also, please stay tuned for the radio broadcast in september 2012, up on wnyc 90 at them. it will feature so many people of great interest. [applause] [applause] my take away from the last 30 days, just pure gratitude. please bear with me as i think the people behind the scenes for this project. my sincere thanks to the zora neale hurston group and an individual whose group has made all the difference. [applause] i would also like to have knowledge edward hurston, who has joined us for several events, he will be joining us later this evening. my colleagues, who have allowed this project to take flight and reach a widespread audience through their creative process and pressed, community engagement, and marketing efforts. if you are here, can you please wave. [applause] [applause] finally, last but not least is my grenne space team, a team that i get to spend my days and most of my evenings with. comprised of truly beautiful human beings who never respond to a dream with why. but rather, why not? [inaudible name] please join me in thanking them. to help me introduce tonight

the latest political maneuvering, we are joined by todd zwillich, a reporter for "the takeaway' on wnyc radio, and steven dennis, who covers the white house for roll call newspaper. with us. todd zwillich, to you, first. if nothing is likely to be done until after the election, why is this speaker bringing this up now? >> the speaker to this yesterday at a conference here in washington which you were at, judy. we all saw you moderating a discussion there. take the speaker at his word. he said, "i don't feel like i is have any other tools to get washington serious about spending cut other than the debt limit." why would he say that? we have all seen this movie before. we remember how bruising it was last year when republicans insisted on tying the debt limit to spending cuts and it became a long, protracted fight, one the president and the white house says they don't want to repeat. there's a political angle to this, also, of course. the speaker does his right wing some favors, probably does the conservative base that mitt romney is also trying to satisfy some favors by saying we are dea

the greene space at wnyc and wqxr is honoring the 75th 75th anniversary of the hurston's, their eyes were watching god, and tonight is the final installment of the series. >> let's begin with zora's writings. throughout this evening's conversation you'll hear passages from posterior their eyes-watching god" selected and read by each of us. we begin with award-winning actress, ruby dee. who takes us to the opening passages of the novel. >> thank you. thank you. [applause] >> oh, my goodness. uh-huh. ships, she begins. in the production. ships at a distance have every man's wish onboard. for some they come in with the tide. for others they sail forever on the horizon. never out of sight. never landing until the watcher turns his eyes away in regs nation. his dreams mocked to death by time. that is the life of men. now, women, forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. the dream is the truth. they act and do things accordingly. so, the beginning of this was a woman, and she had come back from burying the dead. not the dead of

the green at wnyc, and w. q. x. r. is honoring the 75th anniversary of zora neale hurston's the eyes are watching god and tonight is the final installment of that series. that's began with zora's writing. throughout this evening's conversation you will hear passages from your eyes are watching god selected and written by each of us. we begin with award-winning actress, ruby dee who takes us to the opening passages of the novel. >> thank you, thank you. [applause] this is from the introduction, ships at a distance have every man on board. for some they come in with the tide. for others they sail forever on the horizon never out of sight, never landing until the watcher turned his eyes away. its dreams mocks to death by times. bus is the life of man. now women, forget all those things they don't want to remember and remember everything they don't want to forget. the dream is the fruit. they act and do things accordingly, so the beginning of this was a woman and she has come back from burying the dead. not the dead of sic