and foundations who are very generous. >> do you miss being a a lawyer? >> no, i love the challenge. i love turning that light on for kids and making things possible for dedicated teachers. >> gone into e-book. >> we are just starting and will be tiptoeing into mobile apps. >> winning the award for outstanding service to the american literary community. you have brought somebody with you. >> this is my son.

>> hello. this is book tv on c-span. have you heard of c-span? >> not really. >> not a big tv family, i'm i'm afraid. >> zero, my. what are you reading? >> a series called aragon. congratulations. how did you find out you were going to win? >> i got the wonderful phone call. if you crack the code, please let us know. >> book tv would like to come and visit you and see what you do. >> that would be great. we would love to have you. >> book tv on the red carpet

literary and award. first book is the name of her organization. you're watching book tv on c-span2. and now making his way across the red carpet is another finalist. his first book, age of ambition. >> my book is about china. in in some sense this is the distillation of that time. i was fortunate to be their. >> you were with the chicago tribune. >> and then i was hired by the new yorker magazine.

>> do you miss china? >> i do. the thing that you lose when you come home is the sense of wonder and curiosity. you go out to run an errand and something happens and it becomes part of your story. >> as you no, a lot of books are written about china. >> for me i wrote the only book that made sense,, the people caught up in this experience, not the 30,000-foot view. this was about, what does it feel like if you are chinese living through the transformation of your country.

and so. >> the folks that you followed. >> one guy, for instance, not the kind of person i set out to make the subject of a book. he was a young guy, 23 years old. what i discovered, unbelievably interested in the idea of self creation. he became obsessed with the old self-help books. it really was something familiar to us. he believed that if he learned english, that was his ticket. i followed him for about

five years. for me it was very instructive. >> who was your publisher? not public affairs? >> where my father has been. i was very lucky. good publishing advice in the family. very fortunate, and he is here tonight. >> what is the significance? >> validation that the book is here to stay, the meaning of the book, the fact that

you can tell a a story, there are some things you simply cannot do. the ability to spend out the story is something special and i think and hope durable. >> do you see yourself returning to china on a semipermanent basis? >> i will be back frequently , but i need to get some space and see it from a distance. it is nice to be back home. >> congratulations. "age of ambitions: chasing fortune, truth, and faith in the new china" is the name of the book. we are going to show you all of those awards talking with

some of the nonfiction finalists tonight. this is book tv on c-span2. we have been called into the ballroom for dinner, so we will end our red carpet coverage at this time. this is held in an old exchange built in the 18 hundreds, 55 wall street. but this is their banquet hall. about 1,000 people attend this. a thousand dollars a ticket. five nonfiction finalists. four different award categories. and finally, to literary achievement awards are being given out. you are watching book tv

coverage of the national book awards on c-span2. >> ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen, please take your seats as we begin the ceremony. daniel handler. [applauding] >> good evening, fellow literary nerds. my name is daniel handler. welcome to the national book awards. known to the world as some random day on november the 19th. why do i always leave things to the last minute.

what is wrong with me. while the rest of the world marches through like james patterson, we gather for a night described as being about the oscars if nobody gave a ship about the oscars, but we do. for us this is pretty glam. at first glance we might look like the 1 percent, but that is just neil and myself look beyond our relatively glitzy exteriors and you will find people who have forsaken in mainstream culture. we choose to live in a quieter but broader world. where else can we sit in a room and asked the question,

without receiving the answer tonight we have the recognition of the world. deluged with congratulatory messages and telegrams. the nominated offers. michael jordan thinks the nba for everything it has done for the game. i'm assuming he's talking about narrative prose. allow allow me to offer my support and enthusiasm for all the authors. just kidding. you are going down. i am going to slaughter you all. [laughter] seems a little aggressive.

i join these friends of mind. well most of us spent the year kissing up to pamela, brave committee members spent their days and nights reading the piles of literature, the fiction we are all needing to read, the nonfiction we pretend to have read, the poetry we give to others to read, and the young people's literature we regift. whittled down countless books to a long list of ten in each category, then five. that was a sub tweet. tonight the winners will be announced. first, let us take a moment to marvel. a wide variety of subject matter, but a consistency.

