The PRH Speakers Bureau is proud to represent speakers who keep us connected and make powerful progress toward change. As we continue to have conversations about challenging the status quo, actively fighting for justice in BIPOC communities, and grappling with COVID-19, we’ve compiled these recent articles, media, and essays from our speakers about the changing personal, political, and cultural landscapes.
We are also happy to include a roundup for you here of virtual events that are open to the public from our speakers for the upcoming week.
The Penguin Random House offices will be closed from December 21, 2020 until January 4, 2021. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for the latest news about PRH Speakers.
Virtual Events with Our Speakers
Tune in to these virtual Penguin Random House speakers’ book events, author Q&As and more that are happening this week.
Monday, December 14
- Jane Smiley speaks at Brazos Bookstore (8:00PM EST)
Tuesday, December 15
- R.J. Palacio speaks at Community Bookstore (1:00PM EST)
- David Allen Sibley is hosting a virtual Master Class (2:00PM EST)
- Abdi Nor Iftin speaks at Maine Voices Live (7:00PM EST)
Wednesday, December 16
- Sister Helen Prejean joins Malden Catholic virtually (12:00PM EST)
- Charles Yu’s discusses his National Award-winning INTERIOR CHINATOWN at Chatham Square Branch of the New York Public Library (6:00PM EST)
Check out #BooksConnectUsLive for more live virtual events.
News and Media from PRHSB Speakers
Politics
Our speakers provide clarity and shrewd analysis of today’s issues to help make sense of our current and future political landscape.
- Sarah McBride Talks About Having ‘A Seat At The Table’ As The First Trans State Senator In U.S. History | Forbes: Sarah McBride is focused on creating a plan to address some of the issues she focused on during her campaign.
- Robert Reich: Biden Says He’ll Take on Structural Inequality. You Need to Hold Him to It | Newsweek: Robert B. Reich talks about the structural inequalities that are caused by a lopsided allocation of power.
- Federal judge tears up over late son: I can’t describe the pain | CNN: Alisyn Camerota speaks with Judge Esther Salas from the District of New Jersey about a new law that was passed in New Jersey in the wake of Judge Salas’s fatal shooting.
- To what depths has Gov. DeSantis sunk to please President Trump? Secrecy, deception and even a raid | Miami Herald: Carl Hiaasen talks about his governor’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
COVID-19
These articles from our speakers highlight practical advice and news about the current pandemic.
- ‘This Is A Country Awash In Pain’: Anand Giridharadas On Unemployment Crisis | MSNBC: Anand Giridharadas discusses the increasing jobless claims and the COVID-19 relief support millions of Americans need.
- Pfizer’s Vaccine Offers Strong Protection After First Dose | The New York Times: Carl Zimmer reports on the first analysis of the clinical trial data also found that the coronavirus vaccine worked well regardless of a volunteer’s race, weight or age.
- Trump’s Administration Passed on Ordering Additional Vaccine Doses from Pfizer This Summer | RNN TV: Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal discusses the need to ‘scare’ the people about COVID, and get them on board with vaccination.
- Want to knock out your holiday shopping in an hour? Say bon appetit with restaurant gift cards | Los Angeles Times: Steve Lopez suggests how to support restaurants during the pandemic.
- What the Pandemic Christmas of 1918 Looked Like | Smithsonian Magazine: Howard Markel, M.D. speaks about the concerns about the safety of gift shopping, family gatherings, and church services were on Americans’ minds during a similar pandemic.
Black Lives Matter Movement
Below are some recent dialogues from our speakers on systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.
- “If You Do Nothing, Racial Inequality Persists”—Ibram X. Kendi Honors Howard Zinn in Annual Zinn Lecture | BU Today: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is inspired by William Lloyd Garrison and other Boston abolitionists who began calling for the immediate emancipation of enslaved people in the 1830s.
- 2020 round-up: we choose our top HistoryExtra podcasts of the year | History Extra: One of its top podcasts is with Isabel Wilkerson who gives a new perspective on the most brutal aspects of American history.
- Lawyer Combats America’s ‘Huge Crisis’ Of Mass Incarceration | WNYC: Brittany K. Barnett works on behalf of people serving harsh sentences as a result of the war on drugs.
- Novelist Bryan Washington on Writing—and Snacking—During the Pandemic | Bon Appétit: Bryan Washington chats books, food, and zesters.
Books Connect Us
With their imaginative, impactful pieces of literature, our speakers provide incredibly valuable perspectives to be read by all.
- Leaders in Literature, Politics and Arts Share Their Favorite Books of 2020 | The Wall Street Journal: Brit Bennett and Yaa Gyasi share the books they read this year.
- The Best Books of 2020 | Bloomsberg: Isabel Wilkerson’s CASTE one of the best business books of 2020.
- Best books 2020: Winners of the Goodreads Choice Awards | NBC News: Brit Bennett, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Isabel Wilkerson, and Kiley Reid are among the winners.
- NNLM Reading Club | National Library of Medicine: Diane Shader Smith’s daughter’s book SALT IN MY SOUL is picked for its December Reading Club.