Service to the American Literary community will go to ms. Zimmer we will learn more about that this evening. This is the booktv coverage of the red carpet of the National Book awards in new york city. After this you will see the actual board sarah ray. Awards ceremony. Good to see you. [inaudible conversations] spec on the red carpet right now is one of the finalists. Shes having her picture taken. Hopefully we can talk to her in just a minute as a cartoonist of the new yorker. Joining us now on their red carpet is David Steinberger president and ceo of Perseus Publishing Group and also chairman of the National Book foundation and. What is that . The National Book foundation is committed to increase the impact of culture what we are best known for is a National Book awards it is great to see her up there it is the first graphic novel or the first graphic works ever to win it is for her amazing book. Host did we just hear your vote . I dont have the vote we have judges we fly in from around the country. For different restaurants for different categories. We tell them you cannot get the check and tell you make a decision and so nobody knows though better though winner. Host how do you pick the judges . One was the first or the former president of brown university. Other the leaders of the culture is an academic, a critic, a journalist or a library and library and it is a huge commitment to reach eight to read a huge amount of books they do wonderful job. Can anyone submit a book . Finigan has to be published in the United States when with in the year. And that is the requirement. Host what about self publishing . It is of great question we had discussions about that but nothing right now readkiddoread you have any nominees from perseus . We do in the fiction category. We tried to stay impartial but it would be great to win tonight. Host many different iterations of the National Book awards. Do you thank you have hit a rhythm . Were always thinking what is the right way and we go back to the mission to books on culture. That is like the famous after party. And opening fed judging other than writers. Were still making progress we have a bigger crowd tonight the largest leveraged rest. Who ever addressed. Host keep buying your ceo hat. It seems the Publishing Industry is settling down a little bit. Is that Fair Assessment . Interesting question. It is an exciting and dynamic time. It never seems to get dull. Amazon is a very vibrant industry. Never a dull moment. Host David Steinbrenner from the Perseus Group like Running Press and chairman of the National Book foundation. Host now one of the finalists for the nonfiction category you have probably saved her work but not her face. Can we talk about something more pleasant . The first graphic novel, and the more. To be nominated. For the nonfiction and category. The graphic memoir stitches was nominated for the young adults but this is the first nonfiction. Host it is nonfiction . What are you writing about . The book is about my parents last years and by taking care of them and that whole part of life which we were all in complete denial. That is the title can we talk about something more pleasant which is what my father would say. When they did pass a waiver 95 and 97 so there were a number of years i did not know where we were going. Host people who see your work know that you have a sense of humor and this is no different. There were some very grim aspects but also funny things and it was a combination of a lot of the motions demotions. Host how did you find you were nominated . The publisher is doonesbury and my editor called me. Host what was your reaction . I was shocked extremely surprised and happy it is a great honor. Host when did you start with the new yorker . 1978. A long time ago. Host how did you get into cartoons . In a generic sense. Guest i always loved to draw from the time i was little. I like to write and things that were funny. And cartooning was a wonderful way to combine writing and drawing and one thing about this book that with happy to do is i felt that i did not have to just use the text or pictures but david couple of anothers polemist. Poems it is very flexible host can we talk about something more pleasant is the name of the book. A familiar face to the booktv watchers harvard scientist, to pull a surprise and 20 books . 32. Host i underestimated. I am very selfabsorbed. [laughter] host dr. Wilson has written one that has been nominated the meaning of human existence. Guest i think it is the relationship between the ambition of a writer and this book. What is the meaning of human existence dr. Wilson . Guest from the beginning of the book i think of lots of the content good the by to expressions and one of them is we are a sub one maladaptive species that we have ended up with the paleolithic demotion with us in medieval institutions. It is a crazy and dangerous mix. The meeting is where we come from in the way i approach a. And for where we come from that makes no sense except through biology. To find that linkage between humanity with a history and self examination on the one side and the science on the other side that explains how it happens. Host if we flunked biology what is paleolithic been . Guest this turn age. Host are we an accident . Guest in a sense we are because it is a combination of very rare evolutionary events and i have been studying the origin of the social system. I have found the 20 or so times the advanced social behavior existed. Lets wait times it has originated and said to take the last leap ochered with groups competing about other groups. Was inedible big enough and there are a fault. With the large primate. A probe landed on a comet recently and they found carted or the basic Building Block of human existence. What is your reaction . But in the book that were now discussing