i can't say enough about bayard rustin, and those ideas take the book home. they land the book in what i call equal america, an america where the passion for equality is realized and the barriers between groups and identities, and the relentless inequality we have seen throughout our history, especially recently, begins to be reversed policy, but also by individual action. so there is hope at the end. thomas: and you wrote something i really agree with, you wanted to create mechanisms for meeting each other again, and people we don't necessarily run into in our corner of america, through some type of national service or something like that. it is a compelling idea that you end on, and a compelling vision. we have managed to speak for 45 minutes and you have a lot of questions. the first one, and i want to hear your answer as a fan, can you talk about some of the nonfiction that influenced your most recent writing? any novels, films, or whatnot? records? george: "hamilton" took over my family for about two years. it is all we listen to in the car. the kids hav