The Greatest Sentence Ever Written: A Conversation with Walter Isaacson Moderated by: David Brooks

To mark America’s 250th anniversary, bestselling biographer Walter Isaacson takes audiences on a deep dive into the creation of one of the most influential sentences in history: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Moderated by David Brooks, Isaacson explores the sentence origins, the revolutionary ideas behind it, and how this defining principle continues to shape American politics and identity today. The New Orleans Book Festival brings the world’s leading authors to Tulane University for a multi-day celebration of their works. The Festival features both fiction and non-fiction and convenes readings, panel discussions, symposia and keynote speeches. It provides an opportunity for outlets, authors and readers to interact with each other in one of the most vibrant and culturally diverse cities in the world.