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Home > News & Events > Commentary

Commentary

Opinion articles and speeches by MHC faculty, staff, and students, published in the media are available here. Should you wish to respond to the ideas contained within any of these articles, email Mary Jo Curtis, media relations associate, and she will forward to the commentator.

 

MHC's Bass Writes on Drug Industry in Globe
In an op-ed in the September 8 Boston Globe, journalism prof Alison Bass discusses a case on drug industry practices that's soon to be heard by the Supreme Court.
September 10, 2008

 

MHC's Jones on Georgia-Russia Conflict
Writing for the Radio Free Europe Web site, professor of Russian and Eurasian studies Stephen Jones calls the current conflict a "decisive issue in Russian-Western relations."
August 11, 2008

 

MHC's Moseley Gives Advice on Foreclosures
Professor of economics Fred Moseley wrote an article on "How to Stop Foreclosures" for the July 8, 2008, edition of the economic justice magazine Dollars & Sense.
August 5, 2008

 

Benfey Reviews Heller Book in NY Times
Christopher Benfey penned a review of Steven Heller's Iron Fists: Branding the 20th-Century Totalitarian State in the August 3 New York Times Sunday Book Review.
August 5, 2008

 

MHC's Amy on Government Policies, Workers
Professor of politics Douglas J. Amy has authored two op-eds featured in the Providence Journal and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
July 30, 2008

 

MHC's Lauret Savoy Featured in Terrain.org
Listen to professor of geology and environmental studies Lauret Savoy discuss "The Future of Environmental Essay" in a podcast in the latest issue of Terrain.org.
July 21, 2008

 

MHC's Pyle Redrafts Declaration
Politics professor Chris Pyle's redrafted Declaration of Independence appeared in a July 3 New York Times ad sponsored by the Bill of Rights Defense Committee.
July 3, 2008

 

Blaetz Reviews New Tinsel Town Tome
Writing in the Chicago Tribune, film studies profressor Robin Blaetz critiques The Star Machine, a new study of Hollywood's Golden Age.
April 22, 2008

 

MHC's Benfey Reviews Woodward Novel in NYT
Mellon Professor of English Christopher Benfey reviewed A Curious Earth, a new novel by Gerard Woodward, in the March 30 New York Times Book Review.
March 31, 2008

 

Ramdas: Clinton, Obama Miss Chances
Trustee Kavita Ramdas '85, head of the Global Fund for Women, observes in The Nation that presidential candidates are not discussing "the fragile future of our shared world."
February 27, 2008

 

Weber Reviews New Kazin Bio
Writing in the Chicago Tribune, English professor Donald Weber reviewed a new biography of the influential literary critic Alfred Kazin.
February 4, 2008

 

MHC's Ellis: Very Opinionated
Historian Joseph J. Ellis, author of the current bestseller American Creation, had op-eds in the Washington Post and LA Times in recent days.
January 4, 2008

 

Maya Dean '08 on Diversity in Academe
After spending a semester at Spelman College, MHC senior Maya Dean was asked by the Chronicle of Higher Education to compare the concept of diversity at the two schools.
October 22, 2007

 

Ellis Reviews Jay Winik's Book in Times
Ford Foundation Professor of History Joseph Ellis reviewed Jay Winik's new book in the New York Times Sunday Book Review.
October 1, 2007

 

Moran in Times: The Presence of Malice
In an op-ed in the New York Times, professor of sociology Richard Moran argues that all too often, wrongful convictions in death penalty cases are a result of malicious prosecution.
August 2, 2007

 

Gudmundson on History and Hero Worship
Professor Lowell Gudmundson writes in La Nacion about the exaltation of heroes and villains in Central American, Mexican, and U.S. history.
July 23, 2007

 

Benfey Reviews Carter Novel in Times
Mellon Professor of English Chris Benfey reviewed Stephen L. Carter's new novel, New England White, in the New York Times Sunday Book Review.
July 16, 2007

 

MHC's Gudmundson in La Nacion
On the 150th anniversary of the first U.S. intervention in Central America, professor Lowell Gudmundson explores how ideology and history collide in Costa Rica.
June 4, 2007

 

President Creighton on Women's Colleges
Writing in an op-ed in the Boston Globe, MHC President Joanne V. Creighton argued that women's colleges are as relevant as ever and highlighted their strengths.
May 22, 2007

 