i take that up at some length of how many star systems we have to go out to. But in a few years. Host what days your fascination . Guest from my boyhood and i soon discovered as an undergraduate to offer a tremendous opportunity. And that is what i really got started with. But we dont see or hear. Host in your long career at harvard have you changed your mind about theories you supported in the past . Guest i was one of the principal supporters of the series of when i brought out of a book in 1970. I thought we had this solution of kinship through cooperation. But in the last 10 years were finding more facts with this theory and mathematicians and others said experts who have now dismissed that theory and have returned the origin of social behavior back to the tested principles of population genetics. It is not a new theory but an extension of modern today for social behavior. This is in the book also. For what it means now. Host what is the 33rd book about . The next one coming up is called finished it is finished in the hands of my publisher. And then with that approach which would give half to the other 8 million species. We actually can do with a hand in the new book i will show it. Host the meaning of human existence i have to be a little cheeky. I have heard when people say what should i do with a dance in my kitchen . It is what i most often asked i tell them watch where you step. Get some cookie crumbs may be some tuna and put on the floor then watch as the scouts and yet finds it to report back to the nests through the invisible centralia signals to bring members of the colony to surrounded and protected it and eats it. You will thereby seek life no different from our own that might be from another planet. Host National BookAward FinalistEdward Wilson. Thankyou. This is booktv live coverage of the National Book awards and as you can see the red carpet area is filling up we will be live later with the award ceremonies as well. The ideal is the host this evening and also known as lebanese ticket lemmony snicket. As we continue to talk to some of finalist in the nonfiction category we have a finalist here as well. How do you approach what was your approach . So i approached as to relate that to the stories ; many members of the taliban tried to join that u. S. Government side but part of the story why of days urgency. You were over there with the wall street journal . Among others. And christian monitor senate where did you grow up . What made you go over to afghanistan . I am from new jersey eyelift in new york city during 9 11 and saw the attacks. From then on i was very fixated on that part of the world views to the physics and chemistry actually switched careers. But i was fascinated with a felt i was not getting adequate understanding so i moved to afghanistan to try to figure it out. Host how long were you there . Womens 31 2 years and that would definitely go back. Host what is it like to be in callable today . It is like an island that is very safe and controlled the surrounding it is insurgency and violence so being in kabul is like being in a bubble. Host they just had their election with a new president coming in. What is your assessment . Finigan many are very hopeful because he operates very differently than karzai he was about cultivating patronage were now they are about building the afghans other is hope that he does not have a lot of hope our power because of the bourse saw his ability to affect fundamental change is limited to a seventh note goodman among the living. It is a proverb that refers to the idea there are no heroes our saviors the only option is survival. Host good luck. Thank you for joining us on booktv. [inaudible conversations] host as you can see we are filling up with publishers and authors. After the red carpet arrivals there are six awards given now for poetry poetry, young adult, a fiction and nonfiction and to literary awards. Of this is the author and also an award given not for outstanding contributions to the Literary Community given to the ceo and president of a group called first book. Host Tennessee Williams. What is your fascination . The greatest american and a playwright he essentially a and defined the postwar boom. And in his great years between 1944 and 1955 the american percapita income, tripled. And people could pursue their desires the he would write about desire and need a and a longing to help shape that discussion between self sacrifice had selfing aggrandizement. Was impetuous stand there was all reflected. Host was teeeight socialite . Not settle. This thing about williams he wrote wonderful poetry or stuff that has never been published. So he did much more work and after all made movies were made. And he defines postwar america. And did not have that folklore reach. If you just say staley or maggie but they are larger. Host picked us side. And i say your last name correctly . It is far irans with hour. But with tennessee he ticket and then they were pathfinders as they pass finding. But among the danger is world. Host what about american southern writers that we celebrate or steady . Guest i dont recognize that category. But they have great eloquence, a great humor, that is to say slavery with a sense of guilt that filters through the narratives of the southern writers. Host if the name sounds familiar coming from the family did you know, Tennessee Williams . I was the manager of Lincoln Center when we did the first major revival in nearly seven days. But to recognize that you dont need to necessarily those of a person because with the diaries are the letters was the most autobiographical and what my book does is the internal geography and said his internal states at the time so there are many, many things like the gps system what he was thinking and feeling while he was writing all these great plays. That is fascinating. Where are the papers stored . Replaces the early part is that the harry resin your center in austin and columbia. And there is a Small Holding at the new Orleans Historical society. Host what is the pressure like to be the drama critic . No pressure i was the second longest job and i held overture to one years. Have the keys to the kingdome with your ambitions to do your job. Misgives you access to virtually anybody. From woody allen and digested one but they know i will write about them but to the theyre yorker is fact checked is deadly serious. Host have you identified another topic for your next book . That person has agreed in principle but i will not say but it is a collection called joyride that puts modern playwrights into context so those like Arthur Miller over the 21 years. Host one of the five nonfiction finalists, Tennessee Williams. