Several months ago, I told the story of reconnecting with Professor Thomas Pettigrew whose passion for racial equality influenced me deeply during my years at Harvard, eventually leading me to the decision to work in Mississippi when I finished my degree. Last week he wrote to ask if I could give the piece below some space. When I read it, I realized that it was far more important than what I was...

“You’re only as happy as your least happy child,” is a quote often attributed to Michelle Obama without much supporting evidence. Whoever first said it spoke for all parents who have stood by helplessly while their child weathered a crisis in their personal, school or work lives. Rosellen and I have been through those dark periods which are particularly painful when they occur simultaneously with...

Late last night my phone announced the arrival of a text message. We were in the middle of watching Succession, that entertaining paean to everything we hold in contempt – selfishness, greed, cruelty, bigotry – so I waited till the show was over to read the message. It turned out to be the perfect anti-venom to what preceded it. My long-ago student, Stephanie, in Austin, Texas (I think she won’t...

When I posted my last entry on Monday, I indicated that you probably wouldn’t be hearing from me for a week or two because we would be traveling. I’m hoping that this is true for you as well and that when I send out my reminder that there’s something new to read, I will be flooded with “Out of the Office” notifications. Unfortunately, I’m still here, writing to a diminished holiday audience...

Loyal readers of this blog know that I have a special attachment to New Hampshire. We lived in the state for 11 years and have returned each summer save one for almost 40 years to the Peterborough area which is our home base. In addition to the annual summer deep dives into the political events of the moment, I continue to read the local newspaper, the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, published twice...