The economist of course, two weeks ago there was a wonderful article in the economist on literary realism. And i will approach you with this and paragraphs of that. For years, had been americas establishment. Their own country the mystery around. American positively fantastic stories and has writers in the manhattan residence cant be bothered to look further than the end of their noses. In this quote, and impale to this moment in history of american literature, mr. Tom wolfe wrote, we need a battalion to head out into the smile look bizarre and predictable august stomping country of ours. And reclaim it is literary property. Yet the trouble of turning yourself into an american is that you immediately expose yourself to being trumped by reality. And better sort of critics are from going over the top pretty using cartoon characters to exaggerate the eagles modern society. But the truth is the opposite predict pales into insignificance compared with the hog stomping reality that he tries to capture. Tom wolfe was born and raised in richmond, virginia and educated and yelled university and started his journalistic career at the Massachusetts Union newspaper. As latin american correspondent for the washington post, ms. Price for his coverage of the cuban revolution. In 1962, he moved to the New York Herald tribune where the two sapphires assigned it to that newspaper for the sunday supplement which later became the new yorks magazine. In 1962 and 63, part of him the opportunities to travel to southern are california to write about custom car culture. He sent his nose to his editor at esquire who published them verbatim and described as a long spontaneous letter dispensing with traditional journalistic conventions and ascribing the whole thing and in a personal voice. And thus was born the new journalism. And there is they say is history. The candy colored tangerine. An instant the seller making him the most popular journalist in america, and the rings days as the daily news purchas first nes correspondent. The electric koolaid, solidified his reputation as the observer and documenter of contemporary american experience. 1970 saw a radical chic and catchers 1975, and madmen clutter in mind. With me generation was coined. In other tom wolfe contribution. And a trophy wife, and the right stuff. Entering the attention to the American Space program, 1979, in modern architecture from our house in 1981. It still required reading in architectural Cultural Studies programs around the world. Taking a page from surrealist of the 19th century, the vanities portraying new york money culture of 1980s. First made his appearance and the Rolling Stones during 19841985. As tom ventured into fiction. It was published in book form in 1987 and remained on the bestseller list for over a year rated and 1998 publishing and the matter involves a uses an atlanta real estate developer, and 23 yearold manual labor. As during this period and stomps life that is a serious connection with Duke University began. It was sister helen, who is in the audience with us graduated some years before. 1998 and tom and sheila and alexandra entered the freshman year at the university. And he produced in the very first read program during parents weekend in october 1998. There is a study freshman class of the daughters of robert craig and tumbled. Alexander introduced her father at the event and let the ground know that tom had started when she was seven years old. And how pleased she was that was finally completed. [laughter]. Tom was a gracious and generous duke and janet speaking at the front of the library generous opposing for his poster. And serving as Commencement Speaker and all the while doing research for new book that the institution of Higher Education which is on several occasions, it was not duke. [laughter]. Faculty mannings, and he observed festival and all the reporter, absorbing. And throw us off guard, he spent some time at Stanford University to complete the research on his novel. I am charlotte simmons. It is my pleasure to introduce tom wolfe is going to talk about what is southern today. What is southern today. [applause]. Tom thank you ladies and gentlemen. It is going to be back at duke. I talked big as david mentioned is what is southern today. Great writing material in the south. First of all, im not advertising it. First of all, im not seen the new sounds of the south recorded anywhere. For example, may be many you had the same experience that ive had. We check into the hotel, and early in the morning you awakened by the sound. Mark mark and this is the kitchen help blaming over the baking tubes for the grits. [laughter]. Lets say it is the end of june. Actually from about the end of the Summer Reading go to the airport there is a car in the turbulent the ignition. If in your blood back about 4 feet. That is because whoever shut the car off, look the air conditioning on high. This another sound of the south. Another what i particularly like is going to a beautiful place like Thomas Jefferson at the university which is those steep in the memories of this nation. That means so much to the educational course of this nation. Thats actually priceless based of architecture which was designed to hold michelangelo. Your whole soul is engaged with this beautiful vision. Thats when you hear noises. Thats only four. [laughter]. Ive never understood using leave blowers. Those are sounds of the south. Within myself, all wouldbe writers in the audience, nor southerners are writing southern literature, good stuff. That it is time now after all these years to knock it off with yall. And uncle big lips. Thats all been done. And something happens you realize weve only just begun mining this yell and uncle zeke. Lips. I just heard from a witness who was there. As matter of fact is in the audience this afternoon. The following took place in the 1940s. In scotland county, North Carolina. There was an attempt by an association to organize all of the cattlemen in North Carolina. Soon coming down from the hills everyone else in congregating in the general