Francine Prose talked about her book Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife (Harper; September 29, 2009). In her book she examines the impact that Anne Frank's diary has had on the history and understanding of the Holocaust. She looks at the work from a literary point of view, examining the early incarnation of the diary and the revisions the young author made and the publication history of the diary, which was passed on by several publishers prior to its initial release. She read and commented on passages from her book. She also responded to questions from members of the audience. This event was held by the Smithsonian Associates on Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at the S. Dillon Ripley Center.

Francine Prose is the author of Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them and of numerous novels, including Blue Angel, which was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. She is the former president of the PEN American Center.