The Word This Week
5-17
(Theme plays: Funky techno music)
♪
[ Caption: THE WORD THIS WEEK ]
Kim: ON THE WORD THIS WEEK, AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE MOST NOTORIOUS MAN ON
EARTH, OSAMA BIN LADEN; THE DARING AND COMMITTED INDIVIDUALS BEHIND THE
STORY OF GREENPEACE...
Rex: WE WERE YOUNG AND CRAZY AND DIDN'T ALWAYS THINK EVERYTHING THROUGH AND
MADE ALL KINDS OF MISTAKES AND GOT INTO CRISES AND CHALLENGES THAT WE COULD
NOT EVEN HAVE IMAGINED.
Kim: ...AND POST SECRETS MADE PUBLIC.
(Upbeat rock music)
(Theme plays: Funky techno music)
[ Caption: KIM CLARKE CHAMPNISS ]
Kim: HELLO THERE AND WELCOME TO THE SHOW. I'M KIM CLARKE CHAMPNISS. CNN'S
PETER BERGEN IS ONE OF THE FEW JOURNALISTS EVER TO INTERVIEW OSAMA BIN LADEN.
BERGEN WENT ON TO CONDUCT MORE THAN 50 INTERVIEWS WITH FRIENDS AND
RELATIVES OF THE ELUSIVE TERRORIST. HE COMPILED THEM TOGETHER ALL IN ONE
BOOK. THE RESULT: THE OSAMA BIN LADEN I KNOW.
(Indiscernible chatter)
(Speaking other language)
[ Caption: PETER L. BERGER - AUTHOR, THE OSAMA BIN LADEN I KNOW ]
Peter: I MET BIN LADEN IN '97 BECAUSE I PRODUCED HIS FIRST TELEVISION INTERVIEW.
AND I WASN'T INTERESTED IN TERRORISM. I WAS INTERESTED IN AFGHANISTAN AND
PAKISTAN. UNFORTUNATELY, TERRORISM BECAME PART OF THAT STORY.
(Speaking other language)
[ Caption: TRAINED AND WE DID NOT REVEAL THE OPERATION TO THEM UNTIL THEY
ARE THERE AND JUST BEFORE THEY BOARDED THE PLANES. ]
Peter: THE QUESTION OF HOW OR WHY BIN LADEN BECAME A LEADER IS, UH, DEFINITELY
ONE OF THE THEMES OF THE BOOK. AND, YOU KNOW, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, IF YOU MET HIM
WHEN HE WAS 17, 18, 19, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A RETIRING, SHY SON OF A
MULTIMILLIONAIRE WHO'S ONLY DISTINCTIVE FEATURE WAS HOW ULTRA RELIGIOUS HE
WAS: PRAYING SEVEN TIMES A DAY, FASTING TWICE A WEEK. AND HOW DID THIS SHY,
RETIRING GUY TURN INTO A LEADER OF MEN? I THINK MAYBE TWO OR THREE REASONS.
ONE, HE BEGAN TO FIGHT THE SOVIETS, PERSONALLY, IN AFGHANISTAN IN THE 1980s. YOU
KNOW, WAR CHANGES PEOPLE; WAR CERTAINLY CHANGED BIN LADEN. THE EXPERIENCE
OF ACTUALLY FIGHTING ON THE FRONTLINES AND PERFORMING RATHER BRAVELY, BY ALL
ACCOUNTS-- ACCOUNTS OF EYEWITNESSES THAT ARE IN THE BOOK-- HE BEGAN TO SEE
HIMSELF AS SOMEBODY WITH SOME LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL.
(Rapid gunfire)
Peter: THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID THAT HE'S BEEN MARGINALIZED. IF HE HAD
SAID NOTHING SINCE 9/11, HE WOULD BE MARGINALIZED. BUT HE'S RELEASED, YOU
KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE 20 STATEMENTS.
(Speaking other language)
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The Word This Week
5-17
Peter: THESE STATEMENTS ARE THE MOST WIDELY DISTRIBUTED POLITICAL STATEMENTS
IN HISTORY. EVERY TIME HE GETS OUT AND SAYS SOMETHING, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE HEAR IT BECAUSE HE GOES ON ALJAZEERA, CNN, BBC, CBC, WHATEVER
NETWORKS AROUND THE WORLD. HE WANTS TO BE MARTYRED. HE SAID REPEATEDLY, "I
WANT TO DIE IN THE STRUGGLE." AND I TAKE THAT AT FACE VALUE. AND IN DEATH, HE
COULD BECOME AN EVEN LARGER FIGURE THAN HE IS IN LIFE.
