
We Are the Light - Matthew Quick | Short
Clip: Season 8 Episode 14 | 2m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
Author Matthew Quick talks with host J.T. Ellison about his book WE ARE THE LIGHT.
Author Matthew Quick talks with host J.T. Ellison about WE ARE THE LIGHT, a novel exploring the complexities of human connection and self-discovery. Quick delves into themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and the transformative power of friendship. With a blend of empathy and wit, Quick’s narrative highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the existence of hope even in the darkest moments.
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A Word on Words is a local public television program presented by WNPT

We Are the Light - Matthew Quick | Short
Clip: Season 8 Episode 14 | 2m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
Author Matthew Quick talks with host J.T. Ellison about WE ARE THE LIGHT, a novel exploring the complexities of human connection and self-discovery. Quick delves into themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and the transformative power of friendship. With a blend of empathy and wit, Quick’s narrative highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the existence of hope even in the darkest moments.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(typewriter dings) (dramatic music) - I'm Matthew Quick, and this is "We Are the Light."
"We Are The Light: is about Lucas Goodgame, he's my protagonist, and he goes to the movies with his wife one night and there's this horrific tragedy in the movie theater and when he comes out, two things happen.
The town declares him a hero, which is very hard for him, and he has to deal with the loss of his wife.
And it's also a story about how we take care of each other.
And so it's this really beautiful story about how we save ourselves by saving others.
(dramatic music) - Lucas doesn't like to see himself as a hero.
Do you think he's a hero or do you think he's an anti-hero?
- I think he's a reluctant hero.
- Reluctant, yeah.
- I think what he does in the book, without spoilers, both why the town thinks he's a hero and what he does for Eli is very heroic.
At his worst, he offers the world his best.
And there's a huge cost for that.
- I love that.
His worst moment, he gives his best.
That is exactly what this book is about.
Is that a message that you want to bring to people?
- I think it's something I wanna offer people.
I saw that when I was at my worst right after sobriety, my depression, anxiety was at my worst, when I turned my face away from people, I got sicker.
And when I kind of rallied and found ways to offer small but the best I had at the time to people, they really offered a lot back to me.
So if you walk around angry all the time, you're gonna see anger everywhere.
If you walk around seeing love everywhere, that's gonna be returned to you, that's what is gonna be reflected to you and so I think sometimes we build up these fantasies in our minds as defenses, and we need to get out into the world to see that our fantasies, negative fantasies aren't often accurate.
- Thank you so much for being here.
It's just, I love talking to you.
I could talk to you all day.
- Ah, thank you.
It's my pleasure.
I feel the same way, JT.
- And thank you for watching "A Word on Words."
I'm JT Ellison.
Keep reading.
(upbeat music)
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A Word on Words is a local public television program presented by WNPT