to see tony morrison -- toni morrison greet me, it's a blessing.it's amazing. we have been sister friends all of these years, and i'm grateful for it. i though that, in truth, it takes one to know one. and i'm grateful. i know that toni is all of that, and i know that you are, all of you literary folks, amazing. i mean, amazing that you've chosen to give me a gift, an honorary -- i mean, to honor me. and i'm so pleased. it's amazing. i know that you're all writers, and i'm delighted that you've chosen to not only honor me, but to ask ms. toni morrison to honor me and honor you. and that's who you are. there's an old statement, an old statement that says -- ♪ when it looked like the sun would not shine anymore, god put a rainbow in the clouds ♪ >> amazing. [cheers and applause] amazing. the statement was inspired by a statement in genesis. it says that rain has persisted so unrelentingly that people thought it would never cease. so in an attempt to put the people at ease, god put a rainbow in the sky. that's in genesis. but in the 20th century -- i'

toni morrison to honor me and honor you. and that is who you are.old statement that says, when it looks like the sun. ♪ will not shine anymore. ♪ god put a rainbow in a cloud. ♪ it's amazing. it's amazing. [applause] amazing. [applause] the statement was inspired by a statement in genesis that says rain had persisted so unrelentingly that people thought it would never cease, so in an attempt to put the people at ease, god put a rainbow in the sky. that is in genesis. but in the 20th century, i'm sorry 19th century, some african-american poet, may be a woman, i am not sure about that, but she said no, god didn't just put a rainbow in the sky. god put a rainbow in the clouds. in the clouds. we know that suns and moons and stars and illuminations are always in the sky and illumination. however, clouds can so persist that people can't see a change in the possibility in the sky, and the clouds. and here we are. here you are. amazing. you are rainbows in my clouds. it's a blessing that you have decided to be a rainbow in my cloud. that you have decided to

. >> you're referring to tony morrison. >> absolutely. >> tony morrison said bill clinton was the firstlack president. i think it's more important to get a real one. >> we did. >> anyway, let's go to e the present time. here we are in december of 2013 looking way ahead, but not too far ahead because a year from now we'll be right in the middle of this thing. everyone will announce a the 2014 election. everybody willing in this thing. we'll know the field. and so my question is is he doing what he has to do? i love bill grade. bill grade is a great leader in philadelphia. you hear this great reporting by jonathan martin this weekend in the "times." there's hillary clinton asking what you and i would do in the same situation. you're asking somebody to spot the people and who they are in the community. who the state reps, the city council people. you got to know if you want to run for office. >> you have to if you're going to run for president. listen, clintons are good at this. bill clinton is a master at this. you and i remember. we were on the air during the funeral of claretta scott ki

richard wright and james baldwin and people like that, toni morrison, all the great writers. just the great writers and the great artists, they just work, they have a kind of tunnel vision, and they work beyond the area, the time in which they live. so i just -- i don't feel that good about my work, really. i think i have to be -- i just don't think i'm that -- i don't really think i'm that good. so i just have a high wall to climb, and i don't really need to hear how much better i need to get in order to get where i want to be, and i don't need to hear that i'm not any good. i already kind of like know that. tavis: you've said two or three things i want to get to. i haven't even gotten to the text yet, the novel. i promise we'll get to the novel in just a second, but as always, james, from the very beginning of the conversation, sets me off in a direction that i just want to keep pursuing. >> that's all right. tavis: everything you say is so loaded, in a beautiful way. so there are two things you've said now i want to unpack and get you to unpack before i go inside the novel

democratic president was very popular among african-americans as we both know as bill clinton and tony morrison who called in the first african-american president. seeing this president take inc. is the symbolism of it for african-americans is huge. as long as he's able to project that, i think african-americans will always be supportive of this president. even if perhaps his policies don't necessarily meet with their need policy wise. >> host: how do they make inroads? >> guest: that's a very interesting question. i think what they need to do is begin to speak to the issues. we saw it and i talk about this in the bud, the autopsy that the republican national committee put together by ranch prevails, $10 million platform, suggesting that we need to begin having a more aggressive dialogue and debate about reaching a to various communities, namely the african-american community. they recently opened an office in the republican national committee. they've recently opened an office in detroit, a largely african-american city. that is one avenue of trying to begin to reach out and meet voters where

writer, ask she is so excited to be here and nearly fainted when she found out i was introducing toni morrison. >> i did. >> host: what are you most excited about? >> guest: the event as a whole. i've come here a few times with my cohost, and it's so exciting to see books celebrated. and all kinds of books, e-books and every type of books the way they make them now. and to see the industry still nourishing in a very, very tough market is great. my cohost has a book out right now -- hi -- so we've been on book tour for the past two weeks, so i'm in the mood. >> host: but you're an author too, and you've been on booktv as