That keeps me hopeful even though, as a journalist and as a father, I've seen my children stumble, and fall, and get up again, and I know that human beings trip, but I also know that human beings can get up . I can never see the human stage lighted only one way. This man, who veritably speaks in poetry, has an affinity for poets. In addition to the Language of Life , his 1989 series The Power of the Written Word was extensively devoted to those who wrangle with rhythm and meter. I would say that the one overwhelming realization that struck me while doing those series is that poets may be the last people in our society who truly speak the truth.
Politicians have a stake in deception because they're always trying to be exposed.
Of course, not all that they tell you is true. When I pass it on to you, I'm conscious that I'm giving you something that's authentic, because with poets, I do not join the con game, like I do when I interview politicians. Moyers, who has won some 30 Emmy awards, acted as deputy director for the Peace Corps, published Newsday magazine, and worked as the senior news analyst for CBS before forming the Public Access Television company with Judith, has some experience with politicians. One of his first jobs was with Lyndon Baines Johnson, the man who hired Moyers sight unseen in 1954 after the then-college sophomore wrote the senator a letter suggesting that he could help with Johnson's appeal to the young people of Texas. Using a foot-treadle machine, Moyers spent the night in that basement pressing on addresses to Texan constituents.