the tension and horrors of world war ii, the iraq war, afghanistan war, and apocalypse. they really know how to party. [laughter] in nonfiction it is a far-reaching list. books that received a great deal of attention. one of those is the meaning of human existence. think about that. there is a book called the meaning of human existence, and existence, and in all likelihood you have not cracked it open. remember that next time you are binge watching orange is the knew black. our women or what jennifer weiner calls not good enough

to our african american or what much of the country calls probable cause. the nonprofit house. if you are a publishing house not interested in making a profit please see jeff pesos after the show. young people's literature, the finest in the world. , the category that gave us the world's best opening sentence, where is public going with that ax. and the following send for me. national book awards. zero, hosting. that's good, too. but the suspenseful awards

are being given out later in the evening. other prestigious things as well. the first is the literary and award which is tough to say even after just half a glass of wine. it is hard to imagine. [applauding] >> yes. [applauding] it is almost impossible. the reason your six-year-old disappeared into her bedroom , busy devouring the magic treehouse books. marion pope osborne. ♪ ♪

>> i first met kyle zimmer when she received an honor from the authors guild foundation. since then we have become good friends. started started her professional career as an attorney, but it was her volunteer work at a washington soup kitchen that changed her life where she discovered the harsh reality that has driven her ever since, books are scarce in low income families, scarce at home, schools, and community programs. for many of us the solution would have been simple, purchase books, bring them to the kitchen, mission complete. fortunately, kyle is a a big

picture person. she started asking questions and learned this problem did not only exist for a handful of children and a few community programs. this is a deep and pervasive problem that impacts millions of children in the us, canada, and all around the world. children are coming to school far behind their peers, and many never catch up. teachers already stretched are spending their own money to purchase books and school supplies to try to provide resources so desperately needed. but that is not enough. kyle zimmer founded a nonprofit organization called first book whose goal was to harvest the private

sector and use market principles to solve this issue. since then first first book has launched an astonishing number of firsts among those, the first systematic approach to defining and tackling this issue. kyle met with individual publishers, authors, educators to understand the barriers keeping books out of the hand of children in need. north america's first central distribution system for children's book publishers to donate excess inventory to children in need, developed the first book marketplace, the first online site where teachers can purchase books and

educational resources at unprecedented prices available only to schools that have over 70 percent of children in need. launched the stories for all project, the first industrywide initiative tackling the lack of diversity. a catalyst for bringing new culturally diverse books into the marketplace and already operating in the us and canada, starting to distribute books globally. already shipping books anywhere in the world. built from an idea to an innovative, award-winning enterprise that has delivered more than 120 million books and educational resources to children who otherwise would

never no the power of books and their lives. on behalf of the national book foundation in recognition of your outstanding lead and achievement promoting educational equality, it is my distinct pleasure to present you with the 2014 literary and award for outstanding service to the american literary community. [applauding] ♪ [applauding] >> thank you. thank you, everyone. mary, harold, and the national book foundation board members for this unbelievable honor. it takes my breath away. from the moment i got this phone call to the

spectacular evening, it takes my breath away. this award is being handed to me, but everyone knows that first book is utterly a team sport. extraordinary people extraordinary people throughout the years who have done unbelievable things. you just met one, and there are many, many others, many of whom are here with us this evening. on behalf of myself and all of these wonderful people, thank you so very much. one of the most wonderful parts of tonight is being completely surrounded by people who are absolutely devoted to great books. we believe that books are the most powerful force in the universe, and history

supports us. this is why it was illegal to teach slaves to read, why it was oppressive regimes have burned books and today why girls are tortured and shot when they attempt to attend a school. the the power of books is why science and democracy flourished when gutenberg invented his printing press and white americans took an extraordinary leap forward when we established our system of public libraries. can i here here it for the public libraries? [applauding] [cheering] should i i start over now? i'm kidding.

books have played a gigantic role in my own life. my mother used to tease me about how seriously i would internalize books. she would tell me that i would come into the kitchen and have my head down, be moping along and say something like, i just don't think that i have it in me, that i could have taken on those gigantic spiders like bilbo did. i know. pretty heavy. in truth, great books cause these questions for all of us, ask us if we have what it takes to be leaders and heroes, but we grow up and get busy, and these grand notions and all that we read

and all that we are challenged by, they fade a little and take second seat to the challenges of our daily lives. we fight in board meetings instead of gigantic spiders. sometimes just getting our kids to school on time feels like the battle of waterloo. ..