Czitrom Reviews Book in New York Post
Professor of history Dan Czitrom wrote about A Living Lens: Photographs of Jewish Life From the Pages of the Forward, featuring images of New York Jewish life.
May 7, 2007

 

Young Reviews Post-Civil War Tome in Tribune
Associate professor of English Elizabeth Young reviewed West From Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America After the Civil War, by UMass professor Heather Cox Richardson.
March 20, 2007

 

Benfey Reviews Foujita Biography
Mellon Professor of English Chris Benfey writes in the New York Times Sunday Book Review about Phyllis Birnbaum's portrait of the Japanese artist Foujita.
January 16, 2007

 

Leithauser Reviews New Aeneid Translation
Brad Leithauser, Emily Dickinson Senior Lecturer in the Humanities, reviewed the translation by Robert Fagles in the New York Times Sunday Book Review.
December 18, 2006

 

A Tax Policy to Help Homeowners
Professor John Fox wrote an op-ed in the Daily Hampshire Gazette arguing that the current mortgage interest deduction doesn't make social or economic sense.
December 6, 2006

 

Hornstein in Philly Inquirer on War's Mental Toll
In a November 10 piece anticipating Veterans Day, psychology professor Gail Hornstein examines the psychological wounds of wars past and present.
November 10, 2006

 

Professor Weber Reviews David Mamet Book
In the November 3 Chronicle of Higher Education, Weber reviews Mamet's new book, The Wicked Son: Anti-Semitism, Self-Hatred, and the Jews.
November 1, 2006

 

Fox: Taxes Are Dues for Membership in Society
Visiting associate professor of complex organizations John Fox tackled taxation and the Massachusetts race for governor in the Sunday Republican.
October 31, 2006

 

Hornstein in Newsday on Courage and Terror
Writing in Newsday Sunday, October 22, psychology professor Gail Hornstein examined what courage and cowardice mean in today's world.
October 24, 2006

 

Benfey Reviews Thomas Bernhard Novel
Writing in the New York Times Sunday Book Review, Mellon Professor of English Chris Benfey reviews Bernhard's first novel, Frost, which was only recently translated into English.
October 24, 2006

 

Weber Reviews Buruma in Chicago Tribune
English professor Donald Weber examines Murder in Amsterdam, Ian Buruma's new book about the brutal murder of a controversial Dutch filmmaker.
September 28, 2006

 

A Tribute to Ann Richards
Senior Lecturer Martha Ackmann reflects on the late Ann Richards in an op-ed published in the Austin American-Statesman and Hartford Courant.
September 19, 2006

 

Professor Demas Reflects on Stuyvesant Town
Professor of English Corinne Demas writes about growing up in New York City's Stuyvesant Town, whose future is in question, in a New York Times op-ed.
September 19, 2006

 

Leithauser Reviews W.D. Snodgrass Poems
Senior lecturer Brad Leithauser reviewed Snodgrass's new collection, Not for Specialists, in the September 3 New York Times Book Review and the International Herald Tribune.
September 5, 2006

 

Dean Braun Speaks Out on Diversity
Writing for the "about Education" page of the August 7 Springfield Republican, dean of students Liz Braun discusses how MHC "engages fully with diversity."
August 10, 2006

 

Ferraro Reflects on Israel, Cease-fire
Writing in the July 30 Newsday, professor of politics Vincent Ferraro examines the strategic implications of Israel's conflict with Hezbollah, in light of that nation's tensions with Iran.
July 31, 2006

 

Leithauser Reviews New Work by Seamus Heaney
Writing in the July 16 New York Times Book Review, senior lecturer Brad Leithauser reviewed Heaney's new book District and Circle.
July 17, 2006

 

John Fox: Tax Breaks Hurt Low-Income Students
In a May 3 Hartford Courant piece, Professor Fox details how tax policy actually closes college doors to economically disadvantaged students.
May 9, 2006

 

Martha Ackmann on Emily Dickinson in S.F. Chronicle
In the April 30 San Francisco Chronicle, Ackmann recounts a recent Dickinson poetry marathon in Amherst celebrating National Poetry Month.
May 2, 2006

 

MHC's Leithauser in N.Y. Times Book Review
Emily Dickinson Senior Lecturer Brad Leithauser reviewed "The Collected Poems of C. P. Cavafy: A New Translation" March 26.
March 27, 2006

 

Professor Ferraro: "Overextended, U.S. Gets Real"
Writing in the March 12 Newsday, Professor Ferraro described how the "Bush administration has been forced into a less ambitious foreign policy."
March 13, 2006

