it should be in you books of the science fiction fantasy we actually don't know. what is the reality of what will be know the reality that you do you should be human and you should need to do some of the writer meet bridgette some you know new we. are making technologists so we do need the new science fiction books to inspire our. jack jack what would you say do you think that do you think that science fiction is mostly and sparring the scientists or it's the other way around or are the achievements in science inspiring the writers to become science fiction writers what's that what is the chicken and egg question alexander i used to be a teacher and one of the first things that always ever happened was what a student would get in touch five ten fifteen years later and say you know it was thanks to you that this happened or that happened. as as a writer enormously fortunate i get regularly i get e-mail from scientists technicians engineers telling me that their national interest was sparked by reading a science fiction book that's what turns me i know it's what tur

it's a fiction because, because number one, there is no war on women, it's a fiction. if you believe that all women are pro-abortion, maybe in your own world -- >> i think the term is pro-choice. >> the fact of the matter is, our party, our party believes in life for everybody. and the fact of the matter is, the real war on women, the actual things that i think most women in this country are most concerned about which is a good job, a good family, being able to live the american dream, provide for your kids and your family, that war on women is being perspetuated by barack obama. who has put our economy on the wrong track. >> the fiction that you talk about, the phrase war on women is now being uttered by republicans. take a listen to this. >> a talk about war on women. the real war on women has been waged by the obama administration's failure on the economy. >> all right, it sounds like you got the messaging going there from romney. it's the exact same phrasing. >> we're just borrowing your messaging. this war on women fiction that democrats have tried to perpetuated

the fact of the matter is it's a fiction. >> fiction? caterpillars? i don't think that the gop has ever been in such a public relations maze. republicans don't have any policies to close the gender gap. the war on women is fiction but there were more than 1100 bills introduced across the country last year to restrict women's health rights. so it's not just small time lawmakers writing these bills either. keep that in mind. stars of the republican party are front and center of the war on women. john kasich signed six new abortion restriction bills into law last year. of course, in pennsylvania there's governor tom corbett who told women to just close your eyes when it comes to the state's new mandatory ultrasound bill. 35 new house bills were introduced and governor bob mcdonnel supported medically unnecessary ultrasounds. and scott johnson whose budget requires insurance companies to cover prescription birth control. can we go on and on? so, what, fiction? does he know what he's talking about? maybe he just doesn't understand. well, the blunt amendmen

i often heard civil war buffs or other people, oh, i don't read historical fiction, or i don't read fiction. well, if you don't read fiction in general, you're missing the world's great literature, of course, but historical fishings and straightforward history or his historical writings are not enemies. they complement each other. history, well-written history, on the first day when men marched in 88 degree heat, and they could hear the sounds of battle ahead. it's well written historical fiction tells you what it felt like to walk and march in uniforms in 80 degree heat and the humidity of july in pennsylvania where your canteen is em -- empty, barefoot, carriers riding back and forth, officers confused themselves, you're ordered into a field. you don't know where you are. you are ordered to align face front, suddenly, you are marching forward, into the smoke, you can't see. ahead of you, you see fire. you march forward. broken, brambles, try to get through it. artillery opens up. people are literally blown to pieces around you. your friends fall beside you. your officers are crying, pushi

you have it in fiction as well as non fiction. some where along the line we were taught that non fiction is simply facts. it is not truth. facts wrapped around a story. facts put in a story. let's go back to that porch again, this time my mother in that soft tone of hers. she would tell hair raising ghost stories. she would start at the hour of the dark:30. that is 30 minutes before it gets all the way dark and the monsters come out. and i can hear her say, you used to be a woman who appeared under that street light over there and our heads would all go as one with the street light. it was though we were looking for the lady who walked in front of our house and didn't have a head. when she got to this street light she vanished. then in the same breath she would say, now would you go into the house and get me a drink of water? i would have to go into that creeky old house all by myself. it wasn't so bad in the living room because the lights from the front porch, but she had a table that had claw feet and i knew it was going to snat

