Cambridge Forum is delighted to partner with Harvard Book Store to bring you a conversation with Nancy Pelosi about The Art of Power, which chronicles her life as America’s first female Speaker of the House and one of the most powerful women in American political history.

When Nancy Pelosi, aged 46 years and a mother of five, asked her youngest daughter if she should run for Congress, Alexandra Pelosi answered: “Mother, get a life!” And so Nancy did, and what a life it has been. In her book The Art of Power, Pelosi describes what it takes to make history—not only as the first woman to ascend to the most powerful legislative role in our nation, but to pass laws that would save lives and livelihoods, from the emergency rescue of the economy in 2008 to the transformation of health care. She describes the perseverance, persuasion, and respect required to succeed, but also the joy of seeing America change for the better. Renowned for her hard work and diligent preparation, Pelosi worked to find common ground, but also learned how to stand her ground with presidents from Bush to Biden.

In her memoir, she reveals how she went toe-to-toe with Trump, leading up to January 6, 2021, when he unleashed his post-election fury on the Congress. Pelosi provides a personal account of that day: the assault not only on democracy but on those who had come to serve the nation, never expecting to hide under desks or flee for their lives—and her determined efforts to get the National Guard to the Capitol. 

Nearly two years later, violence and fury erupted inside Pelosi’s own home when an intruder, demanding to see the Speaker, viciously attacked her husband, Paul. Pelosi shares details of that fateful day and the traumatic aftermath. However, Pelosi does not fear a good fight and “The Art of Power” is about the fighting spirit that has always animated her, and helped her create an historic legacy.

She is joined in conversation by Governor Maura Healey—the 73rd Governor of Massachusetts.