Freedom for the Thoughts We Hate

February 25, 2008
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Lewis discusses his new book, Freedom for the Thoughts We Hate, with Harvard Law Professor Martha Minow.

Electing a President

February 18, 2008
Madeleine Kunin, the first woman Governor of Vermont and the author of the upcoming Pearls, Politics, & Power: How Women Can Win and Lead; David Yepsen, Political Columnist for The Des Moines Register; and, former Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant share their insights about this unprecedented 2008 presidential campaign.

Poet Laureate

January 28, 2008
Former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and new Poet Laureate Charles Simic discussed poetry and read their favorite poems.

Civil Rights Milestone

January 21, 2008
On June 11, 1963, two African American students — James Hood and Vivian Malone — were barred entry to the University of Alabama by Governor George Wallace. In response, President Kennedy called out the National Guard, Governor Wallace stepped aside, and the President delivered a major civil rights address to the nation. After President Kennedy’s speech, the civil rights leader, Medgar Evers, was tragically murdered in his home. James Hood, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Nick Katzenbach, and Ted Sorensen discuss the events of this historic turning point in American history. Callie Crossley moderates.

Madeleine Albright

January 14, 2008
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discusses her new book, Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership with Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye.

American Idealist

January 13, 2008
Maria Shriver will introduced American Idealist, a new documentary chronicling the accomplishments of her father, R. Sargent Shriver, who started several programs in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, including Peace Corps and Head Start. Following the screening, there was a conversation with the film director, Bruce Orenstein; Shriver’s biographer, Scott Stossel; and William Josephson and Edgar May, friends of Sargent Shriver’s. This forum was presented in partnership with Facing History and Ourselves.

Presidential Courage

December 9, 2007
Against the backdrop of the 2008 presidential campaign, historian Michael Beschloss discusses his new book, Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989. Al Hunt of Bloomberg News moderates.

The Nixon Presidency

December 4, 2007
David Eisenhower, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the son-in-law of President Nixon; David Greenberg, a historian at Rutgers University; and Ray Price, speechwriter to President Nixon, discuss President Nixon’s legacy with Ellen Fitzpatrick, a historian at the University of New Hampshire. This forum is part of the Library’s series examining 20th-century presidents.

Remembering Julia Child

November 20, 2007
Julia Child’s long-time editor, Judith Jones, discusses French cooking, the joys of eating, and the indefatigable Julia Child with Sheryl Julian, Food Editor of The Boston Globe. Her new memoir is The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food. This forum is presented in conjunction with our current exhibit, Jacqueline Kennedy Entertains: The Art of the White House Dinner.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver

November 16, 2007
Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s children — Robert, Maria, Mark, and Anthony — discuss their mother’s many accomplishments with Harvard Law School Professor Mary Ann Glendon. Eunice Kennedy Shriver is the founder and Honorary Chairperson of Special Olympics and sister of President John F. Kennedy.