Internationally renowned novelist Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, and NW, called on graduates at The New School's (http://www.newschool.edu) 78th Commencement ceremony to reach beyond themselves to seek meaning in connections with others. In a speech entitled "Many Hands," Smith urged graduates to find purpose and pleasure in collectively approaching the global challenges that will define their generation. "I speak in favor of recognizing our place within the many, not only as a slogan - much less as a personal sacrifice - but rather as a potential source of joy in your life," she said. "The climate. The economy. The sick relationship between the individual prestige of the First World and the anonymity of the Third. These are things only many hands can fix, working together."

Location: Madison Square Garden, May 23, 2014.