(Bin Laden speaking other language on tape)
Peter: IF HE WANTS TO REMAIN IMPORTANT, HE'S GOT TO KEEP RELEASING THESE
VIDEOTAPES AND AUDIOTAPES. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IF HE RELEASES THESE TAPES,
HE KEEPS OPENING HIMSELF TO THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING DETECTED BECAUSE THE
ONE WAY YOU CAN FIND HIM IS THROUGH THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY OF THESE VIDEOTAPES
AND AUDIOTAPES. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM FOR
ABOUT A YEAR, AND THEN HE JUST RECENTLY RELEASED THIS NEW AUDIOTAPE. I THINK
HE'S QUITE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT EVERY TIME HE RELEASES ONE, IT'S A
PROBLEM FOR HIS SECURITY. IF THE UNITED STATES HAD ANY INFORMATION THEY FELT
WAS REALLY LEGIT ABOUT WHERE BIN LADEN WAS, UH, THEY WOULDN'T WAIT AROUND TO
SEND PEOPLE IN TO ARREST HIM. I MEAN, I THINK THEY WOULD DROP SOME PREDATOR V
CRUISE MISSILES, UH, RIGHT ON WHEREVER THE TARGET WAS, LIKELY IN PAKISTAN. MY
INTENT FOR THE BOOK WAS NOT TO HUMANIZE BIN LADEN OR TO DEMONIZE HIM. MY
INTENT WAS TO PUT A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE, PUBLICLY, ABOUT SOMEBODY
WHO CHANGED HISTORY.
President Bush: EITHER YOU ARE WITH US, OR YOU ARE WITH THE TERRORISTS.
Peter: CERTAINLY, 9/11 CHANGED AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY, CHANGED THE HISTORY OF
THE MIDDLE EAST. A LOT OF CANADIANS ABOUT TO GO TO AFGHANISTAN AS A DIRECT
RESULT OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS. SO WHO WAS THIS PERSON WHO CHANGED HISTORY? IT
SEEMED TO ME THAT THERE WASN'T A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE. I WANTED TO
FIND OUT WHAT HIS FAMILY MEMBERS THOUGHT ABOUT HIM, WHAT HIS FRIENDS
THOUGHT ABOUT HIM, WHAT DO FORMER MEMBER OF AL-QAEDA THINK ABOUT HIM? HE'S
A HUMAN BEING, UM, AND HE HAS SOME VIRTUES AND MANY NON- VIRTUES. AND I THINK
THAT THE PORTRAIT THAT EMERGES, UH, IS MORE... BROAD THAN ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN
OUT THERE HITHERTO.
Kim: IN THE 1980s, EVERY TIME YOU TURNED AROUND, IT SEEMED, IN THE MEDIA, YOU
RAN ACROSS GREENPEACE. THEY WERE EVERYWHERE THANKS TO THEIR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE SO-CALLED MEDIA BRAIN BOMB, THE IDEA ABOUT CREATING AN
EVENT THAT WOULD CAPTURE PEOPLE'S IMAGINATION. GREENPEACE: HOW A GROUP OF
ECOLOGISTS, JOURNALISTS AND VISIONARIES CHANGED THE WORLD, IT'S AUTHOR,
FOUNDER REX WEYLER.
(Dramatic pop music)
♪
[ Caption: COURTESY OF GREENPEACE ]
(Explosion)
(Chuckles)
[ Caption: REX WEYLER - AUTHOR, GREENPEACE ]
Rex: I CAME TO CANADA. I ARRIVED HERE IN 1972 AS A RESISTOR, DRAFT RESISTOR. SO I
WAS INVOLVED IN THE PEACE MOVEMENT. I WAS INVOLVED IN-- AT THAT TIME, THERE
WAS NOT MUCH OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT. THERE WAS NO ENVIRONMENTAL
MOVEMENT, REALLY. THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE CALLING THEMSELVES ECOLOGISTS
AND TALKING ABOUT ECOLOGY, AND I GOT INVOLVED WITH THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE, AND
THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE EVENTUALLY BECAME THE GREENPEACE FOUNDATION.
(Dramatic orchestral music)
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5-17
Rex: A LOT OF THE EARLY GREENPEACE CAMPAIGNS TO SAVE THE WHALES AND THE
SEALS AND THE FORESTS AND SO FORTH WERE NOT ONLY ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ISSUE,
BUT WERE TRYING TO INTRODUCE THE IDEA OF ECOLOGY TO GENERAL POPULATION.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
ONE MAN COME AND GO ♪
ONE COME, HE TO JUSTIFY ♪
ONE MAN TO OVERTHROW ♪
IN THE NAME OF LOVE ♪
WHAT MORE IN THE NAME OF LOVE ♪
IN THE NAME OF LOVE ♪
WHAT MORE IN THE NAME OF LOVE ♪
Man: I GUESS I'M GOING TO ASK YOU POLITELY THAT YOU STEP ASIDE SO THESE GUYS CAN
GO TO WORK. AND IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO DO THAT, THEN I WANT YOU TO KNOW
THAT THAT'S AN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, AND WE'RE GOING TO CARRY ON FROM THERE.
