Transcripts For CSPAN2 Book 20240704 : vimarsana.com

Occasionally i write books so said, oh, good to see. What kind of books do you write about . Economics. Oh, we need. Its important. Maybe if you put your new book about oh, its called the money confuse my argument. Thats about inflation and money is probably that theory. I think theres a big difference between high prices and inflation. Okay. Make that argument. Well, i dont understand that at all. So im the prime candidate for your book. Im the one who shouldnt read that, because all i know is i go to the Grocery Store and it doesnt cost like, twice as much as it did the week before. So can see my friend robert. Oh. Each other from. Not just a friend. This is your kinsman. Totally. Thats my cousin. Whos your wife here . Shes not now. Shes on the side. Shes a social connection between you two. And she. You. You look great. Im sorry to you. You know each other . Yeah. Hey, robert draper. Hey. I think ive seen her before. Yes, you have. Likewise. I dont know. Ive seen each other in, like, 40 years. 30 years . Nearly havent working together until, like, 92 or Something Like that. And. Yeah. And i wasnt aware of it. Karl knew you before. I did. I thought. Surely i going to have to go on story. You know, were friends, but were older friends, right . Right. I just want to thank you for writing about someone, explaining someone to me who really should be from texas. Shes not. Thats Marjorie Taylor greene. Oh, my. I mean, she really if anybody epitomize is like a whacked out texan. Thats thats her. And ironically, i will be seeing her in texas this weekend. But going out to grapevine and shes in some charming conference and so she and usually its we there and shes just me whos here. Oh, my god. Yes, thats that is that is a testament your ability to charmer. Well, i mean, i think i was fair. You know, i think i was really that was a great piece. Thank you. Thanks. Yeah, it is. And i dont know if you read it, but her staff did and i told her the good parts and. The bad parts. And thats a good stuff. Yeah so i. So now where are you now . I live just north of the city in new york. Okay. Youve been there quite a long time. Ive been in new york. I moved back from london about 22 years ago, and ive been there ever since. What whats the trajectory that got you from texas to london. To london . Like death, royal mail is one of the weird death of murder. Okay. L. A. Murder i love. So i love it. Year is tacos that that is actually the perfect contribution to texas related yeah whatever you know what i didnt even make the connection so yeah yeah. Planned trips to texas making sure i read of rattlesnake to of my death row meal is can these large cheese that is tasty and you know campisi first thing off the egyptian i try to do that also because i prefer to like travel for my death or a meal and im not sure that, you know we just got to be i just back from sardinia about six days ago so so is this your honeymoon . Its our of our honeymoon because we did a honeymoon to portugal and got subsumed into this six story during other times. You worked on your honeymoon the entire time. Its not good. Yeah. She couldnt stay in portugal, so she was really glad you talking about did how did how did you guys even romance contact such as the hours he came we went in style yes you know smart people to keep track of each other like think is that she does this she does this. She came to my attention when i would have known i would have come across anyway because this one female i think of speeches so i was doing this day to day in the life of American History of me. So i come across her style. Thats great. And so then we ended up partying together and we did a whole series together for four years ago. I was i was in when the pandemic started was in march 2020. She did pieces politics one day during the month of march, which was when session on speaking and then we stayed and every day of the month was a day that a woman gave a speech. So and then for a while i was going to do a book on that a whole year of speeches every day of the year. But then we had an italian dinner time in alexandria and i said to karl, you know, its crazy, but no one knows. The women have been sleeping in history and i wish i could do something even about it. And karl said and looked at me and he said, donna, you to do that . Do you remember that . Yes. Yes. You dont need a history like case, but here you have to texans. Your past. Say hello. Skip hollingsworth and greg. Oh, yeah. I just think skip, not long ago. Yeah, im seeing him day after tomorrow were the circumstances under which his arm. You were. I was a dallas. I spent a of time in dallas. I just got back from a month there because my mom is there and shes 94 actually. I think i saw him in an event for dan rather, which was a few years ago. Yeah. Because i used to work for dan levitt. Yeah, i didnt know that either. When was that was after you have cbs and he was he had his own program and i was producing shows for him for a while. Yeah. Yeah. Because when you and i were at the month ago, i think the third feature straight. Yeah. Was on the United States in touch to in fact, i was supposed to be in the tribeca Film Festival this weekend moderating a q a with you and his documentary. How are you