thank you. >> i always acknowledge all the women i work with, i should have been more clear in my language, i wouldn't even be here, can't even do anything but thank you for that. >> i will echo that. first of all that will conclude the panel. i know, i know. we have time constraints but definitely wish to thank the panelists, ibram kendi, d. watkins, we want to thank all of you for coming out, taking time and please support, read their books, they are very excellent. we know you have a question and we have opportunity, we will allow you to answer that question, just not right now. okay? thank you very much. [applause]

>> as we begin the national book gourds plays will go onto the stage, o'leary 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. wasn't this a real light and watching election since i was a kid that was exciting i don't know if i would use

the word exciting in the same way as an asteroid hurtling towards earth is exciting but i think that we will die. that is what it felt like. it is hard to explain the feeling i voted for hillary i am a democrat i admitted to. history would be made all those things but by the end of the night is like everybody's dog had died. is a horrible. with that analogy that makes sense is almost as if we were opening of bran new samsung galaxy note. [laughter] this is a nice phone i cannot wait to get it open. because when you plug into start charging its the only thing on your mind is a

wonder what time it will be ready for me to use common not and if i wonder if i will even have a flawed and will my house be burned down to the ground? it is so bizarre but it is not fair for people to say that hillary lost. but she will win the popular vote but she is ahead? in despair to say that donald trump had more passionate people for him in certain areas. when you think about it there is less of a reason voting for the first white president. >> it might be the only chance. >> but i am a little worried is america ready for a white

president? you know, how windows once you go black. [laughter] unjust putting that out there. even though that affects of book world but all copies of uh constitution put in the interdiction section. [laughter] and all copies of the donald trumps books moving from nonfiction to do for section . and they have to change uh title to coincide. so "the great gatsby" that

little women is now little women who will all be dating in 10 years. like i said that? [laughter] and the hitchhikers guide to canada. very nice. that is very helpful. pride and prejudice is now pride and really really prejudice i censored myself a of a bit. that actually stays the same . and finally this makes me sad the cat in the not apparently now grab them by the policy.

i did not say that it is not a bad word. let's do with. that was a clean joking just sounded dirty. and wasn't going to use that but billy bush told me to so this will be a fun night i love books of the fact that we celebrate books that may be the only evidence of a civilized society and some point. so anybody who has read a book or edited republish or who has supported books. [cheers and applause] and a quick story i wrote about this last year and i will tell you quick the family that could not afford the books there are a port

in madrid family and in the summer i left them there in one of the things that changed my life to do the things in life. we need books. and now chairman of the national book foundation. [applause] >> good evening on behalf of the national book foundation will come to us 67 national book awards. [applause]

we have multiple winners of the pulitzer prize, the book award, with the fervor and those that were nominated for every possible literary world provide with like to recognize the writers if you are a writer will use the and up blacks encourage them to stand. [applause]

>> i with like to thank our sponsors to make this event possible. specifically premier sponsors, pink when random house, barnes & noble, and the sponsors to amazon or global thanks to all of you for your support. [applause] also special thanks to apple n hosting goes after party i am told we will have a giant

disco ball? it is coming. to be right here on the balcony for the after party. [applause] and also to the dinner committee to made this evening possible. i wouldn't like to thank the staff of the national book foundation does such the national -- wonderful job to

the new executive director. [cheers and applause] everybody run-and-shoot this evening say she is the finest person unbelievable, we cannot get over so i am talking before she is so they will not say who is he? but we are thrilled with her drive and enthusiasm and her devotion and commitment to the written word she has made such a difference so thank you to lisa and her team and had the foundation the one-two with knowledge the former executive director.

[applause] he is still working with us through a grant. for. [applause] and finally my fellow board members who were so committed to the work of the foundation and to give special thanks to the members of the search committee worked with the transition team and did such a great job. and our vice chairman aho -- thanks to the board. so i was asked what is the mission of the national book foundation? to increase the impact of

great books on the culture. and is pretty important. thanks for being here to be a part of that important emission. and to all of our finalist for national book award, congratulations on your wonderful achievement and good luck tonight and now want to the awards ceremony. [applause] >> and now to present the award for outstanding service to the american literary community. [applause] the author of the winner of the 2010 national book award and a finalist at the national book critics circle award hip logic and muscular

music including national endowment of the arts the united dates altered plan negative and the macarthur fellowship with his most recent collection of finalists for the 2015 national book award and 2016 book credit circle award in 2016 naacp image award for poetry gives me great pleasure to welcome to the stage. ♪ [applause] >> often over the years i have been asked why a group of black poets would name

