david steinberger. >> thank you .behalf of the board of the directors and the national book foundation, we want to welcome you. as many of you know, that's up to independent judges but we do get to vote on the lifetime achievement awards. a great poet and a great bookseller. i am filled with gratitude not only for this year's lifetime, for all poets and booksellers and librarians, and most especially for all readers. thank you, all of you. for caring about our mission with the national book foundation. those of you who have been here before, when i can recite this, right? we've got a great mission. to expand audience, that is why we are here, today. now, i don't have to tell you that it's a challenging time in the world right now and it's very divided. there's a lot of sadness and anger and fear in my heart goes out to everyone who is in pain. there is a lot of pain. my wish for everyone with us tonight, those joining us from their homes is that books and our love of books can help us all find understanding and compas

but first, i would like to think david steinberger and the board of directors of the national book foundation. >> [ applause ] >> and ruth dickey. and the staff who have assembled us here, but not just for this evening, but for the work that they do constantly, around the year, >> [ applause ] >> to bring writers and readers closer together. that's what we all do together, we are the planks in the bridge towards building that closer connection. but it is the staff and board of the national book foundation that actually put those planks in place, so we thank you very, very much for all of that. so, >> [ applause ] >> we are kind of here not to hear me speak, but to celebrate the writers, and in this troubled time, it is the writers who really give us a guidepost to how we can move forward with compassion and humanity, and to be able to make kind of -- not preconceived notions of what we should be doing, but how the various kind of fonts that we can use to make our own determinations. so, i have been really very privileged to have these amazing comments that mitchell assembled, and so, what has

, let's welcome the chairman of the board of the national book foundation, the very suave and david steinberg steinberg. thank thank you, levar. good evening. on of the board of directors of the national book. i want to welcome you to the 74th national book. as many of you know, it's not the board actually picks the finalists or the winners of the national book awards up to independent judges panel of judges every year. but we do get to vote on the lifetime achievement awards, and it feels wonderful to have picked a great poet and, a great bookseller, and tonight, i'm filled with gratitude. not only for this year's lifetime honorees, but for all poets and all booksellers, and in fact, for librarians and publishers and editors and writers, and most especially for all readers. thank you all, of you, for making books central to your lives and for caring about mission at the national book foundation. now, those of you who know me or who've been here before know that i don't let an opportunity to go by when i can recite the mission without doing that right, lisa? lucas, where's lisa? over here, ri