was fair and there were one or two lawyers in parliament, john dunning who was the counsel of benjamin franklin, or attempted to defend him during the framer's tirade against franklin in 1774. dunning tried to argue the law of treason wasn't as they had construed it and said they were using constructive treason and said constructive treason was an offense not known to law and didn't really work. there was no question dunning didn't have the rights to form a precedent. the tea party was clearly treason but you see the problem. it's very obvious. if you say an act is treason but don't actually have the means to enforce the law, if you can't prosecute the culprits because you can't find anybody to testify against them in court which they couldn't then you're heading down the road to disaster because you'll be led to at some stage to declare the entire city is in rebellion and forced to apply military force which is what occurred in the end. the british found themselves driven down the road towards war by an application of a fairly narrow-minded legalistic concept of the word treason though it was

, the privy council summoned benjamin franklin. one hearing had already taken place. with an eye to the press, they launched an attack on benjamin franklin so personal and scathing in the trail like that people who were present remembered vividly 30 years later. the reports of the encounter reached the colonies, they would cause justifiable outrage. this could only deepen the rift with great britain even before, this new the details of the hard fete lord north was bound to take." that is where i will end. i understand we will be taking questions from the audience. before, please tell us your name. only asked one question. [applause] thank you. gethere did the smugglers the material to compete against the british? mr. bunker: either from the dutch are the french. if you think about a map of france, the city was right at the peak. then it would be sold in the guernsey islands. the tea theof french salt got to paris. it would go to guernsey. from there, it would be carried to devon. guernsey weres in dealing into themselves. it was a

among the thousands of documents you can find more than 400 letters between benjamin rush in washington, adams, jefferson, franklin and others. thanks to mr. unger we can rediscover the words and works of dr. benjamin rush and his place in this nation's founding. the story of harlow giles unger is author of more than 25 books including more than a dozen biographies of our founding fathers including washington, and car, lafayette and patrick henry. a veteran journalist, broadcaster, educator, mr. unger is a former distinguished visiting fellow at american history at george washington's mount vernon. cited by the national review as america's most readable historian, mr. unger has appeared on the history channel and c-span's tv. he has spoken many times at george washington's mount vernon, at yorktown, and a stork sites in boston, new york, philadelphia and washington, d.c. a graduate of was editor at "the new york herald tribune" oversees new service and a syndicated columnist before becoming another. please welcome harlow giles unger. [applause] >> thank thank you very much. thank you for coming, ladies and gentlem

among the thousands of documents you find more than 400 letters between benjamin rush and washington adams jefferson franklin and others. thanks to mr. unger we can rediscover the words and works of dr. benjamin rush and his place in the nation's founding. historian harlow giles unger is the author of 25 books including a dozen biographers -- biographies including washington hancock lafayette and patrick henry. that mary journalists broadcast educator mr. unger is a former distinguished visiting fellow at american history of george washington mt. vernon. cited by america's most readable historian. mr. unger has appeared on the history channel and c-span's booktv. ps spoken many times at george washington's mt. vernon and yorktown and boston new york philadelphia and washington d.c. a graduate of feel he was editor at the "new york herald tribune" overseas news service and the a syndicated columnist before becoming an author. please welcome harlow giles unger. [applause] >> thank you very much. thank you for coming ladies and gentlemen. dr. benjamin rush was one of the most important of our founding fathers i

the benjamin franklin middle school band. we played right here in this rotunda at city hall.mphony hall , we played when the san francisco 49ers won the super bowl. we played for their event at the fairmont hotel. let me tell you, i was a piece of work until that first day when i joined band and mr martin made me write lines. my behavior changed after that because i wanted to be a part of something amazing. something that made incredible music and the lesbian gay freedom band make incredible music for all of us to enjoy so we are so happy and proud, and i'm so excited to be here to sign the legislation against an eight hour official unofficial official pick and with that, i would like to introduce the person who authored the legislation, and the legislation that we are going to sign today, that is supervisor rafael mandelman. [applause] >> thank you, mayor breed. thank you for your work and thank you for getting us the rotunda today. is that this at this fabulous? normally they put us up -- is into this fabulous squad normally they put us up in the mayor's balcony. i'm super