themselves a latin name because blackness like poetry means different things i like to say. for example,, once upon a time to black poets visiting the lost city of pompeii saw upon entering on the gate later when they had the idea for the retreat that is what they called it. latin for be wearing a dark. what does it mean to be the dark guarding the house of poetry corrects maybe they never paused to ask such a question or 20 years later they are still asking the question because blackness, like poetry means many things, they would welcome black poets of every

shade in the and middle of nowhere academics, students and professors and ex-con send exiles weirdos librarians atheist a priest and precess. i am not bullshtting laugh laugh including the daughter of a confederate general as well as the disc jockey decided to live in the homeless shelters and he could tap -- take the time to study to become a poet with over 300 fellows it is one of the most diverse poetry organizations in the country. in 1968 when a white policeman erroneously shot 33 year-old black poet in the subway station in harlem , and no one imagined

a nation of black poets could exist. such futuristic idea. a world in which the descendants of slaves but elizabeth fitch moustache bishop said it is way of their feelings but one of the first teachers one of the first poets to see the value of such a place famously wrote, comes celebrate with me and every day something tries to kill me and has failed. [applause] imagine 20 years while using someone's feelings college tries to kill me with all kinds of magical things that happens during for those fellows readings between 18

and 88 all styles and dispositions is amazing. the summer that i taught there a brother named avery strange and brilliant across between hathaway. so when his turn came he would say where were you when they killed that boy? where were you when they killed the boy? like thought he was just going to sing a little bit. but he went on like that. with the emmett till cost bullfighters six minutes walking around the room like she was possessed would you kill the man who would kill the boy would you kill for that boy? would you kill for that boy? would you live for that boy would you live for that

voice? he was sweating and panting when he was done. so i tried to breed and couldn't per car started to head for the door per car left the room and i found myself feeling, i don't know how long. alone in the darkness outside. and when i was done by straight into my face to head back inside when i was met by a crowd when of people i thought i was the only one weeping. he clear the room so maybe half an hour later the reading continued no one could say what happened exactly you could hear 5% of what happened. what would it have been if you brought a bunch of black police together in a safe

place were become the black and faithful? what would happen? we know the poet affiliated such a place would flourish because they have but we also know many more billion unaffiliated remain in peril or overlooked breaking is lonely all the time no organization can change that . but we are a fortification even if you are not a poet or black it is a fortification of your language, your history, your future. we have seen a black president and we see what kind of president comes after a black president. [applause] we cns still have seen black man and women killed by people who are sworn to

protect them our lives remain in danger which is to say your lives remain in danger we need our organizations that put writers in the schools and homeless shelters in prisons into the underserved communities sometimes forbidding remiss in underserved community the nonprofit arts organization needs your support, your loyalty your bark and your bite we must be the dog guarding bathhouse. thinking for your work. you have done a good job. [applause] you have made possible so many lives including my own. ♪

♪ ♪ [applause] ♪ [applause] [applause] [applause]

and. >> i am most grateful to the national book foundation for this validation. i accept this awardna is of ourl over the country. our visionary executive director and the innkeeper for the birth of the group and our first faculty, our productive than hard-working board members during the past 20 years, our current board president, the office and retrieved staff and all of those who have given their knowledge and skills and money and love. for most, want to sink my beloved friends, my partners

in crime for the sheer passion that we have been so privileged to enjoy. each year in the opening circle on the first night, more than 50 african-american poets look across the of room some of the loom have never worked with another african-american poet and that was reflected back of their beauty and their power . there is an outpouring of tears and gratitude and joy. all over the country's cough they build community who have gone through this transformation. three poets won the top literary award. and rabin won the national book award. [applause]

and then the book critic circle award. [applause] i believe in the future will be the flesh and blood that our country is mendez country needs so courageously especially now. this energy does not belong to us and was passed down through the creative genius of our ancestors which was their response to slavery and oppression. and enjoy is an act of resistance. [applause]

inaugural always so thanks for ordering that. who laugh when the great things is cecile one another in the ruble and i have the feeling right now. we see each other off. and thank you national book foundation to see what we have done. [applause] [inaudible conversations] and one more hand. [applause] >> wow very powerful constructing the narrative

whenever people get controlling the narrative weaken hair will -- we can hear the narrative and now we have dr. kelly the new york public library director of the research libraries responsible for the of four research centers and the 460 member staff. including collection strategy to research your engagement, a preservation, to take a lead role in the important research initiative of the renovations to expand the use of the most democratically accessible collection. he began his tenure in 2016 and dent had the title of the interim chancellor and chairman of the research

foundation then after eight successful years will go to the center. so it gives me great pleasure to welcome dr. kelly. ♪ [applause] >> good evening. this day privilege for the lifetime achievement medal for distinguished contribution. a much deserved honor and a singularly appropriate one. but the career has been crowned and widely recognized as the greatest biographer overtime and they might well argue all time.

