did walt disney, which i not know, to have scott fitzgerald, which i did know, countless americans who helped shape our history and culture have roots that traced back to the emerald isle. have many of our predecessors in the oval office, from andrew jackson to ronald reagan. today, more than 30 million americans, over 10% of this country, think of it, trace their ancestry back to ireland. 30 million americans. that's why you have so many politicians. even if they didn't like you, they would say that. too many. but they do love the irish. than anything else, the irish stand for strength and and they never, give up, right? that's the trait, they never, ever give up. [applause] and the united states of america, and i say this having so many friends from ireland, has truly been blessed with the lack of the irish to have you with us. the week, as we celebrate life of the apostle of ireland, we thank you for bringing us a bit of greenery and natural beauty from your country. returnforward to your next year. in fact, we will see you for about seven more years, i think. [laughter] about seven

the family happened to be at scott fitzgerald. he lived right next door and cleaned house for family who lived next to the fitzgerald and got to know them as much as a housekeeper could get to know the fitzgerald's or anyone else and one of the daughters of this family went to washington d.c. on a trip and she brought my grandmother back a gift. the gift was a snow globe. it was a snow globe of the white house. my grandmother kept the snow globe on her dressing table and like every southern woman, my grandmother dressed up on sundays before church, on saturdays before weddings and funerals, and there were no bar mitzvahs so those were the principal occasions for a spread i would always stand at her side as she put on her lipstick and told me stories and i would always play with as little snow globe and she would say one day you can be in that snow globe and my first day of going into the white house, every now and then dream and fantasy meet reality. all i could think about was going into the white house and thinking of my grandmo

they happen to be f scott fitzgerald. she lived next-door and cleaned house and got to know them. one of the daughters of the family went to washington, d.c. on a trip. she brought my grandmother back again. the gift was a snow globe. the snow globe of a white house. like every southern woman my grandmother trussed up on sundays before church. on saturdays between weddings and funerals. auto stand at her side as she put on her lipstick and told me stories. i does fumble the snow globe and she would say one day you can be in that snow globe. my first day of going into the white house every now and then fantasy and dreams meet reality. all i could think about was going into the white house and thinking of my grandmother standing at her side holding her snow globe. my grandmother was also fortunate to work for a woman who sent thinks home. you know the only kid in second grade reading the new york times on one occasion she sent home a crate of albums in this maybe 15 or 20 longplaying records and all that had wonderful pictures on the front. i'll never forget my grandfather pulling u

grandmother was a housekeeper for a white family in montgomery and the family happens to be a scott fitzgerald pitch he lived right next door. she got to know them as much as a housekeeper could get to know the fitzgeralds or anyone else. what the doctors of the family went to washington d.c. on the trip and she brought my grandmother back a gift and the gift was a snow globe and the snow globe of the white house. my grandmother the snow globe on her dressing table and like every southern woman like grandmother gets up on sundays before church, on saturdays before weddings and funerals and bar mitzvahs were the principle occasions for us. i would always stand by her side as she told me stories and i would always fumble with a snow globe and she would always say to me one day you can be in that snow globe. my first time going into the white house every now and then green and fantasy meets reality. all i could think about was going into the white house with my grandmother and standing by her side holding the snow globe. my grandmother also was very fortunate to work for a woman who always sent t

scott fitzgerald, had his main character, waiting for the world to stand at moral attention forever, no longer interested in riotous excursions. the united states, after this riotous excursion, would do well to stand at moral dangerous for a spell. i don't know about forever, mr. fitzgerald, though i admire the am mission but after the past couple of years i'd settle for the world standing at moral attention for a good day or two that we be a good start. we could all stan to be chastened for our part in this. it's been a longer to toured process that has gotten us here and will take a lot of will and work to get us out of here to once again put the interest of the people that elect us ahead of the per'ing -- prerogatives of power. it shouldn't be hard about it will be hardiments to restore leadership that is ware of and cherishes our constitutional framework, which is designed -- which by design is meant to force compromise, it shouldn't be hard because it is basic, but it will be hard. to once again have a leader that assumes that democrats and republicans are not intractable enemie

f scott fitzgerald, at the beginning of one of the great american novels, "the great gatsby," had his main character, after a period of trauma, wanting the world to stay at attention, no longer interested in riotous excursions. the united states, after this riotous excursion, would be well to stand at moral attention. i do not know about forever, i admire the ambition. after the last couple of years, i would settled of the world stand at moral attention for a day or two. we could all stand to be chastened for our part in this. it has been a long, tortured process that has gotten us here, and it will take accountable leadership and willpower to get us out of here, to once again put the interests of the people who elected us ahead of the prerogatives of power. it should not be hard because it is basic, but it will be hard to restore leadership that is aware of and cherishes our constitutional framework, which by design is meant to force compromise. it should not be hard because it is basic, but it will be hard. to once again have a leader that assumes democrats and republicans are not e

f scott fitzgerald, the beginning of the great american novel the great gatsby, had his main character, nick caraway, after appear go of trauma and disillusionment, wanting the world to stand in moral retention forever, no longer interested in right excursions. the united states, after this rightist excursion would do well to stand at moral attention for a spell. i don't know about forever, mr. fitzgerald but i admire the ambition. but after the past couple years i would settle to have the world stand at moral attention for a day or two. that would be a good start. we could all stand to be chastened for our part in this. it has been a long tortured process that has gotten us here and it will take accountable leadership and good old american willpower to get us out of here, to once again put the interest of the people who elected us ahead of the prerogatives of power. it shouldn't be hard because it is so basic, but it will be hard to restore leadership that is aware of and cherishes our constitutional framework which by design is meant to force compromise. it shouldn't be hard because

perkins correspondence with hemingway and fitzgerald and longing for that for the kind of relationship when a group and what books, it really doesn't exist anymore. scott, i think you talk yesterday about sometimes having a six to eight month process after you turn in a manuscript with an editor which i don't -- not something i do but would you -- >> i have to say that you are looking at three really, four people who have the advantage of honestly referring to themselves as best-selling novelists you get an audience, you get a bigger paycheck but in today's publishing world one of the things you also get, many writers no longer do, is an actual editor. somebody who sits there and tries to help you write, to make better the book that's there and help you write the book that she or he thinks you intended to write. in terms of my novels, i have worked with two editors. first, john who is to the publisher at -- and a dear dear friend to this day. and early on jonathan and i had almost a mystical relationship. we would sit usually in a hotel room in new york, and john would turn every page of the manuscript. he would have his own notes, his own sort of free