there . Thank you for coming out. And i said so where is he . And i was telling how much i admire you were reaching for what youre doing with your announcement and all of that. And you do you know about her narrative about her just because my it just the block for me really although its down the pass the croton aqueduct passed is the house of your great great grandmother. Madam c. J. And you know whats really lovely is sometimes im driving down main street, and i see black women. Its young black women in their twenties, and theyre standing there taking selfie in front of madam c. J. Walkers. And that makes me feel so great. They come there and see that as place of empowerment. Its really lovely when they hear that we know we. I was just in the irvington city meeting on scene. The other and there are a couple of residents are really just giving us a hard time. What what . Well, we want to you know to commit to do this and with their Small Business with was this huge fashion show that was a little noisy a of years ago and so theyre using that as a basis for really to be small are you familiar with the house it is a grand stately house and in when madam c. J. Walker built it its a in irvington on the main street on route nine, and its going north on route nine, on the left. Really . I just want to know house and really stately, magnificent house. But heres the interesting thing, is that in her day madam c. J. Walker, she was a black woman in the when and she thought that house 19, 18, 1918, she moved in and she entertained all of the hoi polloi that the black. What would you say the black aristocracy, the writers. It was really her. She died in there a year, so she had a big party with a lot of civil rights leaders and all that. Her daughter lived there another decade and that was harlem renaissance, which was the writers and artists and anybody who was anybody in harlem came to madam c. J. Walkers house. And it was important, but it was a place of black accomplishment and black pride. And that house that was so beautiful and so stately, a symbol of that. Right. Thats really beautiful. Built it near, you know, near road so you could see it versus the rockefellers and the wall. So you can see houses because theyre looking at the river. So hoping that you and i can collaborate on the future and i have a few ideas that were going to talk. Theyre going to talk about that. I love want to do a book about that area and i want to have some kind of discussion because you did one. Alison gilbert right. Was such a success about writing and talking about womens history what it means to research womens history and, bring back the voices of these women who who have been unappreciated so, so and so you read the prolog did you saw the prolog the book or just a little closer to new what so the i im sorry i thought coming up this summer i saw theres a lot about the house parties in the house in 1920s but i look forward to our essay and hope to hear because im so thank you. So go enjoy rest of your guests. Thank you. Come in and have a drink. I said hi. You know, you look familiar. I am gonna jamie. Im ben. How are you . Hi, ben. Hello again. And thank you. This is so weird thank you so much and thank you for coming. So thank you. And did you join us because youre interested . The history of womens voice. Youre connected to someone now that an absolutely and i know julie okay im sure it becomes over time. Oh good im very near and dear okay well shes so much for the Book Community and the literary support these issues. So i really and books need all the help we can get in publishing really in a crisis now. So its so important that we buy books and authors so are you an author . I know we are good. Yeah, you have. Yeah, no doubt. I know what . Just buy books. Oh, yeah. Youre like me. You have an addiction. See it . I just love crazy all the. Well, nice to meet you. Got to continue talking. Thank you. Sorry. Can i say hi . Hi. I am Donna Charlie mccann. Good race. You look familiar. Do we know each other . I dont think so. No, right now. What brings you here tonight . I it is very sad to hear about the book thats. The best reason. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And are you writers . Youre the ghost journalist who are to be in front of us, to hear for. For economist. Hey. Well, im a big fan of the yeah in i love the fact that you cant just read an article in 5 minutes you have to devote more time to it generally. And thats good because most issues cannot be absorbed in 5 minutes. I resent the fact that when you look the new york times, it says five minute read. Yeah, i want to know in advance how long its going to take i dont want to make my decision about whether to read the article based on how long it takes to read it. Rowling intervention and. What do you write about . I have a roving national correspondent. I write slightly longer pieces. Good. About what . Whats the last piece i might have read is about drag queens. In tennessee. Is it a is that a Rural Community and home to just gay bar which is shuttering because of the kind of Political Climate center its to which so are the drag queens in moving somewhere else are they what are they talking about. Yeah, theyre hoping to kind of carry on and the law that was passed recently is placing restrictions, their ability to form an injunction on that. So they might able to carry on. But yeah, a lot of people are about regulating. You know, its a hard time to be openly gay and to be flamboyant and its just not its unfortunate the countrys politics shifting so dramatically and all kinds of groups are feeling the consequences. Know and do you write as well . Well, im in politics. So youre colleagues. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We came over together. So what do you write about wedding you got recently . Recently debt ceiling, republican primary. A lot the news thats anybody else from the economist come with you tonight. No it is no but its like you know 20 of the house and of course with the economist circulation is growing these days are staying flat or what because i read economists i dont know many people in my circle only read i think its stable. We have more a million subscribers in the same day. Look at thats well i lived in london for a long time so, you know, i appreciate that the british for six years i mean i talked yeah yeah yeah. And i wrote for the independent on sunday. All right. Okay. Yeah, thats great we both to time in london and you have to sort of have to in a way because you have to sort of pick up the voice of the publication right. So kind distinctively it is distinctive. Maybe thats why i like it so much. Yeah, well, nice to meet you. Ill just see you. Yeah, i will stay for a while. So what can i say with. Hi olivia. Hi. Nice to meet you too. Revisiting mars for you. Hello. Are you two related . We are. Yes, you do. And what brings you here today. Absolutely. My brother. A man like this looks like a really excited to read it. Yeah. So what was the when you brought that up . You know how they say that anger is great motivator . Yes, it is i got really angry. I started to notice there werent any speeches by women. So i said, we have to do something about that, right . Yeah. Yeah. Mean, theres so many parts of history that we know nothing about because women didnt make history. I mean, we didnt creating history we made history, but we didnt create the chronicle about history, whether specific event in history by women that really inspired you to write these women have been involved in so many of the pivotal points in American History, everything from slavery to the civil war, suffrage to, you know, the first one, every single moment in American History that has historical weight and moment, every pivot point. Women were women were speaking on that. Yeah, but we dont learn that in the history. So strong Great American say thats right. I love hearing thank you and i think specific certain things that you referenced you found a lot of literature data that you were able to contribute here and well, i will say that there are some around the country that care history and preserve the documents but for the most part people dont even know that documents exist. If you go to like if you go to antique and aquarian fairs or if you go to fairs, you see a lot of material. But when i say history, its not really considered collectible. But i would like to help change that. I would like to be part of changing that so that these are wonderful, valuable to pick up the price for. And its famous more Important Documents to have. And so i think that would be important in our culture. Anything that has a higher price tag is regarded as more. And so we argue that, well, nice to meet you and i hope well talk again later. I, i love that. Nice to meet you. Congratulations. Thank you. To see you ask you, how are you doing . Okay. Didnt respond directly what you told me about all the life changes. So i thought about leaving that out which normally its tmi but it seems like the any interaction we have personal and lovely and so to give you an explanation that im not having so many changing at once, i understood all that i had said all that. So how tell me, how has it been so far . Well, today is day and issue the official launch and yesterday the politics and prose. Well, last night was politics and prose. And im so that your voice is in the book because know i think we discussed a little bit about this america has become the face of what is the face of america is an american look like who is an american. I love the fact that you have an indian heritage, that you bring that dimension to, the book, because thats the really cspan, vivid, diverse city the range of different kind of voices is really one of the main points of the that no one kind of person reflects america. So i really value that its really important beautiful that you cared about that and about that. And also i just felt incredibly honored mean the span of speeches im only through because im taking im taking the time to read them really sit with each one and let it sink in and take in the inspiration. But its just its a complete honor to me and i know its honor for me. And the other thing the other reason is when i read the line that you wrote, i think i told you this and when you said that all of our heroes have a place and someone can be a brilliant physicist to have supported eugenics. And i thought you talked about Margaret Sanger in the and so many people would like to see cancer her so many people would say include her in the book because she held