to be celebrated as the most consequential interpreter of the american 20th century, the magisterial accounts to close this sword johnson fundamentally altered our understanding of the acquisition and deployment of power. his stature in the first rank of american journalist and his passion for getting the story right and his commitment with his great partner to pursue every lead , source and archival trace is a stuff of legend. to make the honors and awards and historical award and the gold medal from the academy and the national medal of bear witness to that pursuit with his impact

on a generation of journalists who profited from his example. but if it celebrate something larger commit owner's box contribution to american letters with the such a recognizes in this company of writers the power of the word and of bob's genius for wielding that authority with our common interest. apart of his achievement is languages self and the capacity to make us feel engage with actors across time and space to change the way we live in. that power besides in the

alignment of paragraph and in the arrangement here brings accuracy and the attention to detail with the narrative powers derived from getting the language right getting caught with every proposition nurse ; his work as then describe negative shakespearean most often in reference to history and his mastery of character and rendering of ambition but on the level of language that those affinities are most apparent to balance the point is to undergird and drive the stories that he tells. that is the source of their power in the proportion in

the polls that keeps us turning pages through the night. with the books that they constitute have made is conscious of ubiquity of power in the most intimate aspects of our lives and of its capacity for great good and greater evil. the need to recognize the invisible exercise and the imperative to resist its abuse and that is the gift ever rare ordered never more critical. please join me to welcome the master robert carroll. ♪ of. [applause] ♪ [applause] ♪ [applause]

>> that was such a wonderful introduction i reminded was at when dan johnson used to say when he got a introduction he said he wished his parents were alive to hear it because his father would have loved it and his mother would have believed it. [laughter] i have discovered in the last couple of weeks since i was told i had got in this lifetime award that there is one potential it makes you think back over your lifetime. doing that makes me remember the wonderful things that i had forgotten for a long time, when you start remembering you remember tough times to.

i remember robert moses at the height of his power to say i will never talk to my family will never talk to my friends will never talk to you laugh laugh then he had another sentence i don't remember but nobody of the city or state will ever talked and i remember thinking what do i do now? [laughter] i remember running and of many, mike contract was $5,000 of which i had gone 2500 in advance. even though the smallest advance in that state -- stop things very quickly. and i remember -- seven

years to say nobody will read a book from robert but if that is your journey that ended his bed and a great journey. i always love to try to explain and that is what happens of political power and my nerd journalistic of boards. by and do you think you know, everything? but after several years he has agreed to talk and he started talking. i realize in those first moments i knew nothing. but this man was operating in thinking on a level far beyond anything i had ever thought. i had to try to understand it. time and again, thinking and

never thought about that. which. >> not those textbooks kind but real power the essence of power. with that rewrote the isolated area but i had up will come people and by realizing that was not understanding them so therefore i was not understanding so we moved there for the better part of three years to learn naval new world which is so different from new york of which i have grown up. i was 39 and started and let me tell you having to learn a whole new world that that age was a great gift to me. but of course, with life the

most important thing of the jury -- journey is your companions of this many think that people who had then my companions and that is the most wonderful thing of all. 1972 in my fifth year. [applause] i got a new editor. [applause] and also got another editor. and cathy hess worked for my books ever since. choose save you the trouble of calculating that is 44 years ago. [laughter] so for all of that time, i

have had the same editors and agent together we have worked on five books whenever lifetime achievement have they are part of them. those three people were with me 44 years ago and are with me today that makes new looking back on my life terrific. another question it is a big part in a sunny. [applause] in 1987 is a relative newcomer in my life. [laughter] it has meant a lot to me to have sunny tea with me whenever i have a manuscript agassi have and he always says and picks up the very

things that i most wanted their readers to get out of the book. he has a rare gift in my experience for to see or grass or be able to explain the heart of a book but had as they asked me or anyone else when allied be finished with my book? [laughter] i never once in 44 years have that question. so expanding the number from three or four and now if you have any words.