Man 2: YES, WE REALIZE THAT.
Rex: TELEVISION REALLY CHANGED A LOT IN OUR CULTURE. WE COULD SEE THE WORLD
FOR WHAT IT WAS AND WE SAW WHAT WAR DID TO PEOPLE. UH, WE ALSO SAW WHAT OUR
NEGLECT OF THE ENVIRONMENT WAS DOING.
(Sombre techno music)
♪
Rex: THERE WERE OIL SPILLS. THERE WAS A TRAGIC OIL SPILL OFF THE COAST OF
CALIFORNIA. UH, RIVERS WERE POLLUTED. SPECIES WERE BECOMING EXTINCT. AND
PEOPLE BEGAN TO WAKE UP. I REALLY ENJOYED TELLING THE STORY BECAUSE IT'S JUST-THE STORIES ARE JUST PHENOMENAL. I MEAN, THE THINGS PEOPLE DID, AND WE WERE
YOUNG AND CRAZY AND DIDN'T ALWAYS THINK EVERYTHING THROUGH AND MADE ALL
KINDS OF MISTAKES AND GOT INTO, UH, CRISES AND CHALLENGES THAT WE COULD NOT
EVEN HAVE IMAGINED. AND WE WENT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN CHASING
WHALERS AND CHASING, UH... WEAPONS TESTING AND ALL OF THIS KIND OF CRAZY STUFF,
UH, NOT REALLY ALWAYS KNOWING WHAT WE WERE DOING. SO IT WAS A WILD
ADVENTURE ON THE HIGH SEAS. ARE PEOPLE LISTENING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL
MESSAGE? YES, SOME ARE. ARE THEY ACTING? SOME ARE. ARE WE DOING ENOUGH? NOT
EVEN CLOSE.
♪ IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT ♪
♪ AND I FEEL FINE ♪
(Upbeat rock music)
♪ THE OTHER NIGHT ♪
♪ I TRIPPED A NICE CONTINENTAL DRIFT DIVIDE ♪
♪ MOUNT SAINT EDELITE, LEONARD BERNSTEIN ♪
♪ LEONID BREZHNEV, LENNY BRUCE AND LESTER BANGS ♪
♪ BIRTHDAY PARTY, CHEESECAKE, JELLYBEAN, BOOM ♪
♪ YOU SYMBIOTIC, PATRIOTIC, SLAM, BUT NECK, RIGHT ♪
♪ RIGHT ♪
♪ IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT ♪
♪ IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT ♪
♪ IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT ♪
♪ AND I FEEL FINE ♪
♪
(Music fades)
Kim: COMING UP...
Alan: I THINK THAT THE EVOLUTIONARY ADVANTAGE OF STORIES MAY BE TO PREVENT
OURSELVES FROM GOING CRAZY.
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5-17
(Theme plays: Funky techno music)
[ Caption: THE WORD THIS WEEK ]
[ BREAK ]
(Theme plays: Funky techno music)
[ Caption: THE WORD THIS WEEK ]
[ Caption: KIM CLARKE CHAMPNISS ]
Kim: WHAT DO ART AND SCIENCE HAVE IN COMMON? PLENTY, ACCORDING TO ALAN
LIGHTMAN. HE'S A PROFESSOR AT M.I.T., AN ESSAYIST. HE ALSO WROTE THE GREAT NOVEL
EINSTEIN'S DREAMS. HIS LATEST IS ENTITLED THE DISCOVERIES AND IT'S A FASCINATING
LOOK AT THE GREATEST SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS OF THE 20th CENTURY AND THE
PEOPLE BEHIND THEM.
(Upbeat techno music)
♪
[ Caption: TORONTO ]
[ Caption: ALAN LIGHTMAN - AUTHOR, THE DISCOVERIES ]
Alan: EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD, BOTH THE INNER WORLD AND THE OUTER WORLD, I
THINK IS... PART OF WHAT MAKES US HUMAN. IT'S OUR CURIOSITY TO KNOW WHO WE ARE
AND WHERE WE FIT INTO THE UNIVERSE. THAT'S A VERY DEEP CURIOSITY. THE WORLD IS
A TREMENDOUSLY COMPLICATED PLACE, AND IT'S KIND OF FRIGHTENING TO THINK THAT
THERE'S NO ORDER AND NO MEANING AND THAT THERE'S NO RATIONALITY. SO IT THINK
THAT THE ENDEAVOUR OF SCIENCE TO FIND ORDER AND UNDERSTANDING IS PART OF
THE LARGER ENDEAVOUR TO FIND MEANING IN LIFE. I MEAN, IT'S THE SAME ENDEAVOUR
OF PHILOSOPHERS AND THEOLOGIANS AND WRITERS: TO FIND MEANING. AND SCIENTISTS
HAVE THEIR PARTICULAR WAY OF FINDING MEANING.
