Baldwin Book News Today

Was joking, he was telling the chaplain that he wanted to give him another year and he said oh, the hell with it. talking to the chaplain. i was guessing the chaplain probably wanted the earth to open up himself. not usually what youd say to a chaplain. but thats donald trump. >> the day before he had the sort of odd statement about frederick douglass. just for the record, when were talking about ratings here, this is for season 1. "the apprentice" i dont think was ever number 1. the ratings wer...

Its called "i am not your negro." and the director, raul pett, skroinz me now. i watched this today. it was fascinating. its great. and you know this is one of my heroes. why did you make this documentary? and well talk about what its about. why did you do this? >> well, i felt i had no choice than to make this film. i felt that it was time that we hear again this rich voice of james baldwin. we have started somehow to forget him, to forget the role he plays in the life of many people in this co...

Assassinated. medgar evans -- and malcolm x. supposed to be about america, the definitive baldwin book. and he never wrote it. when i discovered those notes, i thought this is a film. knowing baldwin, somewhere this book was around somewhere buried in his body of work. so the film for me was finding that book. and the film is only with baldwins words that i got throughout his whole body of work thanks to the estate who gave me total access to everything, published, unpublished. >> its great. >> ...

Then tell me how long the trains been gone. but he got me interested in writing and also got me interested -- or at least as they say he sort of awakened the learning part of me about race and issues in america. >> and he saw beyond race. he never saw race as a reduced agenda. he taught us to see the whole world and to see each other as human being and not to be reduced by the color of our skin. >> i was just watching your film today. he said, "they say im a racist. im not. or im not a racist. m...

And i felt like you know, im still having those conversations. were still having the same conversations today. >> absolutely. because a big part of the population is in denial. they refuse to acknowledge this common history. and until we are able to do that we will continue to have the same conversation again and again. >> yeah. part of my favorite quote when i go out and i speak to students usually, i read the quote from the book "letter to my nephew." and he says at end of the letter to my nep...

Medger evers, martin luther king, malcolm x. and it was supposed to be a book about america, and like the definite baldwin book. and he never wrote it. so when i discovered that document, those notes, i thought, well, this is the film because knowing all baldwin i know that somewhere this book was around somewhere buried in his body of work. so the film for me was finding that book. and the film is only with baldwins words that i got throughout his whole body of work thanks to the estate, who ga...