tonight program, "young benjamin franklin: the birth of ingenuity" is part of the distinguished speakers series. the heart of our public programs and is also like to thank mr. swartz for his support which has enabled us to invite so many prominent authors and the stories here to the historical. i'd like to recognize and thank trustee susan and over chairman skelton members who are with us tonight for the great work and support. the program will last one and include a question-and-answer session. the q&a will be conducted via questions written on note cards, and as you entering the auditorium we had our volunteers handing out question cards and pencils. if you did not get one will be circulating later in the program and are happy to give you a card and also collect your questions and then to the speakers later on in the program. so also wanted to know the will be a book signing after the onstage talk. it's going to take place out in r smith gallery and that's with the books will also be sold at our kiosk, so please join us for that as well. we are so pleased to welcome nick bunker back to

benjamin franklin said what kind of government did the founders give us? a republic if you can keep it. we all have to be active. we have to vote. watch presidents and make sure they don't take too much power. if you are worried about a president violating our democracy and taking too much power becoming authoritarian you always have to worry about that. they do it most of all in wartime. that is when wilson did the espionage act and roosevelt sent japanese americans, american sometimes will put up with certain things the president does in wartime that we would never permit in peace time. also we have to always be skeptical about the motives of a president who may take us into war for selfish political reasons. presidents in wartime can declare martial law. did anyone get a presidential announcement on your iphone a couple weeks ago? perfectly benign now but might not be so benign someday if the president has us in a war when he is asking us to take certain elements of presidential power that he otherwise would not ask for. all i would finally say is in th

benjamin franklin's grandson.my last question before we get to yours, it comes up time and again in the book, and i was briefly mentioning it. the mythologizing of these men in their lifetimes afterwards turned into, you know, shown us in marble. adams and washington in particular a shoe that come and i think in this book you don't struggle. you very beautifully turned them back into flesh and blood peopl people. you can answer this question as an historian for you personally, why do you think important to turn these people back into flesh and blood? >> because if they are really gods, what happens, what can we learn from them? if that's what they are, none of us, i've never seen anybody here who has and i know i'm not. the fact that they are flawed figures that what makes them truly important and relevant, and that people whose struggles we can learn from. it is probably inevitable that all the nation's create mythical heroes. rome has romulus and remus. england has king arthur and spain has el cid. the differenc

that shows how opposite he is from benjamin franklin. leaders in history, the great ones, every single one learns from history. harry truman said he had no idea how anyone could aspire to be president of the united states and make tough decisions without knowing american history. >> michael beschloss, thank you so much for that perspective. >>> and we turn now, having talked about enemies of the people, few have been more consistently targeted by president trump than the press. this year the american media has seen itself literally under attack according to reporters without borders the u.s. became one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists after five journalists at the maryland capital gazette were killed in their newsroom in june. while trust in main stream media is recovering after an all-time low in 2016 it is still under threat. something my next guest knows all too well. he was at the helm of britain these guardian newspaper for 20 years. he helped break some of the biggest stories of time. at the end of the tenu

but that's right, it's a change in attitude towards benjamin franklin that matters. see, people have only read the titles of my books, actually the title of the first of the trilogy think that i mean that there was a change in that business people became more virtuous in the 18th century, say. it's the same way they feel if they haven't read any of my books on economics, they think i'm advocating more fancy language in economics. i'm saying that there's a change in social attitudes. now, why, you ask. you evidently haven't read the third book of the trilogy because that's where i answer it. you must, you must run down and get it. thank you, dear. it says the causes were acciden accidents, nothing deep about europe. my argument is not as so many of my conservative friends want to make it, a story of the deep superiority of people, i call them melonin challenged people. it's not about the deep innovativeness of europe which wasn't. the most innovative society in the world was china. it had the best ships, had the best agriculture, the best science, the best mathematics

it is a change in attitude towards benjamin franklin that matters. it's not, people have only read the titles in my books after the title of the first of the trilogy. i think they mean that there was a change in that business people became more virtuous. in the 18th century. it is the same way they feel if they have not read any of my books on rhetoric and they think i am advocating more fancy language in economics. i am saying that there is a change in social attitudes. why, you ask? you evidently have not read the third book of the trilogy because that's where i answer it. and you must. you must run down and get it. thank you, dear. and it says, the causes were accidents in europe. nothing deep about europe. my argument is not as so many of my conservative friends want to make it a story of the deep superiority of people, i called them -- it is not about the deep innovativeness of europe which wasn't the most innovative society in the world in 1492 as china. it had the best chips, it had the best agriculture, the best science, the best mathematics,