Astronaut: (Unclear)
Alan: I THINK STORIES ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE SAME REASON WHY WE DREAM, THAT IT'S
A WAY OF FINDING SOME ORGANIZATION TO OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE WORLD. A STORY,
TO ME, IS AN ORGANIZING STRUCTURE. WE'VE DEVELOPED THIS VERY MASSIVE BRAIN,
AND OUR SURVIVAL STRATEGY IS TO BE ABLE TO THINK VERY WELL. BUT THINKING
BRINGS ITS PROBLEMS. WHEN YOU BECOME MORE AWARE OF LIFE AND THE COMPLEXITY
OF THE WORLD, YOU CAN GO NUTS. AND I THINK THAT THE EVOLUTIONARY ADVANTAGE OF
STORIES MAY BE TO PREVENT OURSELVES FROM GOING CRAZY. I THINK SCIENCE IS VERY
MUCH LIKE ART. UH, SOME OF THE AESTHETIC CONCERNS ARE THE SAME. I THINK
SCIENTISTS AND ARTISTS ARE BOTH LOOKING FOR TRUTH. UH, IT'S NOT THE SAME KIND
OF TRUTH. SCIENTISTS ARE LOOKING FOR A TRUTH IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD, IN THE
WORLD OF MASS AND FORCE; AND ARTISTS ARE LOOKING FOR TRUTH IN THE EMOTIONAL
WORLD, IN THE WORLD OF THE MIND AND THE HEART. BUT THEY'RE BOTH LOOKING FOR
TRUTH AND THEY'RE BOTH COMPELLED TO DO WHAT THEY DO AND THEY BOTH, UH, LOVE
DOING WHAT THEY DO. WALT WHITMAN, THE AMERICAN POET, SAID A WONDERFUL THING
WHEN, AT AN EARLY AGE, HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS DESTINED TO BE A POET. UH, WHAT
HE SAID WAS "NEVER MORE SHALL I ESCAPE," THAT SCIENTISTS AND ARTISTS DO WHAT
THEY DO BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPELLED DO IT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT NOT DO IT.
Kim: NORVAL MORRISSEAU IS MOST PROBABLY THE GREATEST NATIVE ARTIST EVER TO
HAVE LIVED. THROUGH HIS MAGICAL PAINTINGS, HE GIVES LIFE TO ANCIENT LEGENDS
AND FABLES. RECENTLY PUBLISHED: A COLLECTION OF HIS WORK RETURN TO THE HOUSE
OF INVENTION.
(Funky techno music)
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♪
Kim: MEANWHILE IN OTTAWA, THE NATIONAL GALLERY PAID HOMAGE TO NORVAL
MORRISSEAU WITH AN EXHIBITION OF THE ACTUAL WORKS.
[ Caption: GREG HILL - CURATOR ]
Greg: IT'S A SELECTION OF WORKS THAT DEAL WITH HOW HE USES SPIRITUALITY IN HIS
WORKS. HE'S KNOWN FOR CREATING THIS UNIQUE STYLE OF ARTWORK, OF COURSE
KNOWN AS THE WOODLAND SCHOOL OF PAINTING. YOU KNOW, NOW WE CALL IT
ANISHNABE PAINTING. I THINK WE COULD EVEN CALL IT THE MORRISSEAU SCHOOL, AND
THAT'S BECOME ICONIC FOR ABORIGINAL ART IN CENTRAL CANADA.
(Experimental jazz music)
♪
Kim: THE INAUGURAL BOOKLOVERS BALL TOOK PLACE IN TORONTO RECENTLY. GUESTS,
MANY OF THEM FAMOUS AUTHORS, WERE ASKED TO DRESS UP AS THEIR FAVOURITE
LITERARY CHARACTER AND THE BOOK TELEVISION CAMERAS WERE THERE.
(Sweeping orchestral pop music)
♪
[ Caption: SCOTT SELLERS - RANDOM HOUSE CANADA ]
Scott: WE'RE BOTH JAY GATSBY.
[ Caption: RUSSELL SMITH - AUTHOR, MEN'S STYLE ]
Russell: A CHARACTER FROM A 1939 NOVEL CALLED PARTY GOING, WHICH I VERY MUCH
LIKE, BY HENRY GREEN.
