jim vargas, ktvu channel 2 news >>> faculty medicals and students at california state university east bay protested today against the csu chancellor, charles reed. organizers of the demonstration accused reed of being more concerned about benefits than he is about -- than he is about other important things. >>> the twins that claim that facebook was their idea, tyler and dammy ron wanted to back -- cameron, wanted to back out of the league settlement signed three years ago that paid them $65 million. the two former classmates of mark zuckerberg say the stock was worth less than claimed at time of the settlement. >>> president obama will be in the bay area on wednesday. in this video, the president invites citizens to participate virtually in a town hall at facebook that will be streamed live. the president is expected at a fund-raiser at the masonic auder to where tickets range from $25 to $2500. guests will spend $5,000 a -- will spend $35,000 a plate another night. >>> the picture captured by davenport about president, davenport is being recalled to resign. davenport said she will not resign. >>> it is spring and looking outside, april shower

"mixing it up" came out in 2008, "obama and the jim crow era" which came out last year. ishmael reed, we're going to put the numbers up on the screen if you want to participate in our conversation. you could also send an email booktv@c-span.org or a tweet twitter.com/booktv. ishmael reed, when did you first start writing? >> guest: oh, i think when i wrote my name for the first time i ran all the way home. i was so excited about writing my name. and that was the beginning. i wrote things in second grade. and then i started really writing in high school. and my tutor was a right wing teacher. that's amazing because i think most people put me on the radical left side. but my teacher in high school, annette lancaster, and she used to give me all these america first pamphlets things and john birch things at first. i'd read them at breakfast and leave syrup on them and she didn't mind. she inspired me to write essays and inspired me to learn theater. i think the reason that i probably wrote plays was because of annette lancaster because have to study theater. the other great teacher i had

reed complained about superficial yalty, and he's a great example of it. he's trying to claim that rare incidence of somebody writing a racist cartoon means all the media is jim crow media. i mean, that's absurd, and also his claim that majority of white boys can't read. that's absolutely false. he must be confused with not being up to the reading standard or something like that. he's just spouting out false claim after false claim, and i just wanted to share my opinion. >> guest: the study came out last month. it was emphasized in the media showing 60% of white boys in 8th grade do not read at proficiency levels. same thing is happening in the state of maine, for example, which is 95% white i guess. you find appalling rates of reading levels among white boys, so i mean, i've been called superficial before. i don't mind that, but i am quoting a study that was printed widely. >> host: an e-mail from -- >> guest: check out the national review. that might be a publication he enjoys. two-thirds of kids in wipes do not read at their expected levels. >> host: when you read the "national review" is that something you disagree with usually? >> guest: agree sometimes