Chris Hedges Interview

https://www.c-span.org/video/?515957-4/our-class

~~ posted for dmorista ~~

Please go to link above for a video of this Hedges interview.  

November 21, 2021 | Part Of 2021 Miami Book Fair Our Class: Trauma and Transformation in American Prison: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges reflected on his time teaching at the East Jersey State Prison as part of Rutgers University’s degree program. He spoke at the 2021 Miami Book Fair. (copied from C-Span heading over video link for the interview)  at < https://www.c-span.org/video/?515957-4/our-class >

Introductory/Opening Remarks:

HELLO. WELCOME TO THE 38TH VERSION OF THE MIAMI BOOK FAIR. MY NAME IS PATRICK MILLIS. I WORK HERE AT THE COLLEGE IN THE CENTER FOR LEARNING. LET ME TAKE THIS THING OFF. YOU GUYS ARE A SAFE DISTANCE. I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE OUR AUTHOR CHRIS HEDGES, AND HE WILL BE INTERVIEWED BY DANIEL RIVERO. I WILL GET TO THAT IN A MOMENT. AFTER THE SESSION THE AUTHOR WILL BE AT THE AUTOGRAPH SIGNING TABLE ON THIS FLOOR, BY THE ELEVATORS TO THE RIGHT. I WILL BE ESCORTING HIM THERE AFTERWARDS. THE TALK WILL GO ON FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES. WE WILL HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AT THE END. WE ASK YOU TO LINE UP BEHIND THE MIC THERE TO TAKE PART IN THE Q&A. SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. FIRST IS THIS IS A GREAT THING, THE BOOK FAIR. WE HAVE TO THANK OUR HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS WHO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN AS WELL AS OUR SPONSORS. WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE KNIGHT FOUNDATION, THE BACHELOR FOUNDATION, THE MEREDITH FOUNDATION, THE GREEN FAMILY FOUNDATION, STEPHANIE ANSON AND SPENCER STEWART, T-MOBILE, AND MANY OTHERS. WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT, WE COULDN'T RUN THE BOOK FAIR. I NEEDED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. AND ALSO, I WANTED TO KNOW, DO WE HAVE ANY FRIENDS OF THE BOOK FAIR IN THE ROOM? THANK YOU FOR RAISING YOUR HANDS. BEING A FRIEND BRINGS A LOT OF PERKS. WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER TO BECOME A FRIEND OF THE BOOK FAIR. YOU CAN FIND OUT INFORMATION ABOUT THAT AT THE FRIENDS TABLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ESCALATOR. NOW, I MENTIONED AUTOGRAPH SIGNING AND Q&A. WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE OUR AUTHOR. CHRIS HEDGES IS A PULITZER PRIZE WINNING JOURNALIST. HE WAS THE NEW YORK TIMES FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT AND BUREAU CHIEF IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR 15 YEARS. HE'S ALSO THE AUTHOR OF NUMEROUS BOOKS AND A NATIONAL BOOK CRITIC CIRCLE FINALIST FOR HIS BOOK "WAR IS A FORCE THAT GIVES US MEANING." THAT BOOK IS FOR SALE OUTSIDE AS IS HIS NEW BOOK WHICH HE WILL DISCUSS TONIGHT. DRAMA, LITERATURE, PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY, IN THE COLLEGE DEGREE PROGRAM OFFERED BY RUTGERS UNIVERSITY AT EAST JERSEY STATE PRISON AND OTHER CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE, SINCE 2013. IN HIS FIRST CLASS, STUDENTS READ AND DISCUSSED PLAYS BY AUGUST WILSON AND SET OUT TO WRITE A PLAY OF THEIR OWN. YOU CAN HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS. IT'S A CORE PART OF THE BOOK, AND YOU WILL HEAR FROM THE AUTHOR DIRECTLY. THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS: OUR CLASS: TRAUMA AND TRANSFORMATION IN AMERICAN PRISON.

More Introductory Remarks:

IT GIVES A FACE AND A VOICE TO THOSE OUR SOCIETY TOO OFTEN DEMONIZES AND ABANDONS. HE WILL BE INTERVIEWED BY A REPORTER AND PRODUCER FOR WLRN WHERE HE COVERS VARIOUS ISSUES INCLUDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND STATE POLITICS. BEFORE JOINING THE TEAM, HE WAS AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER AND PRODUCER ON THE TELEVISION SERIES AND A DIGITAL REPORTER FOR FUSION. HE ALSO AN ALUMNUS OF MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE. I DISCOVERED THAT TALKING TO HIM IN THE BACK. WITH THAT HERE COMES CHRIS HEDGES AND DANIEL RIVERO. [APPLAUSE]

HELLO. HOW'S EVERYONE DOING?

GREAT.