[ Caption: SKY GILBERT - AUTHOR, AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN ]
Sky: (Unclear) WHICH IS A DRAG CHARACTER, WHICH IS WHAT I AM, AND I CAME AS JANE.
Man: CAPTAIN HENRY BAYFIELD, I'M A CHARACTER IN A NOVEL. ISN'T EVERYBODY
SUPPOSED TO BE A CHARACTER IN A NOVEL?
Man 2: OH, YOU GUYS LOOK GREAT.
[ Caption: DAVID MILLER - MAYOR OF TORONTO ]
David: UH-HUH, YOU SEE, YOU HAVE TO GUESS. I COULD BE MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER,
FOR EXAMPLE, JAMES BOND.
[ Caption: M.G. VASSANJI - AUTHOR, WHEN SHE WAS QUEEN ]
M.G.: I OPT FOR A STEREOTYPE, YOU KNOW.
(Laughs)
Kim: THE EVENING ALSO INCLUDED A SILENT AUCTION WITH PROCEEDS BENEFITING THE
TORONTO LIBRARY SYSTEM.
David: WE HAVE THE BEST PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THE WORLD. MORE PEOPLE USE IT
THAN ANY OTHER PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THE WORLD. AND TONIGHT'S ABOUT
SUPPORTING ITS BOOKS AND LOVING BOOKS, BUT GIVING SOME MONEY SO THE
FOUNDATION CAN MAKE SURE KIDS ACROSS THIS CITY ALL HAVE A REAL CHANCE.
[ Caption: MARGARET ATWOOD - AUTHOR, THE TENT ]
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Margaret: ADD A LIBRARY TO A SCHOOL, AND THE MARKS GO UP 20%. YOU MAY NOT HAVE
KNOWN THAT.
[ Caption: MIKE "PINBALL" CLEMONS - ATHLETE ]
Mike: READING IS IMPORTANT. READING IS COOL. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. LITERACY IS
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PREACH THAT.
Margaret: ONLY AN EVENT LIKE THIS WOULD LURE ME INTO MAKING A TOTAL IDIOT OF
MYSELF AND DRESSING UP AS MY OWN BOOK.
Kim: STICKING WITH THINGS LITERARY, THE WINNER OF THE $25,000 CHARLES TAYLOR
LITERARY NONFICTION AWARD WAS ANNOUNCED RECENTLY.
[ Caption: NOREEN TAYLOR - CHARLES TAYLOR FOUNDATION ]
Noreen: CHARLES TAYLOR WAS A JOURNALIST. HE WANTED THIS PRIZE CREATED FOR HIS
COLLEAGUES, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE FIGHTING THE SAME UPHILL BATTLES HE
FOUGHT ALL HIS LIFE.
[ Caption: STEPHEN WEIR - PRESIDENT, THE CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE ]
Stephen: WE PUT ADS IN THE PAPER. WE WORK WITH BOOK TV. WE REALLY JUST WANT
PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT NONFICTION.
[ Caption: J.B. MacKINNON - AUTHOR, DEAD MAN IN PARADISE ]
J.B.: IT CAN BE AS INTERESTING AND AS ENGAGING AND, UH, AS RICH AS FICTION.
[ Caption: LAURA MacDONALD - NOMINEE, CURSE OF THE NARROWS ]
Laura: TO TELL A STORY AND TO SHOW THE HUMAN ELEMENT IN THINGS.
Man: PEOPLE NOW RELATE TO IT A GREAT DEAL. THEY WANT TO FIND REALITY IN THE
PAGES OF A BOOK.
[ Caption: JOHN TERPSTRA - NOMINEE, THE BOYS ]
John: I'M USED TO FLYING UNDER THE RADAR, AND IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT ANYMORE.
Noreen: THE LITERARY PRESS IS HERE AND THEY'RE COVERING THESE AUTHORS THE WAY
THEY'VE NEVER BEEN COVERED. YOU KNOW, $25,000, THAT'S NOTHING. THIS PUBLICITY IS
WORTH MILLIONS.
Man: THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2006 CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE FOR LITERARY NONFICTION IS
J.B. MacKINNON FOR DEAD MAN IN PARADISE.
(Cheers and applause)
J.B.: I SINCERELY, I HAD NOT PICKED MYSELF AS THE FAVOURITE AND, UH, AND I THINK
WOULD HAVE BET AGAINST MYSELF. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK, UH, THIS PRIZE
BECAUSE THE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN LITERARY NONFICTION ARE IN
SOME SENSE STILL, UH, WORKING ON THE, YOU KNOW, FROM THE OUTSIDE IN. AND, UH,
THE PRIZE MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO, UH, REALLY CONTINUE THAT WORK AND REALLY
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN IT IN A NEW WAY.
