i still now discover, william voegeli. [applause] today, ladies and gentlemen, back in the day when i lived down the street from larry and kathy mullen and the john olin foundation but janice luttrell and jim person. i used to go to a lot of these manhattan events. i learned a lot with these great speakers, so it's a real honor to be here with you today. i wouldn't be here today. i wouldn't have what is starting to seem like a writing career if it weren't for carol mann at the peril man literary agency and most of that two of my editors, brian andersen who presented all my pieces for the city journal and outside books published pity party. you will get his growing sense of the editorial skills as you reflect on the fact that prepared today's remarks all by myself. [laughter] modern american liberalism and compassion. what's up with that? kindness covers all my political principles says president obama. a prominent liberal asserts the quality that fits progressives apart if they care about other people, not just themselves.

on wednesday we're at the century association for william voegeli's look at government programs. at the same evening in boston, thomas mayer examines the relationship between two political families, the kennedys and the churchills. on thursday at politics & prose bookstore here in washington, d.c., pulitzer prize-winning investigative journalist eric lichtblau. also thursday night, joel simon talks about the targeting of journalists by governments around the world. he's at the columbia journalism school in new york city. and that's a look at some of the author programs booktv will be covering this upcoming week. for more go to booktv.org and visit "upcoming programs." >> i have personal reasons for being interested in bill cosby, but as a journalist, i was also fascinated by him as sort of a figure in our cultural and social history. not only as a pioneer, somebody who opened doors again and again, really the first comedian to not be labeled just a negro comedian, the first star, african-american of prime time television, pioneer of children's television with his early guest appe