>> fiction. women's literary fiction. it was a small press, washington writers publishing house in d.c.. >> congratulations. now you need to be seen and heard. in my humble opinion this is not the time for an agent. it is time to sell as many copies as you can and build your platform. we need to hear you on the radio and see you on tv and hear your blog talking about your book. even if you have to pay for it yourself. it is about every single day you should be doing five things minimally to get the word out. i hire publicists, they bring expertise i do not have. they know what they are doing so i go to sleep knowing somebody else is helping me and not just fall on my shoulders. you have the resources, absolutely do that. it is about continuing the journey on finding people who will fall in love with your work and show you that by purchasing your book. >> anyone else? any more questions? step right up. >> thank you for sharing. i fall into a different category because i'm not trying to be an author for a living. i do addit

i am a poet first but i also write young adult fiction and poetry. i have a manuscript based on teenagers who get separated during the katrina evacuation. it is a novel in verse with is that particular subgenre in the young adult category and i try to get this manuscript published and i get good feedback from publishers and agents. wonderful and beautiful. the query letters great. send me the manuscript and the first few chapters but i can never sell it. of friend of mine was very frustrated. i am hopeful. a friend of mine said you know what your problem is? you need to make it more urban let. they are teenagers. they are black. they are in atlanta. they get separated when they get to atlanta. make it urban lift. it will sell. you are right. it will sell. there's the question. as a writer i respect other writers. i don't want us to categorize all urban list as terrible literature. that of the mistake. is part of our can and what you like it or not. >> we will get ready. move into the q&a. a couple questions. cards are being passed around with questio

from historical fiction to science fiction, but however his most notable writing has been in the american civil rights movement, and some of how to might be familiar with his fine, fine work, bombing-ham, a novel set in the period of the civil rights period. also, "in trouble no more" a collection of stories, and "ice poles" a poetry book. as we have reverend conrad tillard, who is to my immediate left, who is the author of recently published -- soon the' published "my father's house. a memoir of a man once nope as con had now moment -- mohamed. he worked in the presidential campaign of reverend jesse jackson and in 1998 he founded a youth organization which is credited with creating the hip-hop political activism. i first met him when he was at a mosque in harlem, a stalwart activist, and he followed his convictions and now serves as a southeastern pastor of nazarine congressional church, united church of christ congregation in brooklyn, and had the pleasure and honor in participating in political forums there. so he is among the too few political radical activist pastors. next is keli g

>> favorite fictional president. >> of the movies, of television. >> there are no fictional presidentsite president that was portrayed in a movie? is that what are you asking? >> we're back into that libya situation again. and this question if it's possible is even easier than that one. >> you should not answer questions too quickly, if you are not sure you completely understand the question. >> if will you humor me, let us end our journey tonight with a role play exploring what might have been. you are president of the united states of america, rert is being attacked by aliens. you are standing on the smoltedering remains of what used to be the oval office. you have 30 seconds to address the earth's inhabitant its, to inspire them to rise up and rapel their alien in-- invaders, look into that camera and action. >> citizens of earth, it was the spirit of humanity that built this planity. it is that same spirit of human nature will allow us to defend ourselves against unknown enemies. it is that same spirit of humanity that will allow us to destroy the aliens. (applause) (cheers and app

i don't read fiction that much anymore. the difference for me is comes to the legendary blank page that the writer sees. the blank page for a fiction writer, absolutely astonishing thing. on that blank page there are no rules at all. it could be about iran or marks or new jersey or an old man or daughter or bumble bee or martian aboard anything. that for marriage or life or birth. there are no rules. for me looking at the blank page i don't know what i'm supposed to do. i don't know. the difference is with nonfiction, this applies to my journalism and history. something palpable and real. something very real that you hang on to and you start with the premise of the real. at the ended up in austin, texas as executive editor of texas monthly and essentially learning what i know how to do between the years 2000 onward, it was in texas where this comanche nonsense started. when i called my journalist friend of your years ago that i was worth writing a history of the comanches i mainly got a lot of blank stares. you could see th

my book is called "the red book" and it's a fictional version.ays that alumni write about their lives. and some of them gloss over things. some of them are brutally honest. you read, you know, my mother died, my child is sick, it's -- it's such a fascinating document that my husband, who didn't go to the same college as i did, grabbed it from me before i could even get to it, and he will read it cover to cover all night long. >> i guess there is a question about whether this is a book of fiction or nonfiction. you use this as the jumping-off point for your novel. four people facing their college reunion and it starts with what they wrote, or what their lives were actually, it's a little different. >> that's what's kind of interesting. is i actually thought about writing nonfiction first. but then i realized, people gloss over their lives. the real inner turmoil that we all have, and doubt and failures. that stuff doesn't get really written in there. so what i wanted to do was play with the idea of the actual entry that we write about our lives, a

he did science fiction. >> jimmy: so robert downey jr owes you money?ry on the internet. it's all on the internet. that you met with steve jobs. >> that's true. >> jimmy: about the iphone. you tell the story. >> when i made a movie called high fidelity -- [cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: great movie. every time i hear the stevie wonder song, i just called to say i love you, i think about that movie. >> that was a great one. we took a shot at him. high fidelity talked about it as one of the worst songs in the world. so we had to close with one of the great stevie songs. you couldn't take a shot at stevie. but he loved that movie and he called me up and wanted to know if i would do a commercial for itunes. he showed me the whole thing, basically showed me the further of music. i remember calling my friends and saying there's going to be this great new thing. i never thought that i should have bought apple stock. that's how much i don't think about money. it was like, he literally laid it all for me. >> jimmy: he probably would have given you apple stock i

