but what was even worse was that vidal's article elicited no more than a week peak of protest from the magazine sponsors and readers. the bundle a fair provide a powerful confirmation for the argument, some of us have been making since 1967, that anti-semitism had found a new home on the left. and then by a lucky coincidence, the nation's opposite number on the right, national review, became embroiled in a similar controversy of its own that provided commensurately powerful evidence to the argument went also been making since 1967, that anti-semitism was becoming more and more unwelcome among conservatives. this controversy involved a member of national review's editorial staff named joseph so brand. who had devoted a number of his syndicated columns to attacking not just the state of israel, but also the jewish people in general and judaism as a religion. accordingly, a letter of protest sent to a long list of prominent conservative intellectuals, and in sharp contrast to the liberal intellectual connected with the nation, all of the conservatives, every last one of them joined in exp

two books -- i recently re-read gore vidal's "lincoln," which was a great read because in new york, there'sexhibit on lincoln at the new york historical society so that was an incredible way to look at that exhibit. and i also read "ida" that is amazing. and right now i just started "the help." it's fiction. i don't normally read fiction but it's a good read. >> the author is pamela newkirk. she's the author of "letters from black america." thank you very much. >> thank you. >> you've been watching book tv on c-span2. .