>> another person add knopf want to think. [applause] and d is the most responsible for the fact that my book is always beautiful and in addition, my insistence to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite of and that causes a lot of problems. some of he can solve that. he has been at the same publishing house 44 years and have other people last knopf to say.

and as i walk around the halls of light publishing house, they seem to be filled not only with friends but friends of decades. and of course, , there is the companion of my whole lifetime of most important in everything. to start something naturally the first person i thought of i came home one day and before i got out of the car she said we sold the house today. i remembered she never let

me know the problem with being broke but only after new yorker bought the powerbroker she said now weekend walk past the bleachers' again i did not know that she had to choose a different shopping area. told her was not in the country we would have to move their and said why can't you write a biography of napoleon? [laughter] [applause] but of course, then she said what she always does, sure. and of course, i read some times about historians who have three or four researchers. i have a researcher's team on assignment and is the

only person i have never trusted to do research on my books. somehow despite that she is in strong. [applause] and i was told i would get this award i remembered august. so with a very full heart that i think the national book foundation in those who read the wonderful letters and all the and other people of confound nation's one

that is the best gift that you could give to me. thank you and. [applause] [applause] >> very nice. i love to see that in the oscars we need you. i am not finished that was so great and heartfelt. but i am all aspired we will

have a short dinner break and sumac but a word of caution negative you did if you you probably got one from the trump die. enjoy your dinner we will see you right after. ♪ i hope the dinner was lovely enter now for the lead good part to find that what you have been wondering belinda

national book award 2016? our fabulous house to said is this saying but that also looks as an act of resistance for. >> so i say putting on our dresses and tuxedos to be together to celebrate the literature is an act of resistance. a reminder reaching any fear -- prepare our country and be together and still feel joy and happiness. i am brand new, is my first year as did my position as executive director at the national book foundation. [applause] and i am super nervous.

my first time on this stage but and that reminds me it is a profound and it is truly the jury in their reader one and ended up -- in the process of reading books and loving them and reading them with joy and empathy and more magic has been brought into a life that i can never truly express. i believe deeply had a truly that this work matters. i am a black woman obviously

[applause] and that is a source of pride for me but also inspiration and i reminded every day as a black woman in this with my job to make sure there is more seats at the ever expanding table. one that includes anyone with a capacity for of wonder or curiosity your passion which is to say say, everyone matter what they look like your food they love for where they come from. [applause] being up here in general is very emotional and especially at this time where many of us in this rumination find ourselves oriented at the 67 national

book award those that give us how open and comfort that they light our way and distract us and bring us together. the simple act of reading creates of meat -- committee felt always be will come and so my deepest hope is every single person in this room will join the foundation to make a commitment to do so. >> i have blown way past my time limit but i have a lot of things to give.

so first of all they accuse some much to our hosts. it is of pleasure and privilege to have you here. you are super funny. and also to our generous sponsors in without you literally we would not be here. thank you to apple for hosting tonight sparry stick around and there will be a big disco ball that will look like my dress and we are grateful to each and every one of that partners to help us run our programs because we're more than just a bob reward but we bring those into the fold but to do that through our programs

five and andrew 35 and was uncertain but despite how intimidating they may be on teacher in real life their warm and loving and passionate and smart but this organization we keep fighting to keep the law every day bed david

steinberger and you cared so run if it is it an organization that house wants a i promised him i would embarrass him but with this organization he made them work possible they are things he thought of orate a to do list to hundred 78 tax clap and is just an amazing

man working at the foundation began i will never forget the gift he has given me with a beautiful transition into an organization. [applause] up next is the staff that the national book foundation they are our everything. so shot out to courtney, ben , laura, to jordan's men brcs small but might be and i am proud of all of you. and now for the judges to

have a combined total 1,464 books to identify the 20 finalist titles and of finalist that you will see tonight. fink you for entering and building a strong relationship with your ups person. [laughter] where would we be today without all of these remarkable and talented writers in this room? thank you for your work and spirit and vision involves us to better understand who we are, where we come from and where we might help to go you allow us to dream and understand. . .

in our gowns and tuxedos, and i see if you didn't wear one. [laughter] what are we to do? aren't there more important matters to attend to, know it is trying to seek out the human experience. our mission at the national book foundation is to celebrate the best of american literature and to expand its audience and enhance the cultural value of great writing in america. we need books right now more than we ever have. we need the writers more than we

ever have. we need to critique, stories and poems, novels and graphic memoirs, and we need them to inspire us and recognize us and earn our place in the world. we need literary activists of all kinds if we are going to help every kind of reader find and share and help in the beauty and power of books. more than anything we need to reach the new readers, young and adult, immigrant and citizen of every religion, race and politics because i believe now more than ever we need to come together and understand how much there is to achieve and how far we can go and there is no better conversation to start a fight reading and connecting through the books that we are celebrating here tonight.