largest crowd. but he reminded me how all the winners are selected. every year we fly the judge's four

different restaurants one for each category this happened earlier today you cannot get u, the evening is

special because of long as we have some extraordinary writers for our want to recognize those in the room and of a bike to read a few of the names and ask you to hold your applause and tell i am done we have 13 pulitzer prize winners in the room tonight. geraldine brooks, michael cunningham, novis click click, horowitz, adam johnson, tom reeves, david train wreck, an airline robinson, stc ship, art spiegelman, jonathan weiner edward wilson, the winners of the national book critics circle award jess walter newbery winners of course,

steve, rebecca and jacqueline in the orange prizewinner calvin and finally six winners of national book awards judy judy, edward, ursula and lili please join me to recognize these great writers. [applause] so now i have to think of few people. first half to think amazon is now part of my venture agreement. [laughter] seriously we do have to think of financial supporters including barnes & noble, the amazon random

house, of macmillan, macmillan, google, harpercol lins perseus and the charitable trust. please give them making and -- a hand to make it possible to do this today. >> also to the miami book fair in this tremendous what they do for us they have offered to fly all finalist it down to miami after the event to participate and be featured at the miami book fair this weekend thank you. now i have to thank the wonderful after party committee.

a few years ago when they said we should have the after party some people thought he was crazy and the first year we said we would do what the was oversubscribed it was so popular i had to say the ring is true, we have an after party but i can tell you where it is because it is oversubscribed if you want to go you have to see if you can get a ticket to have made a lot of progress and sorted out the logistics to know is here it is upstairs there is room for everybody and thinking to the after party committee.

please give them a hand. [applause] i have to think the incredible dinner committee to transform this event and special thanks to them. thinking very much to the dinner committee he does an amazing job the finally to the book foundation who work so hard in my fellow board members that the national book foundation who have worked hard and of course, the executive

director and now what we have been waiting for of behalf of the foundation with a finalist now we're on into the awards ceremony. thank-you. ♪ by a strange coincidence that was also reading about that algorithm that predicts the winners of what is going on in the internet sold though winner is pornography [laughter] so now it is time for the presentation and i would like to take a moment before he and to say to each of the four finalists in each category does not win everybody knows it should have been you and everybody thinks that.

[laughter] tavis told the awards would be presented in reverse alphabetical order by ongoing road and ordering in the order of importance. first is young people's literature. [cheers and applause] sharon draper author of more than 30 award winning books for adolescents including copper sun that wanda coretta scott king award. and has served as the national teacher of the year and has been honored at the white house six times between the two of us we have been honored at the white house six times. [laughter] please welcome sharon draper

♪ >> i'd love it the feel of a book in my hand. and i got the pleasure of reading 294 of them over the summer. it was a glorious summer we had such a wonderful time. we shared, we talked, we argued, we agreed. the members of the young adult committee, i thank you.

[applause] during the process i learned so much about writing and reading. as a reader either and though my goodness these people are good. as the leader i cuddled with the stacks of books over the summer. one of the most glorious and most profitable experiences that i have never had. and our committee we liked each other we merged and had a wonderful lunch and when we made our decision it was unanimous. the finalists for young people's literature in the

order that they gave them to me on this piece of paper. [laughter] eliot schrader. [cheers and applause] for his books read into published by scholastic press. [applause] steve schott and ken. [applause] for his book pour -- published by roaring book press. [applause] john corry wally published

by books for young readers. [applause] debra while, revolution published by scholastic press. jacqueline woodsman. [cheers and applause] brown girl dreaming dreaming, published by nancy paulsen brooks and penguin random house. [applause] [laughter] this year the national book award for the young people's literature goes to i love

this. [laughter] brown girl dreaming. [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ ♪

and. >>. [cheers and applause] i was complaining yesterday about how heavy the metal is. but they wanted really had the. i am so grateful to be here. this is my third time to be a finalist and my first time to be a winner. [cheers and applause] the first and foremost, i want to sink the amazing committee who is amazing. and the other finalists, i love you and i love how much love there is in children's literature. and how much a deep respect we have for each other and