Kim: UP NEXT, "POST SECRETS" MADE PUBLIC.
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Frank: I DON'T LIKE TO THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF ME COMING UP WITH AN IDEA. I ALMOST
THINK OF IT MORE AS I WAS IN A PLACE IN MY LIFE WHERE I WAS LOOKING FOR MORE
MEANING, MORE PURPOSE.
(Theme plays: Funky techno music)
[ Caption: THE WORD THIS WEEK ]
[ BREAK ]
(Theme plays: Funky techno music)
[ Caption: THE WORD THIS WEEK ]
[ Caption: KIM CLARKE CHAMPNISS ]
Kim: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY. IF YOU LIKE HIGH-STAKES POKER, MURDER,
CORRUPTION, THOSE WONDERFUL HARDBOILED KIND OF GUMSHOE MURDER MYSTERIES,
DO I HAVE A BOOK TO RECOMMEND: DEAD MONEY BY GRANT McCREA. HE'S EVEN MORE
FASCINATING THAN THE STORY.
[ Caption: GRANT McCREA - AUTHOR, DEAD MONEY ]
Grant: DEAD MONEY, IN POKER LINGO, MEANS THE SUCKER AT THE TABLE, IN SHORT. IT'S
THE GUY WHO WALKS IN, AND YOU KNOW SOMEBODY'S GOING TO TAKE HIS MONEY, ALL
OF HIS MONEY.
Kim: GRANT IS NOT ONLY AN AUTHOR, BUT IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOP
LITIGATION LAWYERS. HE IS ALSO A CHESS MASTER. BUT IT'S POKER, WHICH REALLY
CAPTIVATES HIM.
(Indiscernible chatter)
Grant: I REALIZED, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT COMBINES ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AND IT'S THE
ABSOLUTE PERFECT THING. AND NOW I'M ADDICTED-- (Laughs) LIKE SO MANY OTHER
PEOPLE THESE DAYS.
Man 1: NOW WE GOT A POT.
Man 2: NOW WE GOT A FRIGGIN' POT!
[ Caption: DANIEL NEGREANU - POKER CHAMPION ]
Daniel: I THINK, FOR ONE, THE FACT THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE GAME FOR THE AVERAGE
JOE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE TALL, DARK AND HANDSOME. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MAN.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PARTICULARLY GOOD-LOOKING. (Laughs) I MEAN, THE GAME DOES
NOT DISCRIMINATE AND IT GIVES EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO FEEL LIKE, "YOU KNOW
WHAT? I COULD BE A SUPERSTAR."
Man: SARAH'S FIRST TO ACT.
[ Caption: COURTESY OF NBC UNIVERSAL ]
Kim: POKER HAS SEEN A HUGE RISE IN POPULARITY RECENTLY, PRINCIPALLY, BECAUSE OF
TELEVISION.
Grant: THERE'S ONE TECHNOLOGICAL THING, WHICH WAS THE INVENTION OF THE POKER
CAM WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE CARDS OF THE PLAYERS. AND SO PEOPLE CAN ENTER INTO
THE DRAMA OF THE HAND IN A WAY THAT THEY NEVER COULD BEFORE. WHEREAS,
BEFORE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, "WHAT ARE THEY DOING?" AND THEN AT THE END OF THE
HAND, IF YOU WERE LUCKY, THEY HAD TO TURNOVER THEIR CARDS, AND YOU WOULD SEE
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WHAT THEY WERE AND, RETROSPECTIVELY, YOU TOOK PART IN THE DRAMA. BUT NOW YOU
CAN TAKE PART IN THE DRAMA AS IT GOES ALONG, AND THAT'S VERY POWERFUL STUFF.
(Indiscernible chatter)
Daniel: THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS TO POKER THAT MIMIC LIFE IN A LOT OF
WAYS IN THAT, UM, THE GREEN FELT IS ALMOST LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR LITTLE
EARTH.
Kim: DEAD MONEY MIXES ELEMENTS OF RAYMOND CHANDLER MYSTERIES, HUMOUR,
LEGAL EXPERTISE AND INSIDE POKER KNOWLEDGE TO CREATE A UNIQUE BLEND OF
FICTION.
Grant: I'M HOPING THAT PEOPLE RESPOND TO THAT. BUT THAT WAS MY GOAL. IT WAS TO
TAKE THE GENRE AND PAY HOMAGE TO IT AND ENJOY IT AND DO THE THINGS THAT
PEOPLE EXPECT OUT OF A MYSTERY NOVEL, BUT TO TAKE IT A LITTLE FURTHER, TAKE IT
OVER THE EDGE A LITTLE BIT AND BE A LITTLE MORE AMBIGUOUS THAN MOST OF THOSE
BOOKS USUALLY ARE.