everything is online via an interactive benjamin franklin fifty w. . if you ever have to. cover up a murder the best way is to make it look like an accident raring to live. never read a book like this if. the church list. the streets. in germany state by state. the most colorful. the most traditional. find it all at any time. check in with a web special. take a tour of germany state by state on d w talk calm. play everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. the right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference. and to secrecy and include information and ideas which are needed when times of plenty of use. the seventieth anniversary of the un declaration of human rights article nineteen. on g.w. . if live. come garin security guards have been filmed forcibly removing opposition m.p.'s from the country's state t.v. station the politicians have been trying to raise an agile government petition on there and made a wife of protests it's one of the lodges expressions of public discontent since right wing prime minister viktor orban came to power in twe

we noted in the background is a picture of the patron of invention in america, benjamin franklin. those 19 men didn't get in a room together and stand conveniently so everybody could be seen. these people were depicted separately. another question you might ask yourself is why are there only men of progress? where are the women? this the people of color? was a time when to have a portrait done was a lead. it was reserved for white men who owned land. this was the way we were going to tell america we were the greatest invention, but it was being led by men and not women, and certainly not anyone outside of that club. these are the patents coming in, small little models in the patent office so no one copied their ideas. there were well over 2000 patents submitted at the time of this painting by women. history.ery selective moreimes what we see is about what's left out than what the included. let's look at somebody who rarely would have a portrait taken. have you ever heard of the adage, well behaved women rarely make history? that is absolutely true of portraiture. unless you are ma

benjamin franklin draws on biblical sources and biblical illusions and references and the like. this use of the bible was not something that was used simply by those who were we might say orthodox in their faith commitments. this is something that we see among many other founders, those who were very faithful as well as those who were quite skeptical in their embrace of christianity. not withstanding their diverse back grounds and personal theological views including diverse views on god, jesus and the divine origins and authority of scripture, the founders valued the bible for its insights into human nature, civic virtue, political authority, the rights and duties of citizens and other concepts essential to framing a new society. it was a handbook for nurturing the kinds of civic virtues that give capacity for self-government. for this reason john adams and john dickenson called the bible and i quote the most republican book in the world. i want that to sink in for a second. the bible is the most republican book in the world. i find that a remarkable statement. are have been re

more curiously we know in the background is a picture of the patron of invention in america, benjamin franklin. we know these nine men didn't get in a room together and stand immediately so everyone could be seen. these people were depicted separately and added into this group picture. then we ask why are there only men of progress and where they all white? where are the women and people of color? this is the way that we could tell america we were the greatest of inventions, but it was being led by men and not women and certainly not anyone outside of that club. in fact, i looked into this these are the patents coming in small little models registered in the patent office so no one would copy their ideas. there was well over 2000 patent submitted at the time of this painting by women. this is very selective history. it's very selective portraiture. sometimes what we see is more about what's left out than what's included. so now let's go have a look at somebody who rarely would have had a portrait taken. >> because she was a woman . >> have you ever heard of the adage, well-behaved woman, rarel

i was curious about thomas jefferson replacing benjamin franklin in paris. wasd read somewhere that he viewed as a country pumpkin by the french after he spent the nine years with franklin, who spoke french. if you just wondering came across anything. was he accepted by them as a gentleman as much as a --? gaye: i tend to think he was. i had it in my notes at one point, adams was the one who said he was reviewed as one of those wall americans. and jefferson's french was not perfect. he was not fluent. he said i could read french. i don't write well in french. he turned that over to a clerk. but he said i could understand it. he had to be able to converse in french or he could have carried -- couldn't have carried on his duties. and i had this question come up, but i did begin to look on what where others saying about him while he was there. lafayette, who he knew somewhat, but they came to know each other better when jefferson was in france. he was writing back to washington saying he was doing a great job. some other americans that were there, gouverneur mor

it will not be benjamin franklin orr george mason but people like nancy pelosi. >> but she will be there from kansas. the problem now is we don't have those men or women on the supreme court so those who decided that constitutional convention i would encourage people to look at this but to get it done. >> you can watch me on tv on levintv we would love to see you there. introducing add on advantage, a new way to save on travel. now when you book a flight you unlock discounts on select hotels that you can add on to your trip up until the day you leave. add on advantage. only when you book with expedia. they work together doing important stuff. the hitch? like you, your cells get hungry. feed them... with centrum® micronutrients. restoring your awesome... daily. feed your cells with centrum® micronutrients today. mark: walter williams bernie sanders is out there promoting socialism they don't call it that but that's what it is they are pushing some form of s socialism to accomplish free healthcare they talk aboutt scandinavia does socialism create anea opportunity? >> we might start off wi

