please, join me in welcoming charles c. mann and richard rodriguez to the los angeles public library. thank you. [applause] >> first of all, let me just say how pleased i am to be here interviewing charles. i feel a little pit like a child -- a little bit like a child interviewing a giant. [laughter] so if i seem a little starstruck, forgive me. i was reading your book over several days. my partner, jim, and i tend to do a lot of reading on weekends, but in separate rooms. and if i'm making a lot of noise, laughter, if i slam a book down at the table, he'll ask, what are you reading? and on occasion, the occasion of this book, "1493," i would come into his room, and he'd say, what are you reading? i said, i'm reading this book about the tomato. [laughter] it's the most extraordinary book about a tomato, how it made its way up from south america to mexico, and it ended up on a plate of pasta in italy. and then i'd go back to my room. jim is of the impression that i'm growing, as i grow older, completely mad. but the book was mad,

and wants to devour charles mann. and he will eat it. there's that sense, i come to los angeles and i look around, and everyone says this is the greatest latin city in america. and i think to myself, is that true, or are we in the great indian city? are we not have a word for that? how do you see in light of what you have written, how do you see a city like los angeles? >> you know, let me go back. it's not so much absorption, they see these strange objects, these ships, and then these tired, dirty people come onshore -- >> unprecedented. >> unprecedented people who smell bad. the first thing they're thinking is ugh. these standards, they've been there a long time spelling each other, look around and they see these people dress funny and i think ugh, right? this is the human part. be anything these guys have some interesting stuff. i will hold my nose and i will see if i can acquire some of the stuff. >> i want your horse. >> there's only a few of them. so give them some bad land, let them stay over there. then when you have enough we wi