views we now regard as often you know as and discussable i dont think thats fair its not fair to the of ideas its not fair for the unfolding of history and how ideas change through history, just not intellectually honest. Right. You cant erase them entirely. I think for someone who made such a profound contribution to American Life and to lives, i think that to and it was nice that you picked up on that line. I know theres a lot more thinking i did, which is about the challenges. Not that we admire. We should admire people, the great actions they do watching. Right. And whatever it might be here, you know, the suffragettes but we problem comes when we idealize lionize them and treat them as if theyre supposed to be perfect. And those expectations. To be sort of an ideal hero or not expectations that real human beings and nobody meets those standards. Exactly. And so then we feel we need to turn them down because they havent met some. Perfect ideal. And yet seeing them as and yet human beings need heroes. We need people to look up to have to be more sophisticated about how look more nuanced in telling the history of womens fiction america without including Margaret Sanger. That would be intellectually dishonest. Yeah, she made such a profound impact on womens lives. Top of acknowledging the complicated history right. And acknowledging that we can acknowledge homelessness. But also say, okay, these things we now from our values today do you know how many times i rewrote the section on Margaret Sanger and Margaret Elizabeth cady stanton and Susan B Anthony the hardest for me to write because theyre all whove been considered, you know, because their views, i think theyve been considered non grata in a lot of womens history. Just tear them down. And i think we should have a more complicated way of understanding their girlfriends and their balance. Its nice to talk about the history now. I trying to those are kinds of things people can you i learned wanted to use my notes are going to change of course theyre going to change but we cant expect something everything right next generation. Its interesting that you would use the word fallible. Its also because you have an indian heritage. I always think of saying someday in the future, people might say and they eat meat right . Course. Right. They actually agree. Yeah. I mean that nina doesnt mean inherently nice business speeches. The final speech in the collection yeah. But the newest. Yeah. The contemporary with everyone. Yes. Its amazing. Yeah. And are you fan of dana. Yes, we all change. But naren is the publisher. Oh, okay. Well acquire publishers and amplify publishing book. I. Why do any of the people ive talked to who bought it . People know me, but all them were enjoying reading the parts that are not like. Theyre there. Im hearing good things. So were just talking. Naren and i had a number of conversations about how to deal with this difficult issue of womens reputations changing in time. And so what he and i were talking about, talking with margaret and cady stanton, Susan Anthony, and how well, after a lot of conversation we had many opportunities to handdeliver i was talking about how, you know, its really hard to predict those arguments and values. A feminist is being celebrated as it goes, whether theyre changing that really needs to maybe they arent in every sense of the word. Actually their conference right here, im going to go meet some other people right. Right now. Oh, okay. Im sure its something that will. In your 20 seconds. Right . Right. Hi. I want to say hello. Hello. Im donna. Kristen soltis anderson. Nice to meet you. Im veronica and heres this. Its a little damien. I work with juliana. This is her. It got some. Oh, lovely. What an extraordinary congratulate to you. Thank you. I was just talking. Says to hold this book. Everywhere i go thats inside what you do as somebody who . I wrote one book in my life. Always happy for, you know. What was your book about is called the selfie vote. It was about young voters and what i thought republicans could do to win them back. Okay. When you get about a week after former president went down to vote necessarily so its a book like an alternative. But its all about what i thought republicans do at the time to have a message that were more optimistic, a little more be on time to update that message. I think its needed now more than ever. The thing is, millennials, we are now. So im a millennial and im turn 40 next year. Gen is now really very sad of the millennials. Some ways are on your but gen z is still i dont know i would say the whole thing is really in flux. I dont anybody is now the Republican Party is going to look like in the next ten years . You know, i do completely correct that things are very much in thats an opportunity. So i think your message or a revised message could be very welcome to encourage you to work on that. Well im im excited to your book because i think for my High School Im very interested in the way are around history giving speeches how how theyve been able to make change what they faced with their. And did you mention that because you know about my connection to debate. I did not. Well i am a Debate High School debate. And one of the one of the ideas that underlies my thinking is that we should all understand