we are equally thrilled to have with us annette gordon-reed who is not only a brilliant historian but was a fellow at the coleman center for writers. this is a very library-centric event. you hopefully have printed programs in your hands, yes? everyone got one? good. i would like to draw your attention to a couple of things if you will allow me. on the back page, you will see some of our upcoming fall programs, those that cost money and those that don't. all are excellent. next week, we are going to have singer m.i.a. speaking with a writer who wrote one of my favorite books, called "half god" which will also very much be on the subject of identity, i believe. later in october, we will have susan orlean and followed further down the road by john mcphee and ann carson. free author talks in this building. next week, we will have the also excellent historian david lewis talking about his first book in ten years which is a biography of all people, wendell wilke. it turns out to be a very timely book. i highly encourage you to come hear him speak about it. a few days later, thomas page-mcb

annette gordon reed won the national book award in 2009 for the hemmings on to show a an american familyudging the national book award from action. so she is very familiar with the stage. she is charles warren professor of american legal history at harvard law school and a professor of history in the faculty of arts and sciences. she is the author among other books and the american controversy and most blessed of the patriarchs and the empire of the imagination to welcome my table made annette gordon reed the stage. thank you. [applause] ♪ it's wonderful to be here as you said ten years ago i grew up on the stage and accepted the award but changed my life. being the chair of the national book award for nonfiction is a daunting task. you get 550 books this year and we spent the summer going over them and twisting them and making decisions about them. i am endlessly grateful as well to my co- panelists rachel, john freeman and andre. i also have to give which is something about itself who knows something about all kinds of other ways for us to chat so they have to set things up and they do

the award for nonfiction will be presented tonight by annette gordon reed. she won the national book award in 2009 for the hemmings of monticello. this is her second time in judging the national book award for nonfiction. she is very familiar with this stage. she is the charles moore and professor of american legal history at harvard law school and a professor of history and the faculty of arts and sciences. un-american controversy. and most blessed of the patriarchs. in the empire of the imagination. it gives me a great deal of pleasure to welcome my table mate annette gordon reed to the stage. thank you. [applause]. thank you very much. i set up on the stage. it is second a daunting task. we get 550 books this year. we spent the summer going over them. listing them. arguing some but agreed mostly about the merits of the books. and i'm endlessly grateful as well to my co- panelist. [applause]. i also had to give thanks to my faculty assistance. they know something about it. who knows something about all other kinds of ways for us it chat. i'm all they have