ms. schwartz. [applause] >> thank you greg.i was so relieved when i found out a few days ago i was speaking early in the show so i could get my adrenaline spike over with right away and that i realized my relief redoubled because i'm in the unusual position of knowing in advance that i will be standing up here and that i realize the whole situation the review were holding forth while a group of writers sweated out in their seats mimics perversely when i'm up here for. [laughter] once again the critic gets to thank herself on sure ground while the writers squirm early she gets her pretentiousness that i want to thank the board of the national book critics circle and the members of the balakian to me to be honored by your peers who those peers as a judge for living is that tonal -- total thrill. not so incidentally was also when i discovered the agony and ecstasy of writing about books that matter to me. being a critic is for me a way of learning and to do that you have to have the right teachers could on account i'm grateful to