Kim: FRANK WARREN STARTED "POST SECRET" BACK IN 2004 WHEN HE ASKED PEOPLE TO
ANONYMOUSLY SEND IN THEIR SECRETS ON A POSTCARD AND POST THEM TO A GROUP
ART PROJECT. THAT HAS SINCE GROWN INTO THE THIRD LARGEST BLOG ON THE
INTERNET, postsecret.com, WITH OVER 19 MILLION VISITORS SINCE ITS INCEPTION. FRANK
HAS ARCHIVED THE BEST OF THE POSTCARDS IN A BOOK ENTITLED POST SECRET:
EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSIONS FROM ORDINARY LIVES.
[ Caption: FRANK WARREN - FOUNDER/ CURATOR, POSTSECRET ]
Frank: I DON'T LIKE TO THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF ME COMING UP WITH AN IDEA. I ALMOST
THINK OF IT MORE AS I WAS IN A PLACE IN MY LIFE WHERE I WAS LOOKING FOR MORE
MEANING, MORE PURPOSE AND SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE THIS PROJECT CAME AND FOUND
ME. WHAT I TRY AND DO EVERY WEEK WITH THE POST SECRET WEBSITE IS PICK A
REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE CARDS I RECEIVE FOR THAT WEEK. SO I TRY AND FIND A
CARD THAT'S FUNNY, THAT'S SEXUAL, THAT'S REMORSEFUL, THAT'S CONFUSED. EVEN
JOYFUL SECRETS, I TRY AND SEARCH FOR THOSE AS WELL. AND I TRY AND ARRANGE
THEM IN A WAY THAT TELLS A STORY. I TRY AND TAKE THE VIEWER ON A JOURNEY SOME
PLACE, EMOTIONALLY, AND LEAVE THEM IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PLACE THAN WHERE
THEY STARTED.
(Mellow techno music)
♪
Frank: DECIDING WHAT CARDS WENT INTO THE BOOK WAS A REAL DIFFICULT PROCESS
FOR ME BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS THE PROJECT HAS RESONATED WITH
PEOPLE AND GROWN THE WAY IT HAS IS BECAUSE OF THE INTANGIBLES, THINGS LIKE
GIVING PEOPLE MY ACTUAL HOME ADDRESS TO MAIL THEIR SECRETS TO. YOU KNOW, I'M
TAKING THAT FIRST VULNERABLE STEP FIRST AND TRYING TO BUILD THAT TRUSTING
RELATIONSHIP. ANOTHER INTANGIBLE, I THINK, IS TREATING EVERYBODY'S SECRET WITH
DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
(Upbeat rock music)
♪
Kim: INSPIRED BY "POST SECRET," THE BAND ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS USED THE
POSTCARDS IN THEIR MUSIC VIDEO FOR DIRTY LITTLE SECRET.
♪ I'LL KEEP YOU MY DIRTY LITTLE SECRET ♪
[ Caption: DIRTY LITTLE SECRET - ALL AMERICAN REJECTS - COURTESY OF
UNIVERSAL/ INTERSCOPE ]
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Kim: IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR USE, THEY MADE A FINANCIAL DONATION TO KRISTIN
BROOKS HOPE CENTER, A VIRGINIA ORGANIZATION THAT FUNDS A SUICIDE HOTLINE FOR
TEENS.
Frank: IN MY PERSONAL LIFE, I'VE BEEN TOUCHED BY THE ISSUE OF SUICIDE IN A COUPLE
OF WAYS, SO IT'S MEANINGFUL FOR ME. AND I VOLUNTEERED ON TWO SUICIDE
PREVENTION HOTLINES AND I KNOW THE GOOD WORK THEY CAN DO. AND SO, FOR ME, IT
FELT REALLY GOOD TO TIE SOME OF THE ATTENTION THAT "POST SECRET" WAS GETTING
AND SOME OF THE PROFITS AND SOME OF THE PROCEEDS "POST SECRET" WAS GETTING
TO THIS CHARITY THAT I BELIEVE IN. I HAD AN ART EXHIBIT IN WASHINGTON D.C. ABOUT
THREE WEEKS AGO, AND WE DISPLAYED 2,000 OF THE ACTUAL POSTCARDS THERE IN THE
SPACE. WE HAD 15,000 VISITORS COME THROUGH AND LOOK AT THE POSTCARDS. AND I'D
SAY 20 OR 30 PEOPLE CAME UP TO ME PRIVATELY AND TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACT IT HAD
ON THEIR LIFE TO SEE THEIR CARD IN THE EXHIBITION OR TO SEE THEIR CARD IN THE
BOOK. SO THAT JUST REALLY ILLUSTRATES FOR ME THE POWER THAT THESE SECRETS
HOLD AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN WE RELEASE THEM.