the principal and that idea should be in class. Did you do lincolndouglas debates . Yeah, i did one time. I mostly did very well. Anyway, im a big fan of high school and so thank you for adding that dimension to the conversation because its really to me, you usually glamorize something you want to say, look at you, you look great. You look fantastic. And is eddie here. But no, hes in erika bolstad. You didnt answer my last emails and i was worried you were upset with me or something. And so great to throw. Were on cspan. Gary. No, no, no, no. I was always going to be here and im always going to ride review, which im going to talk a little bit, but i dont think ive seen you in 40 years. What have i seen you . I do. When i see you. The last time i saw you might have been around the Playing Field at emerson, but listen, its like the political. He was here really good, looking great. And ive been looking so good this year year. To be the crowd is rock and. Oh, when i left, you know what . Im catching up with you because ive been proud you for years. I got and you for years. Look at all the distinguished writing history you have my saturday just came back from because im getting an award. Lets go after the top in this game. Good for you. Its welldeserved. I want you to meet my friend carl cannon. Hes right behind here. So can we amble over there. Hes. I want to introduce you to someone someone. Gary lee and i were college together, and i dont think weve seen others gary hammer yet. When i was at smith before i went to yale and we were friends and he created fantastic marriage. And every since hes been great. Shes has a mercury. Donor, a writer. I try we all talk. I was the editor of real clear politics. Real clear. The head of the publisher. And carl and i, each other from San Jose Mercury news. So really and gary was a reporter, older we look he wrote for the Washington Post and he was of the bon bureau in moscow in moscow. So he always thinks german russian and french and his partners from peru so spanish to me how they know everything, you know, where are you now hear and. See for whatever im back here and talk. He also writes for the tulsa managing editor of winchester newspaper area has been around for hundred years. The managing editor thats the area where there was a run. There were riots there. It was like 19, 21 just now. Youre not covered that way. No and go. We do write the ramifications. Matter for community i grew up in oh youre from tulsa back background can you that so the elders remembered and now theyre the reason why. I now im going to support 100 in living memory and as much as you become a water yeah ill get you. This is that right. You should bob dylan. Yeah right around the corner from my its great what is the bob song like his whole his archives so the everything which is lame accuracy guys these guys every you know thats how there is an oil man from tulsa i listen to the. Kennedy. Archives all right here and open against him but is there a connection between dylan tulsa going to between to the brings tourists money to me youre coming. Tulsa so far from dallas my home. Yeah my sister is in for worse and he drives her here. In dallas and theyre all. I was just there from 19. Always there. Lets go. When youre in tulsa, ill be in dallas. Id love to that this time. Really. I associate. I are going to die and say together my familiar. The offer they told me i have to walk around with this, but i havent turned the you go right like do you you madison. I was good. Yes way right for us and many other people. A professor at stanford based here. What do you teach at stanford as a teacher . Now with that class, its like, have you that thats the way that actually i got off the airplane 2 hours ago. Not kidding. Yeah. Its generally its a class of american political thought. Okay . Its never invited me to speak, so it must be very. What do you talk about . You a month to speak. You did the next question. How Many American women thinkers do you include in your course course . We have Elizabeth Cady stanton. Do you have her speech . Yeah, i do. Okay shes good to. I put on the spot. Its actually its more specifically its a classified club varieties of conservatism. We have Elizabeth Cady. We have jeane kirkpatrick. Jeane kirkpatrick was almost in the book, but no, didnt. Shes on the cutting room floor. Shes pretty good. And then so we do have women from across the political spectrum. So this a non politically neither right nor left in the middle. Well you know i actually i put this question to the students. Elizabeth cady stanton, you know, pretty much anachronistic left or right, conservative. On the one hand, shes demanding rights for women and equality, i think, sounds progressive. On the other hand, she gives a speech i know what give a say is going to say sam pardon, are you going to speak about the remark derogatory remark . No, not at all. To the contrary i would say is free speeches, of course, modeled on the declaration of independence declaration of independence for women. It shows that progressive are definitely. Yeah thats thats her speech thats my quote but the whole thing is not for. You which i senator and the reason is because we had this relationship that i wanted do my book with somebody had such trusting in now warm