about thomas jefferson replacing benjamin franklin in paris. wasd read somewhere that he viewed as a country bumpkin by the french after they had spent the nine years with franklin. if you cameing, across anything. was he accepted by them as a gentleman as much as they? gaye: i tend to think that he was. i mentioned that adams was the one who said, "they were viewed as raw americans." jefferson's french was not perfect. he can set -- he said that he could read french, but cannot write well in french. -- he could i understand it. he had to be able to converse on some level in french. that is what they were speaking among the diplomats. i do not have the quotes in front of me, but i did begin to look about what others were saying about him. lafayette, who he knew somewhat, and they came to know each other better, and he was riding back to washington saying he was doing a great job. ,ome other americans were there and governor morris said that he was very well excepted. withcame lasting friends so he didee, establish good friendships. he and lafaye

the convention's wanes days on debate for the qualifications of public office the venerable benjamin franklin spoke in opposition to any proposal that in his words, and i quote, tended to debase the spirit of the common people. we should remember the character which the scripture requires in ruler, franklin said, and here he's going to invoke jethro's advice to moses in which he lays out qualifications for prospective israelite rulers and here i pick up with franklin's quote that they should be men hating covetousness, end quote. >> i think is a fascinating exchange. this is part of madison's notes of the convention debates and why do i find it interesting? well, franklin is appealing to a biblical standard in this debate on a substantive constitutional provision and he informed his audience in very clear and unambiguous language that his source was scripture. that was the term he used and then he referenced, even quoted from a very specific biblical text. the text here is exodus want chaer 18 verse 21. now, i think this is a somewhat rare illustration of how the bible was used in constitutio

someone like thomas payne, benjamin franklin is another who draws very much in his own writings on biblical sources and illusions and references and the like. this use of the bible was not used simply by what we might say is orthodox. among many of the founders, those who were faithful or quite skeptical in their embrace of christianity. notwithstanding their diverse backgrounds and personal theological views including diverse views on god and jesus, and the divine or thin-- origins on the authority of scripture, the founders valued the bible for its insight into human nature, civic virtue, social order, political authority, and the rights and duties of citizens. they are essential to framing a new political society. there was broad agreement that the bible was a useful handbook for nurturing civic virtues that gives citizens the capacity for self-government in the republic. john adams and john dickinson called the bible, quote, the most republican book in the world. i want to that to sink in. the bible is the most republican book in the world and i find that a remarkable statement. i perso

that taking the view and with that technological space in my favorite example from that moment benjamin franklin's book and thomas edison are making them available for promotional use took a long time. and then in the way for productivity. that is a more cynical view in china that is very interesting. which is the argument that the decline of productivity and output per worker declined using natural artifacts of a system of democracy. individual citizens are not dumb that the politicians need to give me treats and i realize because that's the case i have to work as hard as i want to but to take the view and take a peek at those countries it is much more aggressive food and health care, et cetera we don't have to work so with that decline of productivity. it is telling on the surface i have heard from more than one person in china it is a very hard discussion to have in the united states but with those proposals that may fly in the face of what we believe. >> it is very hard to test because those countries that our rich are those that are democracies it is harder to innovate and push forward and th

in 1785, benjamin franklin called thanksgiving a day of public felicity. a time to give thanks for our full enjoyment of liberty. on every day of the year, americans have reason to be thankful for such blessings. blessings that were bestowed upon us before we were born. among those are abraham lincoln. on thanksgiving day, we can give extra thanks for lincoln. without him, our annual thanksgiving day might never have taken place. his decision in 1863 to name a national day of general thanksgiving was the first in an unbroken string of thanksgivings that continues to this day. every president since lincoln has proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving. now, i expect you are scratching your heads and wondering. what about the pilgrims and the indians? didn't the first thanksgiving take place in 1621? not 1863? the answer is yes, but. we can trace the roots of modern thanksgiving to the famous three day feast in plymouth. we can go back even further. there are records of days called thanksgiving by european explorers in texas, florida, virginia, and elsewhere