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] you were watching booktv on cspan2 at the National Book awards for the 16th year in a row. In new york city. That is where this is held down on wall street. Talking with the nonfiction finalists. [inaudible conversations] host joining us here on booktv is one of the award winners. What is the first book . The organization to provide it branded new books basically for anyone serving children is indeed. We have a network of 350,000 classrooms and places we provide resources it is a relationship call collaborative disruption to aggregate for the First Time Ever to serve the base of the Economic Pyramid the lowest 30 for programs our classrooms and have never been reached by the public seeing Publishing Industry. It is music to is the years but we represent a brandnew market to reach out to them as children then their children will be readers. Washington d. C. Host how did you get started. I was a lawyer at the time to be better not. If you are a slow learner they catch you to make you a a lawyer i started to tutor kids after worked so one thing led to another 23 years ago and almost 120 million books in. Host where to get your money . 50 is self funded with individuals and foundations are very generous. Host do you miss being a lawyer . No. I love the challenge and the love to turn on the of light for kids is addicting. Host had you gone into the ebooks as well . In a clear just darden also with mobile we want to reach for whatever means they want we want to be there for them host award for Outstanding Service to the american and the Literary Community for you by somebody with you . This is my son. Host you are on cspan does mom never make you watch cspan . Have you heard of that . Not really. We are not a big tv family. Oh my. I dont know why were talking to you. What are you reading right now . In the era gone. Host how did you find out you would win . Did you nominate yourself . Heavens no. I got a wonderful film called spinach do you know, who nominated you . Been a kid is the secret. Host reba like to visit you and we will see what you do a spinoff that would be great to 7 8 to meet you. Lookout for lemmony snicket. Booktv on the red carpet literary award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary community. The first book is the name of her organization. Booktv on cspan2. [inaudible conversations] host making his way across the red carpet is the other finalist with a first book age of ambition. Congratulations what is your book about . My book is about china where i lived eight years it is between the people like david tutto and though a very fortunate for grumman sarah the Chicago Tribune then i was hired by the new yorker magazine and i have spent their six years. I have been in the west for one year when you come home that sense of wonder and curiosity leads you. You got to run an errand and something happens and it becomes part of your story. A lot of books are written about china and the relationships that is. How did you approach it . Writing those our product and experience not washington but living through this transformation of that country . Going through a similar Rapid Development process so that piqued my a curiosity. Host who is one of the folks that you followed . Is not the person that i set out that is from the serious work what i discovered to be unbelievably interested in the idea of self creation of. With the old selfhelp books there really was something familiar. If he learned english that would catapult catapulted amount it did many ways it felt like an honest reflection but on the other hand, another breaking get it there was very instructive in its own way. Not Public Affairs is not your publisher . Oregano that is where my father has been and he founded. Their runs in the family long before i ever thought of writing a book. He is here tonight. Host what is the sixth africans . Validation and that the book is here to stay. The way to tell a story the fact that there are things you cannot do into a thousand words less than 140 characters. But the ability to spin out a story is something very special and a durable. Host will you return to china . I will be back frequently but not for a while i needed to get some space to see more clearly. It is nice to be closer to home. Agent of ambition and. A finalist for the National Book award. Poetry fiction end of nonfiction. Were talking to the final list tonight. We have been called into the ballroom for the dinner so we will end the red carpet coverage at that time so we will try to do with the camera as 65 austria at the bank with a whole. It is 1,000 a ticket. For the award category. Into a literary achievement awards are given your by ching the of booktv coverage of the 65th annual National Book awards coverage on cspan2. Ladies and gentleman please take your seats as we begin the medal ceremony. Good evening. Fellow literary nerds. My game is daggled known as lemmony snicket welcome to the