relationship and they tell the difference because its a hard project. Its stressful have to go through a lot of different decisions and we have very good relationship. Im singing your praises to allison silverberg. We are an old friend, family friend. Shes very and im from dallas weve met before and now we had our and im trying to play she used to be example former member of course i want, i totally would have voted for you and say that oh one how can i say yeah hi everyone. I hold this like im going to. Might. The best. If i could have everyones attention for a moment actually about 11 moments im going to give one minute introduction of tonights donna rubin and then donnas going to speak about her book for those of you. You dont know me on carl cannon. Im the Washington Bureau chief for politics, but more more relevant to this enterprise, im an executive at a real fair group and one we have a Book Publishing that we publish along with. We have a partners and five books there. And ariel, whos in the audience, raise your hand and aarons here. We also another partner, dan gerstein, whos does in gotham ghostwriting. But this author didnt need any help ghostwriter. Shes a stylish writer and has been all the time ive known her, which is a long time we we go back how long has it. Well to go back . More than three decades. To our california newspapering days in the bay area and donna, we have never lost track of her. She keeps trashing where she is. The proprietor of worlds foremost collection of women speeches still speak my female speech banks speech back and donna she was it three years ago now in march womens history month, donna wrote her collated speech for us, wrote the introduction for every day in march, a speech a woman in the world was given that day and we stayed in touch and at some point we had a conversation and and i said, you need to look. And we are not luddites, don. And i she was she heard her speech is online. I work for an Online News Organization but were both old school enough that we thought this needs to be a book there needs be a book in a library book like this. And i think i would be in this. It came to be now i, i am not unbiased but. I think i think no library in america complete without this book and dont mean here i dont mean a feminist i mean any library get from course to tell american story has to have this book and thats you know we say author now some anthologies the author collects them stuff and puts it in there writes an introduction or more typically as a famous person writing an action and a publisher will rest, what do you call this person . Author they are sometimes they edited. Well, this is not this case, donna wrote this a really beautiful to her book herself. And more than that, introductions to every single speech unit and those introductions until the person was who this woman was, why she was speaking about this issue at time, what was going on in american politics or culture or civic life that made this speech. And for all of men, about 425 words. She held an achievement. She did for every speech. This book now im reminded of James Thurber wrote a book called is sex necessary . I know youre going to say that. And and in that book, the preface to it he says he writes he quipped he made it up. Kidding, he said, ring lardner wrote the original introductions in this book and the editors at. Scribners threw it out on the grounds it was better. The book. Now, im not saying even in jest. Donna rubins introduction is better than Harriet Tubman speech a, susan b, anthony or as is her helen keller. But what i am saying is that those introductions she wrote are worth the price of this book alone. So survives. Tell your friends to buy it, and more than that you should have in your and not just for the girls and young women in your life, but for the men. And with that, i introduce you to our author, dana rubin. Gee, to hope the book. Hold the book while i thank you, carl. And as some people know and i want everyone to know this book would not have come to be if. It hadnt been for my friend carl. We had dinner a few years ago and i was telling how frustrating it was. Infuriating it was that so few people know how many women spoke in history and. He leans across the table and he says, as me, just donna, you have to do this book. And so thank you for grabbing across the table and inspiring me to do it and for really forcing me do it with the force of a friend of friend that only a friend can do. So many people ask me how it happens that i went this wormhole into the world. Womens speech and the history of womens speech. And i have to i have to say, i think of it more as kind of a i know a portal or an opening and im sure all of you can relate that you know how when you get really interested in subject and you go deeply into it, it doesnt seem so small anymore. It seems really expansive. It opens up into this vast and interesting and multifaceted world. And thats thats exactly what i found out with the history of womens speech that not many people really know about, but that all of these women throughout nearly 400 years of American History spoke stepped up use their ideas their imagination their experi ences and their voices most importantly, their voices put their voices into the public square, whether it was