MEET THE AUTHOR

Robert Pierre & Jon Jeter
A Day Late and a Dollar Short:
High Hopes and Deferred Dreams in Obama's "Post-Racial" America

Sunday, January 31 2 pm Oxon Hill Branch

Barack Obama’s historic victory was over, the ticker tape swept up and reporters headed home. But master storytellers Pierre and Jeter began a more nuanced chronicle of Obama’s effect on the lives of African Americans from diverse backgrounds. A year later, Pierre and Jeter’s honest, engaging exploration of the State of the Black Union is packed with heartbreaking and inspiring stories from the real lives of black Americans (including Prince George’s residents). You'll meet the Louisiana grandmother who escaped the backbreaking drudgery of a sugar plantation, managed to buy her own modest home, and stayed alive long enough to see a black man elected president; the fiery Chicago union shop steward who fought passionately to save the jobs of more than 260 workers; and many more. Every tale delves into the complex issues and challenges we will have to deal with going forward. Robert Pierre is a Washington Post editor and Jon Jeter is an author and former producer for NPR’s This American Life.

Sheilah Kast & Jim Rosapepe
Dracula Is Dead: How Romanians Survived Communism,
Ended it and Emerged Since 1989 as the New Italy
Sunday, February 28 2 pm Hyattsville Branch
Mention Romania, and for many Dracula’s fog-enshrouded castle in Transylvania and an oppressive regime will come to mind. In Dracula is Dead, the authors set the record straight, presenting a thriving nation that has been transformed from a Communist country into a vibrant democracy, a member of NATO and the European Union. Through a series of insightful and amusing essays, former United States ambassador to Romania Jim Rosapepe and distinguished journalist Sheilah Kast, his wife, introduce us to the people, places and history of Romania, transporting us to a charming country similar to Italy. Along the way, they share the discoveries they made about this country and create a fascinating portrait of a model nation where people of diverse ethnic heritages can co-exist as neighbors. Sheilah Kast is the host of Maryland Morning on WYPR-FM. Jim Rosapepe is a Maryland state senator.