we know the world would not be complete without all of our stories. i want to thank my fabulous blended family also known as pang when random house -- penguin and also family and i did paid to stock the audience to help me get through the routine to tell this story in a really want to say it is so important we talk to our old people before they our ancestors to put those out into the world i'm so grateful for my mother to be part of the great migration to get us to new york city and i am grateful to my fabulous fabulous fabulous fabulous

editor. and my amazing partner also an amazing position i'm sorry honey i know you don't like when i say you are a doctor to give thank you for your love of books and for changing the world. [cheers and applause] ♪ . .

moving right along to poetry, st hear every day. to present is robert polito. in addition polito. in addition to being a marvelous poet he has written a reader's guide. i have i have tried and cannot get through it. he has edited and biography some of our toughest crime writers, which probably means he got to be the president of the poetry foundation with the help of organized crime. please refrain from talking during the movie, as you welcome robert polito. ♪

>> that was good, right westmark so, thank you all, and at the outset let me also think the national book foundation for all of their professionalism and focus. as t.s. eliot famously wrote , but there is no competition, only the fight to recover what has been lost and found and lost again and again. although our five distinguished poet finalists might not at this past 25 per site's historical moment enjoy the equanimity implicit in elliotts formulation, for the poetry judging panel it has been moved to our long list of

ten superlative books and ultimately these five finalists. crucial crucial that we find and hold on to a truth that might have been too literally lost in the heat and hard work of deliberation, namely that this was a superb year for american poetry. [applause] that's better. our discussions were, if were, if we do say so ourselves, consistently smart, often funny, deeply serious, candid, candid if gracious, steeped in poetry, , and emerged from the vast spectrum of american life, aesthetic and biographical, visit in the poems being read and arguing for by

e-mail and telephone. it gives me pleasure to note and thank my fellow panelists for their dedication, expertise, and months of selfless labor. a crack group of citizens to 12 katie peterson, rowan ricardo phillips. we individually and collectively rudy's stirring and skillful poetry collections we reluctantly left behind at every stage, including tonight. yet, as we arrived at our finalists, we saw that these books thought and dared large, even went about small moments, found daunting and intractable material,, none of our books

sounded like our other books , as across their singularity. and all of the finalists, as they look back to the great traditions ultimately moved along and advanced, as great writing always will, those traditions and anti- traditions into a surprising poetry future. the five finalists are louise quick. fannie how for second childhood. maureen and mclean fred mohs

and claudia rankin. as marianne moore said during her acceptance speech i am much aware of the luster said. this year's national book year's national book award goes to louise quick. ♪

♪ ♪ >> i i did not expect this. i am sorry. i am astonished. it takes time to cry. cry. i am not going to do that. my thanks to the judges for their mercy. my thanks to john galassi kept me sane.

namely, though, i want namely, though, i want to say this is a difficult evening,, difficult to lose. i have many times. i want to say my work would not exist without the work of the other finalists and my colleagues in poetry who have more time than i can say astonished me and moved me and filled me with the envy that in time becomes gratitude. thank you for your great and superb achievement, all of you. thanks. ♪

>> tremendous. at makes me happy. i myself think of a poem whenever i stupidly try to get organized. moonless night. the part that says, such says, such a mistake in what clarity above all things. this this simple night, especially one like this now so close to ending. on on the other side, there could be anything. i am very happy. all right, you know you do not have to be happy for me, but i am. when i was offered this job some people said, you are only hosting the national

book awards in order to promote your new novel which will publish in february. and i said, how in the world will i managed to do that while introducing allen taylor who will be introducing the national book award for nonfiction? he won the hill of surprise or what at surprise or what we call the national book award want to be for his most recent book. that was one of last year's national book award finalists. they shanghaied him out of the committee. please welcome mr. allen taylor. ♪ >> thank you very much. harold actually recruited me last winter. when he did, he neglected to

mention there would be over 500 submissions in the nonfiction category. i was charmed to hear any young people's literature there were 294. i like to read as much as the next person. but once i blew past 450 books, harold also did not mention what an extraordinary category nonfiction is in its range. memoirs, histories, sociology, philosophy, science, and one work of graphic art. and superb books. i was not fully aware of just how excellent each of these works could be in all

of these different categories. so it was not always easy to sort out how we would get down to one book, but i, but i had the help of an extraordinary committee with a wide range a wide range of talents, and we worked hard on this. and so i i want to thank robert auckland. greta low lake. tom reese. lou simmons. and i also i also want to thank harold for his help with our committee. a wonderful job.