[cheering] i hope that you will join me not just tonight but in this mission to change the world one book at a time. [applause] i ask you to believe in us and the foundation and abuse books and to support us and help us turn that into action in the days and the weeks and years to come. we have so much to celebrate and read select take comfort tonight in each other and then get the party started and tomorrow let's get to work. [applause] [cheering]

>> one more time for lisa lucas. i don't know about you guys but i have to acknowledge you she has thanked me three or four times for this. i thank you for doing this and inviting me to be here. i always joke about i also act and write and produce and do a lot of different things, but i put things in categories like actors are the babies and i always say the writers are the smartest people in the room. [laughter] even if it doesn't seem like it on screen, trust me. but i also believe that great writing doesn't just require

smart or intelligence, it requires you to be an athlete of the heart. we need our athletes more than ever and we need to raise the game now more than ever and i want to thank you. of course all of this starts with getting young people involved in reading and to present the national book award is katherine paterson. [applause] kathryn is the author of more than 30 books including 16 novels and she has won the newberry medal in 1978, and jacob have i loved in 1991. the national book award in 1997 and the great hopkins won the

national book award in 1979. she received the hans christian andersen award and was named a living legend by the library of congress and it gives me great pleasure to introduce katherine paterson. ♪ one feels like one should say larry. thank you and your wonderful staff for this celebration. it is my privilege to present -- that's at my height right now. [laughter]

it is my privilege to present a panel of judges for young people's literature, lou alexander, valerie lewis and laura. no chair could have asked for a more hard working and congenial crew and i than i think you tham the bottom of my heart. the good news is that this was a great year for young people's books but the bad news is this was is a great year for young people's books. our choices were painful. far too many truly deserving books had to be left behind as we came together for a long list and then to the final list that we are honoring tonight. our deliberations considered for

distinct categories of excellence. how does the book appeal to the head and intelligence and craft of its construction? how does appeal to the richness and the honesty of its emotional vacation. code avocation and how does it appear to the quality of its voice, and then finally how does it contribute to the vast conversation that is written for children and young adults. in other words is this a book not only to our time but a book that will stand the test of the year? we believe that we have chosen those books. now it is with admiration for

the strength, the beauty, and the timely and timeless truth of their accomplishments that we applaud their creators. [applause] john lewis, nate powell for books number three. [applause] grace limit for when the sea turned to silver. little brown books for young readers.

jason reynolds for ghost. [applause] [cheering] books fo for youngyoung readers. the sun is also a star, eloquent press, angle random house. and the 2016 national book award for young people's literature goes to john lewis. [applause] and the winner goes to nate powell. [applause] [cheering]

[cheering] [cheers and applause] ♪ [cheers and applause]

>> thank you. thank you. this is unreal.k this is unbelievable. some of you know i grew up in rural alabama theory, very poor, very few books in our home. i remember 1956 when i was 16ld years old, some of my brothers and sisters and cousin going down to the public library, trying to get a library card. we were told the library was for whites only and not for colored. and to come here and receive this award is an honor.is it is too much. thank you. [cheers and applause]

but i had a wonderful teacher in elementary school who told me we, my child, read. i try to read everything. i loved books. thank you, andrew. thank you dominate in thank you each and every one of you in thank you judges and thank you national book foundation. thank you so much. [cheers and applause] will >> this was an incredibly intense group effort. we could not in this alone. thank you to all the friends, collaborators. thank you, lee walton, and the engine that drove march. thank you chris, chris ross. thank you everybody. my amazing wife who sacrifices made the deals attainable by

children and their generation and the message -- a challenge to our incoming president. i challenge you to take this trilogy into your tiny hands and allow your tiny hard to be transformed by it. none of us are alone and that, not even you. [applause]tched th >> i pitched this idea to the congressmen when i was 24 years old. i didn't know any better. when i was a kid, we didn't have money for books, so we would go to the library. it also happened to be the only place that had air conditioning that we could use in georgia.ra i was raised by a single mom and

she couldn't be here tonight, but she made me promise i would stay here and watch this with her christmas.st merry christmas, mama. we did it. [applause] i want to thank chris for saying yes when i pitched him over the table in a common boo convention.en i want to thank all the publishers he said no. i want to thank john lewis for saying yes. [applause] there are two important lessonsp for this. one is the story of the movement must be told. msp told to every child, young and old. we all must know it if we are to

understand the politics that today.twut and let this prejudice against comment books be. once and for all. [cheers and applause] so thank you to everyone. thank you to the ball. let me just say leah, his wife, you can have him back now. and i may more time my mom because there is no mass that should say i should be here. there is no mass that said i should have this award and work with john lewis, that i should be able to serve in congress committee could be able to corrupt the son of a muslim immigrant whose did not knowwh whose name you kerry. despite that. mama, you persevered. you got me through it.