as a matter of fact, benjamin franklin comments on the fact that if a native american child is somehow kidnapped and brought into a white family the first chance they get they run back out to what the whites consider the wilderness. they don't want to stay in civilization, but if a white child is captured by native americans, and grows up in a native american village. even when they're recaptured by white, they desperately try to get back to the indian village. so we have -- in later days we have a lot of testimony about what happens. there's something obviously very attractive to people about the native american way of life. >> guest: that speaks -- that answers a follow-up question i had in mind. and that is at least in some cases, when an escaped marooned person of any sort, after they had been taken in, seems like some would have some urge to at least go back and visit in some way, maybe in disguise or whatever. it seems amazing that none would make the reverse trip, and perhaps not reidentify themselveses but nevertheless -- >> joseph: it depends on which sense of the world -- if

prior to the great compromise, benjamin franklin addressed the constitutional convention. quote, we indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom since we have been running about in search of it. in this situation of this assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth and scarce able to distinguish it when presented .o us lord, you are the powerful friend referred to by franklin and we turn again to you to ask that your wisdom might break through the similar political darkness of these days. bless the members of the people's house and all of congress with the insight and foresight to construct a future of security in our nation's politics, economy, and society. may they as you be especially mindful of those who are poor and without power. may all that is done today be for your greater honor and glory, amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announced to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek reco

. >> that characteristic figure is benjamin franklin at age 43 became the most successful printer and then became an inventor. he wanted to be a gentleman he wanted to climb the existing hierarchy. it is the change of attitude that matters people have only read the titles of my books is actually the first of the trilogy they think that i mean there was a change that people became more virtuous in the 18th century. that the same way they feel if they haven't read books on economics. but i am saying there is a change in social etiquette evidently you haven't read the third book of the trilogy go get it. thank you dear it says the causes were accidents in europe but nothing about europe my argument is not that so many conservative friends went to make it a story of the deep superiority i call them ellen and challenged people it's not about the innovativeness the most innovative society in the world had the best ships and agriculture china. so it was the accident also bunch of accidents, not just one the dutch revolt against spain it was successful the english civil war of the 16 forties

it must be remembered that another thing that benjamin franklin said was he who trades his freedom foreserves neither. >>> ruth bader ginsberg left new york's memorial sloan kettering cancer center on thursday and is now recuperating at home after surgery to remove two malignant growths in her lung. doctors say there is no evidence of any remaining disease. the oldest sitting member of the u.s. supreme court, ginsberg had never missed oral arguments. she's expected to be present when the court next meets january 7th. >>> let's get a quick check on your weather. >> we are tracking a very busy storm system with snow, wind and some heavy downpours. here's the snow just north of minneapolis as the snow changes over to rain. on the backside of this system, the air is brutal. it's going to be so cold we're going to talk about numbers below zero by the weekend. tornado watch for houston, southwest louisiana, including alexandria and lake charles. we've already had some rotation in the clouds that we could see a tornado touch down at any time. when you look at the frequent lightning strikes wi

and cap rrkricia, at the state protocol chief, you have events at the white house but the benjamin franklin room and so forth. describe briefly what those rooms are about and why you sometimes see those on tv as well. >> well, they are very historic. the collection, actually, get an opportunity, people should go to the state department when they reopen at the end of august, beginning of september and visit. the collection that is in those rooms is an extraordinary gathering of our american story and i think the collection is valued now at $120 million. they are originals and i, when i was chief of protocol, really loved taking our foreign visitors through those rooms because each piece, each painting, each piece of furniture, the extraordinary items that you had donated, the constitution, it was amazing. the table in which those things were drafted, the extraordinary documents were drafted. i would love to tell our visiting delegations all about this because it tells the history of who we are and i would say this is 200 years old to the chinese and they would laugh. and i said, oh, it may n

