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>>> WELCOME BACK. TO EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS A DEEP
STORY ACCORDING TO THE LATE
PULITZER PRIZE WINNING WRITER,
ALEX TIZON.
ALEX TIZON. HE SPENT HIS CAREER LARGELY IN
SEATTLE TALKING ABOUT HARD-
WORKING PEOPLE THAT WERE
UNRECOGNIZED, ECCENTRIC AND
EVEN THE VILLAINS.
THIS IS A COLLECTION OF HIS
MOST MEMORABLE WORK, AND TO
SHARE THE STORIES TODAY IS SAM
AND MELISSA TIZON, ALEX'S
WIDOW.
WIDOW.
WIDOW. >>
WIDOW. >> HE SOUNDS LIKE AN AMAZING
GUY WITH AN INCREDIBLE HEART.
>> HE WAS AN AMAZING PERSON AND
AMAZING WRITER.
AMAZING WRITER. >> HOW DID THESE GET CHOSEN FOR
THE BOOK?
THE BOOK?
THE BOOK? >> VERSE WE CONSULTED WITH EACH
OTHER TALKING ABOUT OUR
FAVORITES AND WE REACHED OUT TO
THE EDITORS, COLLEAGUES AND
FRIENDS, AND BASED ON THAT WE
CAME OUT WITH THIS COLLECTION.
IT IS NOT ORGANIZED
CHRONOLOGICALLY BUT THROUGH THE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE HE
WROTE ABOUT.
WROTE ABOUT. >> THERE WAS SUCH A VARIETY SO
THAT NO ONE THINKS IT'S ONLY
ONE CATEGORY IT IS A VERY
INSIGHTFUL LOOK AT LIVES THAT
WE DON'T NORMALLY HEAR ABOUT.
WHAT WAS HIS MOTIVATION, AND
WHAT MOVED HIM TO WRITE THE
STORIES.
STORIES.
STORIES. >> ALEX WAS A FILIPINO-
AMERICAN.
AMERICAN.
AMERICAN. HE WAS A YOUNG BOY THAT MOVED
TO THIS COUNTRY AND PRIMARILY
AROUND WHITE PEOPLE AND FELT
KIND OF LIKE AN OUTSIDER.
HE WRITES ABOUT THIS
EXTENSIVELY IN ONE OF HIS BOOKS
THAT HE FOUND THAT THROUGH HIS
REPORTING AND TELLING OTHER
PEOPLE'S STORIES, OF PEOPLE
THAT ARE IMMIGRANTS, OR LIVING
ON THE MARGINS, HE WAS ABLE TO
UNDERSTAND HIMSELF A LITTLE BIT
BETTER.
BETTER.
BETTER. ALEX ALWAYS BELIEVED, LIKE YOU
SAID EARLIER, EVERYONE HAS AN
EPIC STORY.
EPIC STORY. IT'S INCREDIBLE THAT HE COULD
TAKE PEOPLE YOU MAY JUST PASS
ON THE STREET AND NOT THINK
TWICE ABOUT THEM, AND HE CAN
FIND THE EPIC STORY, AND TELL
IT IN A WAY THAT DREW IN
PEOPLE, AND TO HELP US ALL
UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER HERE
EXPECT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT
EVERYONE YOU PASS EVERY DAY YOU
DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'VE BEEN
THROUGH, OR WHAT THEIR STORY
IS, SO IT'S GOOD TO KEEP THAT
IN MIND.
IN MIND.
IN MIND. >> YOU CAN GET LOST IN THIS
STORY.
STORY.
STORY. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MIND
BLOWING AND COULD YOU EXPLAIN
THIS?
THIS?
THIS? >>
THIS? >> IN 20 SECONDS OR LESS, AND
THE STORY IS VERY COMPLICATED.
>> THERE IS A STORY THAT RAN IN
THE ATLANTIC MAGAZINE JUST
AFTER ALEX DIED, A STORY ABOUT
A WOMAN THAT RAISED HIM, AND
HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
HE CONSIDERED HER A
GRANDMOTHER.
GRANDMOTHER. SHE WAS LIKE A NANNY TYPE AND
HE CONSIDERED HER A
GRANDMOTHER.
GRANDMOTHER. WE CALLED HER LOLA, AND THAT IS
THE FILIPINO NAME FOR
GRANDMOTHER.
GRANDMOTHER. WHAT HE STRUGGLED WITH HIS
WHOLE LIFE, A SECRET THAT HIS
FAMILY HAD THAT SHE WAS NOT
PAID, TAKEN FROM HER HOME IN
THE PHILIPPINES TO COME AND
LIVE WITH THEM IN THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES.
STATES. SHE WAS TREATED VERY POORLY BY
HIS PARENTS, AND THAT IS
SOMETHING YOU STRUGGLED WITH
THROUGH HIS ENTIRE LIFE.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE END OF HIS
LIFE THAT HE CAME TO GRIPS WITH
IT, AND THAT IS HOW THE STORY
CAME TO BE.
>> IT IS SUPER BRAVE TO TELL
THIS STORY, AND DEAL WITH THE
REACTION.
REACTION.
REACTION. WHAT WOULD HE HAVE MADE WITH
THE COMMENTS, FALLOUT AND
AFTERMATH OF THE STORYTELLING?
>> ALEX LOVED TO DEBATE AND THE
CLASH OF IDEAS.
HE WOULD HAVE EMBRACED IT.
HE WOULD HAVE WANTED TO HAVE
THIS CONVERSATION.
THIS CONVERSATION. THE IDEA OF DOMESTIC INDENTURED
SERVITUDE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING,
IT IS A PROBLEM.
>> THAT TOUCHES ON SO MANY
IMPORTANT THINGS.
IMPORTANT THINGS. >> THAT IS ONE REASON THAT THAT
STORY IS STRIKING SUCH A CORD.
IT WAS THE MOST READ STORY IN
THE ATLANTIC HISTORY AND ALSO
ON THE INTERNET THAT YEAR, BY A
FACTOR OF THREE.
IT WAS COMMENTED ON ALL AROUND
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. >> THERE'S SO MUCH TO RESPOND
TO, AND YOU NEVER GET A LOOK
INSIDE OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
IS.
IS.
IS. SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
TRAFFIC KID, AND HOW THIS COULD
COME ABOUT IS INCREDIBLY BRAVE
TO SAY.
TO SAY.
TO SAY. I
TO SAY. I KNOW YOU HAVE A FAVORITE AND
WE WILL ADD THAT TO THE WEB
STORY BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL WANT
TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS AND
DEFINITELY WILL WANT THE BOOK.
THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH.
SAM AND MELISSA WILL BE AT THE
ELLIOTT BAY BOOK COMPANY
TONIGHT AT 7:00 READING FROM
THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE AND HONOR
OF THE WORK FROM ALEX TIZON.
WE WILL PUT ONLINE MORE ON HOW