My name is cynthia chaldekas. Thank you for coming here tonight. Im a librarian at manhattan library. Im happy to present John Mcwhorter. Were lucky that john has come more than once. He has been very kind about that. This is his third visit. Tonight he will speak about his most recent book, talking back, talking black, truth about americas lingua franca. John mcwhorter is associate professor of english and comparative literature at Columbia University where he teaches linguistics, western civilization, Music History and american studies. New york times bestsellerring author and columnist for Time Magazine and regular contributor to the atlantic, the wall street journal, and the Washington Post and he is the author of 16 books, and tonight he is going to be speaking about his most recent book, talking back, talking black. Without further adieu, John Mcwhorter please. [applause] thanks, folks. Thank you for coming here tonight. What i want to talk to you about, for not too long is the l
You all have lots of time to enjoy a. We will have a signing directly after this session if youd like to get a copy at the Barnes Noble Book can tend we will have a little discussion pass some speakers the real open for questions i want to introduce you to lydia who was the author of this great book dust bowl girls. The inspiring story of the team babars barnstormed its way to basketball glory. Lydia reeder comes to us from denver but grew up in oklahoma where this true story takes place this is her first book and is the grand niece of the coach of one of the main figures in the story so we will talk about how she can about the story and how she got to this amazing book we can read today and talk about what is going on in todays world. So how did you bring these girls to life . They lived quite a bit ago if you were able to get inside their heads. How did you make that happen . I read their diaries and the their journals and the personal letters talk to their relatives and i could talk
President trump, quote, he is no order con man. He is way above average in the american political system is his easiest mark ever. Guest yeah. This was that was early the campaign. I think that was in march of 2016. So it was just around the time when he was sewing up the republican nomination and the purpose of that article is this is a come. Com compilation of articles to explain the trump phenomenon for people who were having to take it serious come to grip watches the fact this was happening. So i took kind of a different approach to trump and tried to really listen to what his supporters were saying and try to focus on what he was doing, and my take on him is that he was a Brilliant Media manipulator and that he was perfectly suited to play on all the weaknesses of the american political media, ask that turned out to be truism was i had stucks to my guns on the piece. Thought he would be president and then later on i didnt believe that. Host well, the dave after the election you w
[applause][applause] [applause] think very much. Today my work cut out for me, it is a very awkward topic for me to be topic debating because were debating the legacy in right now is the son of a linsky, also ahead of the foundation. Here is michael on the stage. As well as a of the family. Its a little bit awkward, i will try to get over that one. At the first glance it seem to debate to people who are intimately familiar. What could i possibly know about that i would say his own son wouldnt know. I think if we look at the godfather itself very powerful people can have one public life in a completely different private life. The don for example was himself a family man. Very straightlaced very devoted to his children so my point of it be in the sun is give you a certain privileged position you can see the man as he relates to you. Its quite possible that a linsky was a lovely family man, devoted father, at the same time in public like being a gangster and a crook. Now, on a linsky it r
The president doing . He is the president and . I tc constitution as it was intended to be applied. And the president s in america have operated outside of the realm of their executive authority constitutionally speaking for decades. So, to judge donald trump for me is not to judge him against obama or merge w bush. In your view have adhered to the constitution. Guest it has been a long time since we had a president that was truly constitutional. Look at article ii of the constitution, that is the delegated authority for the executive branch. When we look at that we realize how little power the president has especially autonomously, i show my students you look at the constitution, article 1, the powers delegated to congress, article 2 delegated to the president and article 3 delegated to the judiciary. In america we gravitated more toward an allconsuming executive rather than an executive in service to the legislative. What we have now in america is a bit of an aberration of what the p