by god, we made the best of it. thank you. [applause] >> while, john lewis, everybody. [applause] to me it makes sense because he's like a real superhero. and little did his archenemiesth of the races and just made him stronger, only made him stronger.

that is a national hero. not to present a national book award, choi harjo, an acclaimed writer, performer and her vote include the newest conflict resolution for holy bean and her memoir for creative nonfiction is the recipient for the academy and a guggenheim fellowship. she's worked on a musical and the second by more.reative the university of tennessee, knoxville. it gives me great pleasure to introduce joy. [applause]

>> what a celebration. first come i wish to introduce us are loved judges for this year's national book award an incredible group of judges then they include mark then, jericho brown, katie ford aintree svenson. [applause] rainmakers of stories and readers of literature on each other until they navigate the brokenhearted this country. poetry is true telling.e the concise art of conscience and the word magic of history and prophecy. we absolutely need poetry as we.

move forward. poetry carries the spirit of the people and is necessary to tour with the transition andthis transformation. this award acknowledges the accomplishments of american poets and seeing his speeches through to the other side. for six months, we have read, reread, discussed books, poems, words and what matters and that continues to matter in the making of poetry. we have read nearly 300 books of poetry together. we find incredible poetry and these incredible deserving finalists. the five finalists for the national book award in poetryn are reset ski, the performance of being human, brooklynites prius, it does.

[cheers and applause] rated down for a collected poems 1974-2004 day bjp deputy norton. peter. soma shirish, look, gray wolf press [applause] this year's national book award goes to daniel for the danie

performance of being humane. [applause] ♪ [applause]

>> i've got some notes. wow, thank you. thank you of the judges. what an honor to share the stage with john lewis as well. i need to give my first thank you to my parents who are here tonight. [applause] who always filled our house with books and who never questioned my choice to be a writer asactia impractical and other steps that might embed eating. i want to sell my 9-year-old, lorenzo at home watching. i think he was more nervous than i was about 15 minutes ago good i love you and i would've made this book without you. when i walked in this evening from the very nice person who

greeted me at the door.th i introduced myself and they said yours is the book that was published in an apartment and this was said with great enthusiasm and that apartment belonged to joe and when theyndf panned the clintonites price. [applause] who have been the most incredible publishers. joe has done so much for this book and once he found out it was nominated for the national book award has been so incredibly supportive. brock wrestler who edited the book, wendy johnson who worked on design as well as them how simple the team name missing formation has always been among people who make books in their apartment. many of whom who have been publishing me for years and it has been one gift after another.

i want to acknowledge those people who labor and the smallh press world, which is where i have very much come from. others who have published my work or that some major in translation, to acknowledge and thanks stephen. join nick sweeney. action books, patrick durgin, shanna compton from the books. the "green lantern" prize and many, many others who i am not going to mention but who has made the literary world so much better. they come out at the idea that literature and poetry in particular can serve as a means of producing social and historical memory and at this

moment as many people in this room are concerned about what the future is going to breed, i too have incredibly concerned about that about thinking of many types of abuse was economic exploitation and excise and anagrams and i'm particularly concerned about the fate of undocumented people in this country so i want to ask -- [applause] i was simply conclude by asking that we all do our part to make sure this country remains safe and welcoming to undocumentedigs people, immigrants and speakers of many languages. thank you.

[applause] >> okay, we are about halfway through the night. a little joke. just a little joke. the national book award for nonfiction will be presented by masha gatson. a russian american journalist in the author of nine books of nonfiction including the others, the rich american tragedy in the national bestseller the man without a face, the unlike the rights of vladimir putin. it should be invited to "the new york times" and frequent contributor to the books in "the new yorker.". she's a carnegie millennial fella. they would be weird -- she's b actually only nine years old. kind of weird.

she's done a lot. a longtime resident of ma. maybe that's how they do it inia russia. a longtime resident of moscow now lives in new york a great pleasure to introduce masha gatson. [applause] >> yes, it is millennial and the rock of us are helpful in makin this decision. you heard it now that the choice is excruciatingly hard. it was such a lot of books, but it was also such a lot of great and important books. i was very impressed at how many books on history we had to reads this year, how many striking memoirs were bad.