the fact of the matter is that it's a fiction. >> so, joe, that's the proper sound bite there and chris alisa of "the washington post" talked about how they're seizing every opportunity to drive an issue wedge between republicans and women and it's working. how can republicans reverse the narrative and do so in a way that's effective for them? >> well, you make a great point, thomas. that's right. right now there is a gap and a lead. president obama's leading certainly among women over governor romney for the moment and on our side, republicans have to work very, very hard to win back women and to make the narrative about how to put women and families back to work and how the current economy hurts women and children. i think governor romney will be successful at doing that. republicans know that democrats do not have a good story to tell on the economy which is why they're seizing on the fact that republicans presently have a problem with women. they keep hammering at that home and they want to get to the soer point. >> i want to ask the republican national committee, and so far we've r

fiction, nonfiction, biography, public to come autobiography. we are fortunate to have represented on the stage this evening the most exemplary works published in the past year. i'd like to extend our gratitude to all of the authors have come to join us tonight and say a special thank you to the representatives of a finalists who are no longer with us. we are flattered and excited to have you all here. the national book critics circle awards were founded in 1974 out of conversation that took place in the story at the algonquin hotel by a group of critics who wanted to establish a set of awards given by critics themselves. unlike other national literary awards, there would be no books nominated by publishing houses, it wouldn't be funded by publishers either. instead it would be the critics themselves the would nominate and judge what titles they felt most worthy. as noted just a minute ago, that basic groups of critics to a fantastic job honoring 1975 prices ragtime, john ashbery self portrait in a complex mer, rw lewis biography and paulson sol

fact or fiction? >> that's a fiction. it would not.s proposing wouldn't raise all that much money relative to the size of the budget it sounds like a lot, if we leave the current tax law alone this year in congress, it would raise about $5 billion a year only. if the bush tax cuts are repealed, it would go up to about $16 billion a year. the buffett rule. those are large amounts of money to be sure, but anything close to the amount of our deficit, which is still approaching about $1 trillion a year. >> david, when people talk about the buffett rule, does it have the support of most americans? fact or fiction? >> yes. that's a fact. it does. gallup had a poll out on friday that showed 60% of americans like this idea. another recent poll showed that some, almost as many people would, would favor applying this to people down at the $250,000 or above level. and believe it or not, that gallup poll showed almost half of republicans, about 45% of republicans favored this idea. >> all right. so the last question, is it expected to pass congres

. >> when we continue, science fiction, today, reality tomorrow.e'll show you innovation that will change your life. >> it's like a ticking time bomb. >> a local reservoir that poses an environmental threat. ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? >>> the ipad, handheld video calling and assistant named siri were science fiction five years ago. over the next decade we'll see more inventions. predictions on some technology that will change your life. >> maybe this has happened to you. you realize you forgot to charge your phone. >> how much battery life you have left? >> checking my sources, i don't know that, would you like to search the web for it. >> familiarity

we will do what they -- what we can but we are mandated by the workforce of fiction, we will give them temporary housing, if they have small children or whenever this need be. we get to this place, and this is between a rock and a hard place. we are very small position overall. this is 4-5 total in the last few months. we do what we can and offer more than any other department. we touch base with the other shares departments, and continue to see all of the foreclosures as exactly the same. we do more than most any other departments in the state. we meet them if i go back out there, and most of the time we look to foreclosures. people and not have any contact. we're forced to carry this order and i will help you take the step of wherever you need to go. we do the best that we can. >> just looking at your handout, they're actually have been addictions that have been stopped. applied for bankruptcy protection, trying to work out a deal. eventually they are canceled altogether we work out a deal -- or they end up carrying out the of fiction. >> is there a way to postpone the eviction? >> t

and writing slick and the other fictional martinon now, i've had a lot of terrific writing coach and teacher tom parker in palo alto and be able to have someone that could step back and salic this bandied the to do this to consider that it really is helpful. >>> leader not come to the end of the time together and thanks for joining us this morning on mosaic. and thanks for joining us and have a wonderful day. dan