stores. My total reliable source was in one of the stores. They just started talking somebody in the store. The gun subject world war ii. The war was raging 1943. One of the fellow said, well you know, seems to me we got about this whole thing wrong way. Wittheres a storm in his alerts holland causing all the trouble. We would have to send out all of these forces. The goal of the manpower was really thats alert. The nothingness and how we can to do that spring and he said you give me about giving over there i will take care of it for you. And he says will how do you want to do it right hes and i will go to his house. He siblings public to help while running southbridge and he said im going to wait until nightfall. I will go back to the back wall and will climb over it with my rifle and hide to be trying to train i will hide their own light. Until he comes out in the morning to pete and automatic. [laughter]. I love that story. Shows a lack of knowledge of modern security waves. But also the feeling that somehow the common common sense rate cut out all the bureaucracy and out of the committee meetings. Just listening common sense take care of the job. It remain so. Last august, i attended a huge event in tennessee and the nascar race. Its run a half mile paved track. Have miles very short. For cars that are going over 20. This stands there are pitched at a very steep angle. So that they can see is a duke twice a year when this event is held, 165,000 people. As the biggest sporting event in america. Im not sure how many southerners know about this event. The leaning wouldve died and gone to heaven if he was sing this. When these good old boys in a stance, thats a lot of people. They all arrived on wednesday. This like something from the medieval tournaments. When opposing armies would show up. People would practically spend a week of the raising out of the the rules were suspended by the term is on. What this 500 race, i saw armies lined up in lengths for a mile arrecreational vehicles. And here came the vip. Given out to huge Landing Strip the most passengers never seen. Its from the helicopters for their part. You have to imagine the movie now. Are all the good old boys good old girls. Here comes the next guys in suits. These are mostly people who have never been to nascar event before. The police expecting to see Something Like the indianapolis 500. The dressed up to the throat. Mel flesh disintegrates. [laughter]. I think every male over the age of 35, should cover up as much of himself as he can. [laughter]. Nothing you can do about your skin. My children mcmenamy but i think, i think im doing that neighborhood with our favor when i wear a tank top. I will entered hallman you do this. [laughter]. Torah tank top to bea the beach. Doesnt count against my time. [laughter]. Cure all the vips and they get into the helicopter and they taking off. It theres this gigantic sleep helicopter. The carried up into the air. And they come down over the track. The track is built like a megaphone. And youre sitting on the inside of the microphone megaphone. In the stands you feel like if you stood up, you would slide down to the track. Imagine the noise with 25 racing cars and the crowd comes up out of that megaphone. And the moment in the helicopter, it is overpowering sound of the helicopter, has nullified the sound of the megaphone of the stands. And the who come in by helicopter, they go to the sky boxes. I love the skyboxes. And essentially removes you from the event. [laughter]. No sounds. No excitement. Will this people going there just once each other anyway. Assuming drinks. Becomes another world unto itself. But in the meantime the real fans are in the stands. This incredible noise goes right through your rib cage. The moves affair on your head. It is unlike anything ive ever experienced before. And i realize, the people spoke. I think this was a something about the south today. What is south today. When i tell you that when the head of the american our national association, is no longer Charles Hefner as you know. Prisons of the National Rifle association. It was fullgrown time. He spoke for all of about 30 seconds. None of an inflammatory mark for lousy mark, 165 people stood up as one. To apply him. That is a show of support. Then an implication was given. I think it was a baptist minister redoubled me to that. He was talking of the brave drivers throughs good lives. And also to please bless these fans who make it popular for these brave drivers to do with video to show us what can be done. [laughter]. And finally said, in the name of thy only son, christ jesus. That may not seem like anything to you but if that and been given in san francisco, los angeles or new york where i live, it would be elected for a hate crime. [laughter]. It sounded so strange. Nonchalantly, throw around the term of the good old boys. Does not really very accurate. But its really just incredible material for writers. Whether they live in the south of adults. It has to do with the role of the scotch irish and american life. Clinching webpage from james webb. He at one time, as a secretary of the navy under Ronald Reagan and before that he was loath decorated for rain in vietnam. He then wrote four novels the first of which i think is the best novel about the war in vietnam. Field of the fire. He went to annapolis strictly to go into the core. He wanted to be a leader in a fighter. He explains things that i never knew. Scott irish has been the backbone of the fighting forces ever since the revolution. In the civil war, both sides, full armies. The Confederate Army in the north army. At the core, were scotch irish. There people whom are from scotland and then went to ireland. In the left ireland in many came to the united states. Many were poor and about inexpensive land in the oblations. All these years, they have remained in with those who are born fighting. They fought our wars for us. Talk to anybody was been in the armed services, it was dark by the southerners. That is the scotch irish. Also the original source, of a particular music. And usually