i realize that one point realize that one point as my 15-year-ola daughter is actually here today because she has the job of alphabetizing all the books from assorted mammon reasserting, she's read nothing but the books that were nominated by publishers for the nonfiction award this year, she'd be a really well-educated person. but i want to thank the judge is home i will miss greatly. the judges were cynthia barnett, great britain and ronald prescott on. thank you, yes. we produced a long list and manner short list. it seems to us like maybe it was a very heavy last. i know was physically very heavy. if you saw the stacks and

different nominations, eyes with definitely the highest stack. it was a very heavy lift. and it's a great lift. somehow over the last week its ever more timely and ever more urgent. urgency was one of the criteria that emerge dinner conversationt not just urgency in the subject matter, but an urgency with which we want to ask people to read these books because they will change or affect the way you see this country in the way that you think about some of the most important issues today. so the finalists are hardly wrestle for strangers in theirit own land. [applause]

for nothing ever never dies, from harvard university press. the other slavery. [applause] and heather and tom sanford blood in the water. and it is a great honor to give this award to train to for nothing ever dies.♪ [applause] ♪

♪ ♪ >> i have some prepared remarks. i don't know how i'm going to

open this up with this in my hand to give me a second. of course i would like to thank the judges. i would like to thank the national book foundation.on i would like to thank all of ths co-finalists. i would like to thank my family who is here. my mother, carol rogers and my father, larry rogers who from the moment i could see were reading books. i would like to thank my brother who really for it may represent the beauty of humanity. also here is my father-in-law, bt evidence. i would like to thank him. this book came out of a conversation that we had. i of course would like to thank my wife, siddique who spent many

days listening to early drafts and what drafts and let always encouraged me and has really encouraged me to this point and has been my biggest advocate and truly thankful to be her partner in life. [applause] i of course would like to thank nation books. [applause] with challenging power, one book at a time. i would like to thank my editor, tv, who of course we've spent many hours talking and she of course believed in my work. i would like to thank quite brittle of course who from the beginning this believing in me that i could produce this

history of racist ideas. i would like to thank my agent,- aisha. [cheers and applause] i think when aisha and i first met i was 29, 30 years old and she believed that i couldd produce this 29-year-old, i of course would like to thank the newest addition to my family. some of you have seen her tonight. my six month old daughter. [applause] and she truly is the best award that i've received all year. no offense to the national book association. and her name, we named her thene

money. in swahili means faith. faith, her name of course has a new meaning for us as the first black president is set to leave the white house and as a man who was emphatically endorsed by the ku klux klan is about to enter. faith. i just want to let everyone know that i spent two years looking at the absolute worst of america, its horrific history of racism. but in the end, i never lost faith. the terror of racism. i never lost faith that the terror of racism would one day end. i never lost faith that because

for every racist ideas there was an anti-racist idea. for every killer of the mind, there was a lifesaver of themin. mind. and in the midst of the human ugliness of racism and come tham there was a humane beauty. there is a humane beauty and the resistance to racism. that is why i have faith and i'll never lose my faith thatyoa uni can create an anti-racist america of our racial disparities are nonexistent, where americans are no longer manipulated by racist ideas, where black lives matter. [applause] and so i want to thank the money faith for that.

i want to thank all of those in history, all of those people across the nation who are learning to be anti-racists, that dedicated their lives to anti-racists were. you are my rock of faith. you are the nation's rock of faith then i dedicate my award to all of you. thank you. [applause] >> the national book foundation as well.

that was a very nice shout out to the baby and a wife. black lives matter, you guys. you can find out the hard way. or the easy way. to present the national book award for fiction is changed in flash. -- james english. centennial professor of english at the university of kent are they near where he directed the penn humanities farm and the price slot for digital humanity. his books include the economy of prestige. selected as the best academic book of 2005 by new york me gret magazine. it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you, james english.

♪ >> hi, everyone. but a celebration by celebration of the written word. i'm starting to feel good for the first time in eight days. my thanks to lisa and to harold and the national book foundation for giving me the opportunity to work with a very distinguished writers who are strong and thoughtful readers. geronimo johnson back there at table 16. two other judges could not do with us. j-juliett souk threw her back up this morning had just been

warned his home with a reallya new baby just a couple weeks old. it's a real honor to work with these great writers and fun, it. do. judging the national book award requires that you know commitment of hundreds of hours as an educator i've got a day job. so i did with my students called double counting. arranging things so that the workers demanded in one domain,h fulfilled something required ina another.ll i'm teaching a course called novel of the year the focus is -- focuses rather narrowly on the 2016 national book award for fiction. the students in this class have read all the shortlisted books. they studied their author. they studied their agents, the

