Hartmann at VOX POP

Thom Hartmann and Mark Crispin Miller
What an inspiration to both hear and see author and talk show host Thom Hartmann, joined by author and professor Mark Crispin Miller, speak at Vox Pop in Brooklyn this Saturday regarding his new book, SCREWED: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- and what we can do about it. The event was filmed by C-Span for a future Book-TV segment [see Title Link -- but no date is scheduled yet], which gave me plenty of light to take some pictures. (More will be posted at my FlickR.com site as time and energy allow during this election period.)

I got to speak to Thom for a few minutes before hand, and then afterwards as he was signing my spanking new copy of the book -- my Amazon copy is acrueing lots of magic marker slashes as I gather facts to help me win "the water cooler wars". He's every bit as charming, nice, energetic, and intelligent as he is on the air -- and the segment should be excellent. Don't miss it!

Seeing and speaking with Mark Crispin Miller again was also very good. Mark is so dynamic and impassioned by his subject of Election Fraud -- and it certainly connects with Thom's subject. Mark wrote the intro to SCREWED and both introduced Thom and helped answer questions afterwards. I joked with Mark that he ought to give extra credit to his students for carrying around town his book, FOOLED AGAIN: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election & Why They'll Steal the Next One Too (Unless We Stop Them). I like to make a point of keeping books such as his and Thom's very visible as I go back and forth to work and meetings. ACTION IDEA: why don't you join me in this small but visible action, 'cause they both have great titles and make great food for thought to New York subway riders.

Vox Pop is a charming coffee shop/book store, very conveniently located to the Cortelyou Q train stop (turn left and walk about four blocks to 1022 Cortelyou Road). I plan to return -- indeed, Greg Palast is scheduled to be there at the end of the month. But Saturday's event was made even more fun by the great energy and conversation shared with my friendly table mates, Sylvia Scaglione, her lovely daughter Dawn, and another independent bookstore owner, Noreen Harnik -- check out her place at 1403 Avenue J at East 14th Street in Brooklyn.

Okay, so I didn't go out specifically politicking for Jonathan Tasini on Saturday, though I did remind Sylvia and Noreen about voting for Jonathan for US Senate instead of DLC Democrat Hillary Clinton -- but I made another contribution to his campaign. (And Sam Oast and I did make the Saturday Union Square peace vigil.) I needed and enjoyed my little pilgrimage to Brooklyn. Now to finish Thom's book -- and vote tomorrow.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne
Noreen Harnik, Sylvia and Dawn Scaglione