Text of Actual C-Span Interview:

C.H. THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRO. TO GET STARTED, I THINK ONE GOOD WAY JUST TO SET THE TONE AND THE TENOR OF THE CONVERSATION IS TO MAKE LIGHT OF SOMETHING THAT I THINK A LOT OF US FORGET, AND THAT'S THAT A LOT OF US HERE IN THIS ROOM HAVE PROBABLY DONE SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE PUT US IN THE PRISON SYSTEM. WE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN CAUGHT. WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AND GOTTEN OFF SOMEHOW. BUT A LOT OF US, INCLUDING ME MYSELF, HAVE DONE THINGS THAT COULD HAVE PUT US IN THE PRISON SYSTEM. I WANT TO JUST LAY THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE COUNTY JAIL OR A STATE PRISON OR IN A FEDERAL PRISON, IT'S LIKE THEM AND US. NO, NO, NO. WE'RE ALL FOR THE MOST PART ON THE SAME PLANE. IT'S JUST DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN TO US ALONG THE WAY. SO CAN I JUST COMMENT ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POINT?

P.M. YEAH.

C.H. SO I HAVE THIS BOOK THAT WE'LL GET INTO, BUT ONE OF MY STUDENTS IN PRISON WAS -- HE WAS IN A BAR, AND HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS OFFERED A LINE OF COKE IN THE BATHROOM, AND THE GUY WHO OFFERED HER THE COKE TRIED TO RAPE HER, AND SHE RAN SCREAMING OUT OF THE BATHROOM, AND HE KILLED A GUY. AND HE SPENT 32 YEARS IN PRISON FOR THAT. I TOLD HIM A STORY OF MY OWN EXPERIENCE THAT I THINK COMPLETELY ADDRESSES THAT POINT, WHICH I THINK IS VERY SMART. I RAN A SMALL CHURCH IN ROCKSBERRY, THE DEPRESSED SECTION OF BOSTON WHEN I WAS A SEMINARY STUDENT AT HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE GREATER BOSTON YMCA BOXING TEAM. THERE WAS ONLY ONE AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT WHICH WAS ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THIS VERY DILAPIDATED HOUSE THAT I LIVED IN NEXT TO THE CHURCH. THERE WAS A SMALL ALLEY BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE HOUSE. ONE NIGHT I HEARD SCREAMING. I RAN OUTSIDE AND IT WAS -- I LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO I KNEW EVERYONE. IT WAS TWO HEROIN ADDICTS ATTEMPTING TO RAPE A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL. I ALSO KNEW THAT THEY HAD KNIVES IN THEIR POCKETS AND THAT I HAD TO DISABLE THEM AS FAST AS I COULD BEFORE THEY COULD GET THEIR HANDS IN THEIR POCKETS AND PULL OUT THEIR KNIVES. THERE'S NO HEROICS WITH THIS. ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN AROUND A HEROIN ADDICT KNOWS THAT THEY ARE JUST BONES. BUT I REALLY -- I MEAN I WAS THROWING THIS -- THROWING THEM INTO THE SIDEWALK, THROWING THEM AGAINST THE BRICK WALL TO IMMOBILIZE THEM AND GET THE GIRL OUT. I COULD HAVE EASILY KILLED ONE. MY SOLE GOAL WAS TO ESSENTIALLY DISABLE THEM PHYSICALLY AND REMOVE THE GIRL. BUT I ALWAYS TELL THAT STORY TO MY STUDENT. IT COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, EASILY GONE THE OTHER WAY. BUT I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT YOU MADE.

C.H. THANK YOU. WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT BY OPENING WITH THAT IS THAT A LOT OF WHAT COMES DOWN TO WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE SYSTEM OR NOT IN THE SYSTEM SOMETIMES IS JUST MAYBE AN INCH, MAYBE A MATTER OF ONE SMALL DECISION OR NOT, AND SOMETIMES THERE'S OTHER FACTORS AT PLAY. THE REALITY IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN PRISON GENERALLY DON'T LOOK LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, MYSELF INCLUDED. CHRIS, TO START TALKING ABOUT YOUR BOOK, YOU HAVE ONE STUDENT IN YOUR BOOK WHO BECOMES OBSESSED WITH SOMETHING THAT A JUDGE TOLD HIM UPON SENTENCING, WHICH THE JUDGE SAID THAT HE'S IR REDEEMABLE. -- IR REDEEMABLE, AND THIS CHARACTER THROUGH REALLY YOU GETTING TO KNOW HIM TAKES THAT TO HEART AND MAKES IT A LIFE LESSON TO TRY TO PROVE THE JUDGE WRONG AND TO PROVE THAT HE IS INDEED A PERSON OF DIGNITY, DESPITE ANYTHING HE'S DONE IN HIS LIFE, THAT HE HAS DIGNITY. I THINK THAT GENERAL FEELING IS ONE OF THE BIG THEMES OF THIS BOOK. CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO US ABOUT THAT?