editors, publishing houses. they're really learning about the way his humor to support literary fiction in difficult times. it's been a really fun class grade students have formeded juries and decided their own winners that they've attempted to predict the outcome here today. david then applied a computer program model to try to predict the winner algorithm the clay. this model was developed in canada. it apparently works for canadian projects. here, not so much. there has on the whole been more strenuous disagreement in the classroom than official judges. we have in fact found ourselves in strike of close the course throughout the process. we whittle down the 400 looks to arrive at a place of no compromise, where everyone of us

fight judges was everyone every one of the five finalists. they are chris batchelder, and ww norton and company. news of the world. the association that goes on. colson be under ground railroad, doubleday. and jacqueline woods said. [applause] they differ greatly a genre, manner and matter and effect. each of these has chosen not a

great read and a work of narrative art. taken together, they attest to both the range and vitality of contemporary american fiction. the other judges and i remain an accord even went earlier today, using skype, we made thet selecm difficult selection from these five extraordinary books. they work than impressed us with its complex embracing ethics, formal inventiveness, uses fiction to eliminate the nation's troubled history for the sake of his troubled president, our novel of the year, winner of the 2016 national book award for fiction is the underground railroad. [cheers and applause] ♪

[applause] [laughte >> i'll bite that for a dollar. it's in my wallet, sorry. i'm very superstitious. so i guess the last four months since the book came out have been so incredible. just like the make a wish foundation, and i diagnosed and they in?

is nice to me. it's all so confusing. i guess my model for except as beaches is the oscars, the first one i thought it's like 77 against in a hall. when annie hall one i was really crashed. i never thought i would become a writer. it's all really neat. i did doubleday for 18 years. i was going to say who gave that and then robert caro lake had this whole thing. well done, sir. my first book was the intuitionist.

[applause] said the word job of translating my sensibility to readers and booksellers and critics. so i'd like to thank alison rich, michael goldsmith, suzanne mayers, lauren for translating my weirdness to a larger world. i wrote about 20 years ago, everyone hated it. i had an agent, she dumped me and i talked to tina pohlman has an editor that ended up buying the intuitionist. she said we should talk to nicole. the book drive last year by juno diaz, may have heard of it. i was like i will send it to her. she picked me up out of the

garbage and made me human, half way. thank you, nicole. gina pohlman edited the intuitionist and then i started working with bill comments. over the years i have these ideas for books and i might bill, i'm not sure -- it's likeo a zombie boat, so to lock lock down and if i've just read it and we'll do. that's always been the case no matter what kooky idea he comes up with. we are going to get it out there and publish it no matter what it is. i remember handing the book to head, 100 pages of the book las. summer.

he was like very excited. don't mess it up, post them. thank you for all your faith over the years. it's meant a lot to write and have someone in your corner like bill is a really rare thing. thank you, stared. [applause] my daughter, maddy is that how watching. she can go to bed. you are 12 years old. i really started that did the day you were born. thank you are you outgoing it to my life. [applause] packet is read. i'm really excited to find out.

it is so much fun watching the did not refuse. you have all these ideas about things. i'm excited to hear how they develop. my book is dedicated to my wife, julie. it is okay writing good books when you're unhappy. it's right better writing better books than you are happy. thank you, love. so again, the last for months has been crazy. oprah winfrey framed. it's not the word out and usually people who read my copy at a melee at no. oprah is like read it and people do and it's all crazy.

so this time last year i was finishing up the book.mess up every day i am like 19 pages to go, don't mess it up. you never know what is going to happen in a year. now the book is out and i woulde never think of you standingstan here. who knows where we are going to be a year from now. outside is the blasted wasteland of trump land which we are going to inhabit. who knows what is going to happen a year from now because i'm still promoting the book, people are late to your words about the election? not really, i'm sort of sad. sad thing that was making me feel better and make if it was anything but hopefully to other folks, be kind to everybody,artt make art and fight the power.

that seemed like a good formula for me anyway. [applause] you so if you have trouble remembering not, a good device to tell yourself is they can't break me because i'm a bad mother. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> while, very nice. [applause] well done. what a night. thank you, guys. this concludes the national boo. award -- and pet presents a

national book award. i just want to say how much i enjoyed robert caro. it was fantastic good things are coming. all the work you guys have been doing, keep reading. w keep writing. and in the words of kendrickthef lamarck, we do not be all right -- we cannot be all right. [cheers and applause]