novelists ann patchett and lev grossman about the pulitzer board's decision not to award a prize for fiction this year. >> brown: that's all ahead. on tonight's "newshour." major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: ♪ ♪ moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> brown: once again today, u.s. officials found themselves apologizing for pictures of american troops in afghanistan. they emerged as the u.s. tries to wind down the afghan war and the taliban tries to step up the pressure. >> i've strongly condemned what we see in those photos. >> brown: defense secretary leon panetta spoke just hours after the "los angeles times" published two images. in one, u.s. soldiers and afghan police

chul idol charles krauthammer has described it as the flammable chevy volt, thus perpetuating the fiction d volt catches fire. in fact, one chevrolet volt caught fire in a government crash test which totally destroyed the vehicle. the vehicle caught fire three weeks after the test and i would say three weeks allows adequate time for survivors to exit the vehicle. other than that, no chevrolet volt has ever caught fire, but as we speak, there are three vehicle brands that were -- has issued recall notices or asked the man factturers to issue notices or they're under investigation, where meanwhile, the customers are asked to park the vehicles outside. do not place vehicle in your garage, close to other vehicles. one is german. one is a jeep and one i've said to say is a chevrolet, but they're all internal combustion, conventional cars. one of which catches fire every 120,000s. 275,000 a year. no electric vehicle has ever caught fire, yet the political right is talking about the flammability, overheating, fire hazard and so forth of electric vehicle and it's a folks, it's a pure fiction. ple

this is a democratic fiction. the truth is.y republican? >> every republican. excuse me. called for the blount amendment. which would allow any employer to end any health coverage he wanted, not just birth control, but, you know, cancer screening, mammograms, pap smears, all of that, even though diabetes treatment if he thought women were immoral. they could do it on moral grounds because of being overweight. >> that's a complete war on women. and indeed, every candidate for president, including romney and republican side endorsed this amendment. they endorsed eliminating title x, which was the program that allows poor women medical coverage for very basic things. again, like, you know, screening for cancer and for various diseases, including hiv. so it's a real policy issue. it isn't just about rush limbaugh mouthing off. it isn't just bad rhetoric. there is a war going on. >> yeah. you make that point in the article, that this is -- they want to talk about rush and kind of blame rush and say, oh, that's just rush popping off.

the head of the republican party is calling the war on women fiction?." let's get to work.

[laughing] now, sheldon, you've written books about a fictional defense attorney. the stories that you tell really get into, i think, the issues and stories of our time. and that's why your books have been so popular. first of all, you know, how did you become a writer? why did you become a writer? and how did you end up writing did a criminal defense attorney in san francisco, of all places? >> i was not told i would follow tony serra. i need to go back and prepare a little more. [laughing] i learned something, too. i guess i better stand up. [laughing] i'm really honored to be here. i'm the toy department. i write novels about the types of cases that lawyers like tony handle. in the daytime i work for a big law firm of the type that tony probably would not hold in the highest of esteem, but i'm delighted to be here. you know, i think if you talked to most authors, they will tell you that there is something hot-wired into our system that says we need to try to tell a story. there is nothing at all in my background. i am an absolutely accidental writer. there is no

he said the emmer rick-brentano papers are perhaps best treated as devout fiction or well intentioned frauds. that's how her original writings evolved and were added to. so that has to be said in connection with this. >> that's right, he's drawing from all sorts of resources, he's drawing from med evil passion plays, i think he's drawing from the tradition of the horror movie, i think he's drawing from the action adventure movies, there's all sorts of sources that we see here. >> let me give you a real question here on what image may be emerging. some viewers have said that the brutalization of death and jesus leave, for revenge, could we say the new image of jesus as the savior, demands or at least inspires venn jennings, we feel victims of the terrorists of 9/11 and 311 and want revenge, we see jesus as another innocent and he's brute alized and have this feeling of revenge, is that at work here? >> i think absolutely. one part might have book is these track things in the united states and the key one we're in now is the post-911 era of war in iraq, war in afghanistan and it's not s

there's a strait fiction in the law that mirrors the whole society. anyway. i wanted to say that. i've worked on a bunch of television shows. i've thought about this question a lot. and i have no idea how this cycle works. but one of the shows that i really enjoyed was "l.a. law." the reason i liked "l.a. law" was that it was about the kind of business of law. you know? a lot of it was about the real, you know, business. you have to work hard in that context to get drama. it's harder to write a show like "l.a. law" because you have to find drama almost in the ordinary practice of law. to my way of thinking, you know, doing a crime show or even a criminal defense show, that's the easy stuff to do. you know? there's drama that's inherent in it. the hard stuff to do is say, like "the paper chase" where they're going to the library. really. so you've got to figure out a way to make that interesting. we did a show called "scavenger hunt," a massive search through all the libraries. and it's actually a very exciting show. but when we went to the network, they said, what are you shooting