through speeches, addresses, lectures testimony, sermons, spoke out loud, despite the fact that it was often very hard for them they suffered reputational damage, they suffered a physical assault, they suffered on me. I mean, it wasnt easy for much of American History for women to use their voices. So people asked me how, did i start on this . And i and i i guess i have to say there were a number of factors, but one of them was that i teach speaking, i do coaching and help people speak powerfully. And when i would teach to students, i would often ask them which american women speakers do you know of in history . And by and large, i would be confronted with blank faces like. Occasionally someone might mention, as you a helen keller or Susan Anthony or Elizabeth Cady stanton, maybe eleanor roosevelt, but it or more likely Michelle Obama or hillary clinton, then i thought there have to be more than that. How could be that . There werent more than that. So i started on this journey, looking in the archives, looking outofprint books, looking in old anthology, anywhere i could, looking for speeches by women and what i found was dazzling. I just dazzling array of ideas and viewpoints that dont get the recognition that they deserve so encourage all of you to look at the book think about how we make history how it is that the history that know that we all grew up with comes into being and to question it to question what are the who are the gatekeepers who tell us, what matters in history and can we expand our understanding so that more voices are our champion, more voices are appreciated and so that we can open up the the Public Discourse to invite Diverse Voices into into the conversation and think. Its particularly important for those us here in washington, dc of us are writers or, thinkers or speakers of one sort. And i know we all want to think or we want to understand influence how it that we influence the public with our ideas. How is it that ideas are transmitted through the culture that they can make an impact . And i think that there are lessons inside this book for all of us because each of these women faced obstacles faced prejudices face societal obstacles or hindrances. And i think its really helpful for all of us today. Appreciate that. Despite the despite those obstacles that ideas endure good ideas endure. And that conceived and shaped ideas endure. And so this book is meant to be an inspiration for for all of us. So thank you so much for coming let us champion womens voices. Thank you for being here to celebrate them. Celebrate them with me tonight. And i hope that well all to champion different places the in the public square. Thank you. Did you take questions . Oh, okay. Does anybody have any questions . Im going to fix this back here. Shes coming up and sideboard and you see all the speech in your book and whats new as well . Thats a Perfect Question because the one is six is from Margaret Brandt and Ann Hutchinson from 1637 in the puritan colony. And the most recent speeches, a woman whos here tonight being nine. There she is, christina venkataraman and she being i want to say a few words, but bina is works for the editorial section of the Washington Post in the book is her commencement speech. I want you say just a little bit about it, im sure. I mean, i could up in my speech for the first place to you, but it was a commencement address i gave at the university of Southern California in 2021. And i just echo your sentiment by saying im probably the woman in the book who had the face the least obstacle thanks to all the women preceding my speech in the book. So its both an honor and an kind of a great historic legacy to stand on, to be included. I think its such an such an important point that you make and that i appreciate all time. All the time is that when you look the history, when you just read through the introductions, you look at what these women endured, you really appreciate that we are able to speak today because these women it before us because they paved the way for us. I think that thats really a profound lesson of history really, is that history doesnt have to unfold the way it did, that we can all be agents of change in our own way and make a different future if we use our and if we step up and and put our ideas into the world. So any other questions you have we spoke and i love that someone finally this book its just so overdue. Its ridiculous. But in any case my question is what was most surprising . I know you did a lot of research. What was the most surprise thing you came across or the most surprising is that you found it so you thank you that you asked what was the most surprising thing that i came across i think i would say the realization or the discovery that the first women speakers in america were Indigenous Women. So how long have Indigenous Women been been here . I mean, at least 20,000 years. These were who lived in clans, tribes, and many of them were naturally initial. So the women, vast powers in their communities so that that the anglo settlers who came so much later didnt you know didnt accord women that kind of power and those women spoke in their communities. They led services. And they also engaged in treaty treaty negotiations with the anglo settlers who came in and really appreciating that