[applause] when the united states, in the revolutionary war was greatly divided and benjamin franklin reminded them, gentlemen, if we don't hang together, we are going to hang separately. the admirals and generals in japan were highly intelligent, many of them wisely traveled. could they not see that there was no way that they could survive if the -- they continued to push their different objectives in china and in the pacific? your right, -- you are right, they were among the elite in japan at the time. strangely enough, they never discussed it in those terms. they were talking about the survival of japan but they seemed unable to put aside their differences to the extent that they had to. japan ise problems in the structure of their system. they have no single commander in chief, as you may know. the emperor that is supposed to not ahis war, he is regular commander in chief, in terms of if he gives orders, he gives suggestions and makes his opinions known. there is nobody to make a final, overriding decision in the interest of japan itself. and so it is one of the mysteries of japan

brilliantly detailed are the pirates' manifold enemies including john winthrop, cotton mather and benjamin franklin. i think we will see more about him later on. david courtingly called the books a vivid account and says quote, dolin throws a fresh light on familiar stories that unearth some new and surprising facts and skillfully sets the exploits of the pirates in their historic context. would have thanailed that if cameras weren't here. and quote, dolin doesn't just write a first-rate history of the golden age of piracy, he puts us on deck with the men themselves, bringing us into the action and leaving no doubt as to why these great rogues matter to this day. eric jay dolin is the best-selling author of "leviathon" among other books. he and his family live in marble head, massachusetts. thank you all for joining us. please welcome >> thank you for that wonderful introduction. i will both put a fresh and a flesh light on pirates. pirates have long been among the most colorful and memorable celebrities in popular culture. much of this has to do with books that use pirates as motif. the most famou

you can see this in what benjamin franklin printed in 74 and what he is urging the colonies to unite we think about this as a political cartoon. it is also a map. you have to turn your head. this is a map. at a time when the first maps are being made and sold as jigsaw puzzles. this is a jigsaw puzzle that looks like a map. they also have interesting native influences in it. spend any time looking at it's here in 74 that looks like boston for the dumping of the tea in boston. but a representation of american and british eyes. we don't always think of the as a representation. remember it's a charter and the map is a chart and chart charter have the same use. the constitution is the constitution of the body of the american people. we talk about you have a healthy constitution. the word constitution comes from the body. the body. document that becomes the united states of america. i put this in there because it cheered me up . this is an early political cartoon depicting the battle between anti- federalist. i don't know if you can see it here. c-span would be unhappy with it. these two

when he first came, he had joined benjamin franklin, who had been there in 1776. adams was already there. the gentlemen overlapped for not quite a year before franklin was allowed to return to the united states. jefferson is put in his place as the head minister at the court of versailles. john adams is our first emissary to the court of st. james in london. a little nervous about it, but i think it worked out well. before these americans step into france, into this scene of the french court, they were certainly answering the world they had not experienced in north america. it was an environment that placed an extraordinary amount of emphasis on your personal appearance, decorum, even gesture. movements. this is kind of a world they entered. at the very very beginning. how did jefferson adapt? there is a letter he wrote, and that's what i'm going to cite. he wrote to a friend after his first year in france. he even listed in his record as my view of the europe. through this, he gives his impressions -- he is writing it to bellini, who lived in williamsburg. he ope

we share a common interest in benjamin franklin and... >> yeah. >> ...the wonderful book you did on hisjane, right. and tell me how that story wove in and you brought women into the narrative? >> yeah, what i'm trying to -- like, with the history of race, there are these -- there's this sort of segregated history in our textbooks. with women, they're -- they really remain pretty much left out of any account of political history. women tend to sort of appear in 1848 and kind of curtsey and say we would like our rights and then they come back in 1920 and get the right to vote and then they appear sort of, you know, protesting the america -- the beauty pageant or whatever, miss america in 1968. and that's kind of it, and it makes no sense. it doesn't explain the world we live in now where partisanship and struggles for women's equality before the law are just explosively in confrontation with one another in our contemporary world. so i started out wanting to be a historian because i wanted to write women's history and i ended up writing political history but trying to write political histo

it looks at benjamin franklin's sister, jane, who was apparently just as brilliant as he was, but whene family home, that was the end of her education because nobody else cared to help her learn to be more literate. so she struggled. she wrote to him, and that's the only reason we know about her because she wrote to him, and people kept his letters and not hers. so, you know, there's a lot of -- a lot of inequalities in the historical records, as well as in religious tradition. >> one of your characters learned subversively? >> she did. a young girl in afghanistan wasn't allowed to go to school under the taliban, her brother went to the local mosque to be educated. she would climb up over the roof, and she found a hiding place on the roof of the mosque where she could listen to the classroom below. she essentially stole her education by overhearing what her brother was being taught, and then when he came home, she would do his homework for him. and so that inspired me to create bethiah's overheard education as her father educates her brother. >> gayle, harbor springs, michigan. hi, gay