people are talking about rednecks. Truly term about which people forget the armies. Its kind of like barking up the wrong tree. It can tell you people have no idea that that comes from that area. With a tough road to hoe. Who on this earth is of her hooded robe. In the last 25 years. But these metaphors will hold on tight. Excuse me a second. Now you know its there, i think it will put it up here. [laughter]. These scotch irish had a crucial influence. On the 2004 president ial election. And i dont think this is ever been brought out to before. He got down to the crucial thing florida. Crucial state. In 2004, it was the state of ohio. In the early returns were coming in from the big cities, cleveland and toledo. There was a runaway for john kerry. And cleveland and toledo in the industrial towns along the great lakes. A little bit later then came people from southern ohio. It was if an irresistible tornado have rushed through the whole entire part of ohio. In including the city of cincinnati. And if the city of cincinnati had been somehow removed from the tally, george bush and relative hundred 50000. The election wouldve gone to carry. That happens to be the sloth of ohio that was by the scotch irish. Not only that, one of the main reasons according to surveys after the election, one of the main reasons that the scotch irish voted against kerry was that he was for gun control. And you think of a good control, will that is one issue. It is not alone in this. That one issue if youre scotch irish, was an attack on guns, but on your self read your people. Your way of life because you born fighting the constitution guarantees you your rifles. And youre going to have them in your notes going to take the process of government of lying down. Another example, to me it is south rather and all the part of the new south, meeting modern technology and this really leading Edge Technology in the world is some definite single figure. Chuck yeager. And he was from follows of west virginia. Up in the mountains. And he told me once, he said we are so far up here we can see daylight. [laughter]. His father worked in the gas field with the driller. His older brother worked in the gas field is a driller. And checking her wouldve worked in the fields except the Second World War came along. And there was a program called the flying. Because the air force did not have enough trained pilots because the requirements work a College Education and so forth. What yeager became violent with these flying sergeants programs. On his first, he shut down two german fighter planes. Is there was shut down. And was smuggled Southern France and spain the french underground. It is told and havent gone through this experience, he would not fly, begin. They went to Dwight Eisenhower and said i will fly and comments. In a simple if you have that much burnout go ahead. He shut down 13 and have killed including two german jet fighters that he shut down this propeller live in peace. Fiftyone. And after the war, he was sent out at the time, Edwards Air Force base, is a test pilots. People there cannot really understand him. He was a wiry muscular wiry, so much like sam shepard. Dark hair. And in strange things that people just didnt understand. He would say like anybody else would say but he would say hopes like a joelle ped. His words were actually decent phrases. But they were up in the hollows, they would pipe in the daylight. He also had, anything he said or did, its hard to communicate. They communicated this message. Living one more time, you have for all walls and face. People do not try for that. Friendly civilians would fly the x1 they would answer to his money. So the asked yeager to take the flight into the sound barrier. They asked him how much he would require to do that. He said claiming, i get to underneath 3 a month for captain. Thats good enough for me. And he went up and he broke the sound barrier in 1947 the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. Many of yeagers exploit his work done anywhere near that flight test. In the windshields covered with ice. This common problem. He said he had flown a rocket flight. His twin chilled was covered in ice he couldnt see a thing. And then he had no power than he said yeager came through on the side of his wing and he started telling him exactly how to maneuver going. And he said you sound like an old fishing buddy. Kind of lowers to put out there for the child. He was so calm, and he couldnt believe that there was anything really wrong. So he did what yeager told him he landed safely. And yeager was doing one of his patented signature maneuvers. It is been a hundred feet to a complete rollover. Yeager became such a legend within the flying fraternity, but pretty soon, you would hear all of the pilots and air force base talking like him. And because of the time the most Airline Pilots were trained in the military, he started hearing the Airline Pilots talking like chuck yeager. And finally, i knew none of this but i was at Edwards Air Force base doing research for my book. I can hear from the control tower, there suddenly a message which said edwards tower, edwards tower, missus air force nine or nine or. Altitude 290 feet. Cruising speed, 295 nuts. Theres some smoke in the cabin. [laughter]. Request permission to put her down the lake. They knew im sorry, the altitude was actually like 5000. And 200 and some feet. But at edwards, you already above sea level. So far that is only about 300 feet off of the deck pretty so when you slow down to 205 nuts, that means just in the moment, your ex 15 rocket, is going have the characteristics of khaki. [laughter]. So they were in the control tower tiny kind of thing. Air force jet nine or nine or five, and finally the same voice said edwards tower, this is air force underwriter five. Not requesting permission not a glaring emergency. Im just asking permission to put her down the lake. In his into his that. He said is the guy. But the words april many cities around boston. [laughter]. I said that accident he said yeah. I had to do is letting up in th