now, the five finalists for nonfiction from the national book award this year. first, roz chast. second, annan and go paul. and i should say i should say that roz chast was published by bloomsburg. third, john lahr for tennessee williams.

published by ww norton and company. evan oz knows for age of ambition. and edward o wilson for the meaning of human existence. published by live right. and this year's year's national book award for nonfiction goes to evan oz knows. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ >> i have to tell you, i am a man of of hunches, and i did not have a hunch. my wife my wife said, maybe you should have a hunch for a second. i think some people here may know that i am from a family of the book. my parents are here, peter and susan.

my father is the founder of public affairs. if you go into the writing business you feel a a little bit like what george w. bush must feel like. i i have to tell you, it is a fabulous sensation to be appear tonight, and i cannot thank the judges enough. i am humbled by the honorees in this category and especially to roz chast whose work is beautiful and very meaningful to me. i i want to say a special thank you tonight. a fabulous publisher that signed on to this idea. thank you. for everything you have done for this book.

and jennifer, my agent, we started talking about a book when we were 19 years old as sophomores in college. i think we are off to a good start. at the new yorker, my professional home for the past six years i am in no mystery grateful. they have heard every syllable of these tales spoken or written in some form or another and gave me permission to try to write something meaningful. and to my wife, who i met in china. she came expecting to be there for one year and stayed 47. i can finally say, thank you for insisting every word of this book be read aloud to you instead of reading it on

the page. it made it better. and finally to the people in the pages of this book who allowed me into their lives in a way that is amazing. they live in a place where it is dangerous to be honest and faux marble. i have tried to do them justice. thank you. ♪ ♪ >> i did not think i would hear an author compare themselves to george w. bush on this podium this evening, i must say. it is a strange coincidence because i think we are all looking forward to the former presidents

insightful book on china. speaking of which, china. t5 fiction. a former correspondent covering crises in the balkans although, come on, who has not done that. the author of six books. you've you remember that. please welcome one of the sharpest of my imaginary girlfriends, sheldon brooke 's. ♪ >> well, as danielle was daniel was kind enough to.out earlier, fiction was fun. catastrophic epidemic child-abuse and dyer homeless poverty. it reminds me of a great

writer russell banks who opened a copy of people magazine to find this system review of his latest book, another bummer from banks. but while we bring you here, no bombers. these are books about the exhilaration of being a human being, about the amazing power of art to elevate our spirit, about the redeeming power of faith and the overwhelming, healing power of love. so go figure. i am not going to complain about how many books we have to read.

i will say that one of my fellow judges, the remarkable book seller, had to go to her local shop and get elbow pads because she was wearing out the skin of her elbows. a handyman to come in and see if i needed to underpin my fragile to see if i could i could sustain the number of books pressing. but it is a great privilege to read so many books and see the richness of the writing that is happening in this country in a single year. we were ridiculously struck by the quality of the short story collections as well as the absolute majesty of many of the novels that we read. the others.

[applause] the finalists for the national book award. marilynne robinson.

and the winner of the national book award for fiction is rita. ♪ ♪ >> zero, my lord. thank you. i no there is at least one marine in the audience anymore.

just two of us. we can take them. i did not think that i would be appear, so i did not write anything until this morning when my wife said, did you write anything, and i said no. i spent 13 months working with a truly exceptional group of marines, correspondence who traveled through the province, the violent struggle with al qaeda, the group now known as isis. i met marine drug drivers and specialists, police officers

and so many civilians whose families have been caught in the crossfire. i came back not knowing what to think. about so many things. what do you do when you are struggling to find the words to explain to the father of a fallen marine exactly what that marine meant to you? what do you do when one of your best marines calls you and says that it is too much what do you make of it when middle school students you are teaching ask you if you kill anyone and are strangely disappointed when you say no