Filmmaker, author and Michigan native Michael Moore wearing shorts, t-shirt and red baseball cap emblazoned with “Rutgers” got a normally staid audience laughing and thinking yesterday at the Book Expo America in New York City. Moore gave a couple hundred listeners a taste of his new book “Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life” which will be published later this year.
Tickets to the closed reading were snapped up but C-SPAN did a video of his presentation which will be shown this weekend.
Moore started out by giving some tongue in cheek advice to Republicans which included making drastic cuts in VA funding, in addition to Medicaid.
“Don’t just get rid of Medicaid, get rid of VA and then eliminate traffic lights. And then get rid of kittens,” he said.
Moore said the Republicans caught this “great pass” in November and “then started running down the field in the opposite direction.”
When more than a few in the audience began to cheer, Moore said, “The librarians are here.”
Book Expo America held once a year in New York City is the largest book show of publishers, book sellers and every other conceivable aspect of the business. More than 750 authors appear during the show to help create a buzz for the their new books.
He said the new book contains a couple dozen short stories all non-fiction about his life. He told one touching story abut how as an 11 year old visiting the nation’s Capitol with his parents he got on an elevator reserved for Senators only.
He recalled how Senator Robert Kennedy looked up from a newspaper and asked if he could help him.
Moore read one chapter from the book about “people who want him dead.”
He was visibly touched during the reading and said that it was the first time he had read the words aloud since he had written them. He also told the story of his Oscar Award for “Bowling for Columbine” and his presentation where he took a stand against the war. Remember the boos and the loud music cutting his speech off?
After the controversial acceptance of the Oscar he said he walked off the stage and heard the same words every winner hears: “Champagne, breath mint?”
“But I got to hear a third: “asshole” from a stage hand.” He read how much later he ran across the same stage hand who apologized to him. Moore told him he didn’t need to apologize.
“You should trust your president not to lie to you.”
Moore said he “sunk into the deep pit of despair” after the awards.
“It was like I had helped the Russians throw the Olympics.”
When asked about his take on the nation’s Governors dismantling the rights of the working class he said, “The Republicans are very good at organizing, their smarter and came in with an agenda aimed at public employees, teachers and pensions.”
He also threw a bombast or two at Democrats.
“I know we are the peace, love and understanding generation but were going to lose the country if we don’t stand up.”
Following his presentation Moore signed a childhood photo of himself on a little tyke ride for admiring fans. Later, Moore was caught during an interview for CSPAN in the lobby. An LA Times reporter who was covering the story commented in an article for the LA Times on how the security guard who was watching over the event “looked nervous.”
Actually, he was one of New York’s finest and he didn’t have a clue who Michael Moore was. The reason I know for sure is he asked me who the guy was. After I told him who Moore was and a little bit about his politics, movies and books he still didn’t have a clue about Michael. But maybe he will check his book out when it’s available.