(Mellow techno music)
♪
Frank: ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IS SOMETIMES WHEN WE THINK WE'RE KEEPING A
SECRET, THAT SECRET IS ACTUALLY KEEPING US AND THAT BY FACING IT AND
ACKNOWLEDGING IT, WE MIGHT GAIN A DIFFERENT IDEA ABOUT WHO WE ARE. WE MIGHT
SEE OURSELVES DIFFERENTLY. IT MIGHT EVEN HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR BEHAVIOUR. BUT
I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO SEE THAT SECRET IN OURSELVES.
♪
Kim: SPEAKING OF SECRETS AND SOMEONE WHO CAN'T KEEP ONE IS JACKIE COLLINS.
SHE RECENTLY PAID A VISIT TO THE CHUM BUILDING, AND WE FOLLOWED HER AROUND
AS SHE PUBLICIZED HER LATEST BOOK, LOVERS AND PLAYERS.
(Lively country music)
♪
(Audience applause)
(Smooching)
(Applause continues)
(Laughter)
♪
[ Caption: JACKIE COLLINS - AUTHOR, LOVERS & PLAYERS ]
Jackie: IT'S ALL ABOUT SEVEN DAYS IN NEW YORK-- A DYSFUNCTIONAL BILLIONAIRE, HIS
THREE SONS, HE SUMMONS THEM TO NEW YORK. AND OVER THE SEVEN DAYS, THERE ARE
TWO MURDERS, AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD. THERE IS RUSSIAN HOOKERS, MOBSTERS, A
BEAUTIFUL NEW YORK VIRGIN-- IS THERE SUCH A THING? AND LOVE, BETRAYAL AND LUST.
AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT MY BOOKS: THAT I CREATE A WORLD THAT ACTUALLY
DOES EXIST AND THAT IT IS FICTION, BUT IT'S BASED VERY MUCH ON FACT. I HAVE TO
TAKE THE TRUTH AND I HAVE TO TONE IT DOWN. PEOPLE SAY, "OH, YOUR BOOKS ARE
VERY SEXY." AND I GO, "YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT REALLY GOES ON IN HOLLYWOOD." IT'S
TOTAL MUSICAL BEDS AT THE MOMENT.
(Upbeat instrumental music)
♪
Jackie: I KNOW EVERYBODY. (Laughter) I KNOW WHERE EVERYBODY IS BURIED TOO. THE
OTHER NIGHT I WAS AT PARIS'S HOUSE.
Paris: ALL RIGHT, I'M COMING DOWN NOW. SEE YOU IN A MINUTE.
9
The Word This Week
5-17
Jackie: UM, SHE PLAYED ME HER NEW CD.
Woman: OOH.
Jackie: YEAH, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S NOT HALF BAD. SHE DOES DO YOU THINK I'M
SEXY BY ROD STEWART AND SHE'S REALLY GOOD. SO I DO KNOW ALL THE PLAYERS. YOU
KNOW, I AM NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT IS WRITING ABOUT HOLLYWOOD FROM THE
OUTSIDE. I'M WRITING ABOUT IT FROM THE INSIDE.
(Lively country music)
♪
Jackie: BUT I WAS AT A DINNER PARTY JUST BEFORE I LEFT, AND THERE WERE FIVE
OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS AT THE TABLE, A DINNER PARTY OF 12 PEOPLE. AND I THOUGHT,
"THEY'RE JUST TALKING FREELY." YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEM WAS THE FATHER OF A
MEGASTAR. HE WAS ALSO AN OSCAR-WINNING GUY, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE JUST FEEL
FREE TO TALK. I MEAN, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BARMAN OR A PSYCHIATRIST IN ANOTHER
LIFE BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, "SET THEM UP, JACKIE. WE'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING." SO WHEN
PEOPLE READ LOVERS AND PLAYERS, THEY KNOW THEY'RE GETTING THE REAL TRUTH.
♪
Jackie: BYE.
♪
♪ ...NEEDED ANYBODY'S HELP IN ANY WAY ♪
[ Caption: www.booktelevision.com ]
Kim: THAT'S OUR SHOW, EVERYBODY. GO TO OUR WEBSITE: booktelevision.com. GIVE US
SOME FEEDBACK. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'RE READING. TILL NEXT TIME, FOR THE WORD
THIS WEEK, I'M K.C.C.
(Theme plays: Funky techno music)
♪
[ CREDITS ]
(Closed captions created by Bravo!)
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