Its a big night for the National Book foundation, for literature, culture, the big night for all of us. Whenever i have the opportunity to stand in front of people i always mention my mothers name, irma jean christin. She is the reason i like to say about my mother i am th imed amm because she is the woman she is or was. My mother was my first teacher. My mother graduated from college the age of 17 the first person i17 in the firstperson in her fo college for me to be a wellknown literary advocate in this nation, a place where only a few generations ago it would have been illegal for me to read is no small thing. [applause] literature is the birthright of every single one of us if you can read in at least one language you are in my definition free. That is to say no one can pull the wool over your eyes are give you what they want to call alternative facts and convince you what you know to be true is in fact not true at all. If you can read at least one language, you have the wherewitha