those women, their voices. But we dont know what they said feels like such a such a loss to history in such really kind of a tragedy. But of course, no one was there to write down what they said. Many of them have a written language, and so their words are lost to time. I guess other insight is that among the various earliest speakers and also were itinerant preachers, women preachers, they were black, they were white. They spoke to mixed audiences to women and men to black audiences and white audiences. And preached almost every christian denomination. There were quakers, there were congregationalist, there evangelicals, and they traveled all up and down the eastern seaboard and into the midwest. And these were women speakers, women speakers. And we have just a few of their speeches, my speech bank. But, you know, we think of early, early speakers, beginning with Elizabeth Cady stanton and Susan Anthony, but its not true. So many women came before them and. I think its really important that we recognize and appreciate voices. And the other questions. Oh, oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, so youre 75 speeches in, the book, and you must have had a thousand to choose from. Im just guessing. So how did you do that with not at all. In fact, a lot of, really. Gems. Gems of speeches up on the cutting floor. So what i did is, i made an excel spreadsheet and i filling it in. And the first, you know, 100 years or so wasnt so hard. We didnt have that many. But then started getting to the 1840s, leading at anti abolitionist speeches. Right. And of a sudden i started to find more and more speeches by women. And then leading up to the civil war and during reconstruction and the temperance and Womens Suffrage Movement all a sudden there were so many speeches by women, and then i had to do the delicate job of deciding what goes in and what stays out. And that was painful that was really painful. There were some choices that i had to make and honestly, i could have easily done 100 speeches by women or 125 speeches by women. So maybe thats in the future. Okay, one more thing. One more question. I have a question. Yes. So, yes, so every one of those 75 voices is very poignant and each one tells a different story. And i know its a hard thing to do for a writer, but in any one of them made you cry. Scream even more so. Most people have to read this. Well, im glad you put it that way, gary, because people all the time people ask me, do i have a favorite speech . And i always no, i dont have a favorite. My favorite is always the one that i just added to this morning to, the speech bank, because like i said, every i add a speech, it opens up this whole vast world and i get so into it. But there is speech that does still bring not tears to my eyes. It brings tingles. I dont know. It makes me feel in awe and. Thats the speech by anna. Julia cooper, do you know many of you know anna . Julia. She was a she was a black activist and writer and thinker. She spoke at the chicago worlds exposition, the columbian exposition in 1893. She was one of four black women that were allowed on the platform during that that long exposition. And she gave a speech, Womens Womens is one. And universal was rights or what . And it wasnt universal its the most exact speech. If i could ask you to look at one thing, it would be to read the final paragraph of that speech, because talks about all of how black womens voice is used in service of all humanity. And this was only 1893, it was like three decades after a emancipation emancipation proclamation. And she talks about how black womens voice speaks for all women and for all humanity. And its incredibly moving. And. Thats the one speech that i wish that every schoolchild in america would and and learn about, know about. Yeah, there was one more question. Yeah. Oh, i was going, what are your to especially as you get the modern of assessing discounting or elevating the role of the speech writer relative to the speech giver after the. Well, you know, every about every every politician, every major know business person today, you know gives a lot of speeches has, a speechwriter, but i think a good speechwriter speechwriter never alters the voice of the person that theyre writing for and. They never alter the message fundamentally. Its that the speaker owns speech. The speaker owns the values inherent in the speech and the speaker owns the message. So id say the the speechwriter is just a conduit. I mean, if you walk into someones house like this a Beautiful House and its beautifully appointed, you dont say, who is the interior decorator here mean its obvious that this is the owners house, an expression of the owners taste and ideas. I think its the same with a speech. I think thats a good way for us to end because i neglected to think juleanna glover. Voice is curled maybe too early, so apparently have more people than i was expecting. Im opening up the hard liquor in the back because. All right so anybody that wants a real cocktail its going to be on in the kitchen. Thank you julia. Thank you, naren. And thanks, all of you for coming. Okay, so books available. We have we have a lot of books on amazon and find naren whos going to facilitate that tonight. Thank you yim really excited as event. This book feels a very, very big