 

Chris Benfey Reviews Written Lives
Writing in the New York Times Sunday Book Review and the International Herald Tribune, Professor Chris Benfey reviewed a new book by Javier Marías.
March 13, 2006

 

President Creighton in L.A. Times on SAT Failings
In the March 13 Los Angeles Times, President Creighton discusses failings in standardized testing, beyond the College Board's recent grading blunder.
March 13, 2006

 

Remembering Women in Baseball
In an op-ed in the Indianapolis Star, Martha Ackmann tells the story of Toni Stone, who replaced Hank Aaron in the Negro American League.
March 5, 2006

 

Professor Comments on History of Death Penalty
Richard Moran spoke to the Associated Press recently about the history of the death penalty in connection to a postponed California execution.
February 28, 2006

 

Scandal, Scandal Everywhere
Professor Douglas Amy discusses Washington lobbying practices in the Sunday Republican.
February 12, 2006

 

The Lawless Ask For Our Trust
In an op-ed in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Professor Christopher Pyle criticizes the Bush Administration for lying and illegally spying on U.S.citizens.
February 3, 2006

 

Finding a Place for 9/11 in American History
Professor Joseph Ellis questions where the events of 9/11 should rank in history in the New York Times.
January 30, 2006

 

Are Terror Suspicions Getting Out of Hand?
Professor of politics Christopher Pyle answers this question in the Sunday Republican.
January 1, 2006

 

Emily Dickinson: 175, Immortal
Martha Ackmann, senior lecturer in women studies, wrote a tribute to the poet in the December 11 Hartford Courant.
December 13, 2005

 

" 'Myself and the Other Fellow': Treasure Island"
Professor Christopher Benfey reviewed "'Myself and the Other Fellow:' A Life of Robert Louis Stevenson" in the New York Times Book Review November 6.
November 7, 2005

 

A Whale of a Book About Herman Melville
Professor Donald Weber reviews Andrew Delbanco's "Melville: His World and Work" in the Chicago Tribune.
November 6, 2005

 

"Caravaggio: The Artist as Outlaw"
Professor Christopher Benfey reviewed a new bio of the painter Caravaggio in the New York Times Sunday Book Review October 2.
October 5, 2005

 

Professor Criticizes Massachusetts's Anti-Terror Efforts
In a Boston Globe story, Professor Christopher Pyle was critical of a state program aimed at coordinating information in the war on terror.
September 26, 2005

 

MHC Professor Criticizes Bush's Top Appointments
Douglas J. Amy questioned President Bush's key administrative appointments in a commentary in the Hartford Courant.
September 20, 2005

 

Women Rose Above NASA's Sexist Attitude
Martha Ackmann, author of The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight, penned a recent op-ed in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
July 13, 2005

 

Ban on Flag-Burning Annual Trivial Pursuit
In an op-ed in the Sunday Republican, Professor Christopher Pyle comments on the freedom of expression and flag-burning.
July 11, 2005

 

Voter-rights Suit on Firm Historical Ground
Professor Douglas Amy wrote an op-ed in the Sunday Republican on "Voter-Rights Suit on Firm Historical Ground."
April 17, 2005

 

Elizabeth Young in Chicago Tribune Reviews Book
An intelligent, provocative book "The Colors of Courage" offers a different perspective on the Battle of Gettysburg.
February 13, 2005

 

Women's Education Needs Global Lesson Plan
President Joanne V. Creighton comments in Women's ENews on women's education.
September 9, 2004

 

Harold in the Gazette: "Distinguishing War and Metaphors"
Harold says it is important for us to look at exactly in what sense the "war on terror" is a war at all, and whether and in what sense it might be won.
September 4, 2004

 

Fox in the Washington Post on Tax Breaks
John O. Fox believes Congress could eliminate a tax break that subsidizes deluxe health insurance policies, mostly for corporate management.
July 25, 2004

 

Pyle Addresses ACLU on "McCarthyism - Then and Now"
Professor Christopher Pyle compares yesterday's guilt by association with today's computerized surveillance.
May 24, 2004

 

Guilford Commencement Address by Chris Benfey
Professor Christopher Benfey offers inspiration to the Class of 2004.
May 22, 2004

 

Campaign Celebration Remarks by President Creighton
"The Campaign has made an enormous difference to our ability to sustain and enhance college excellence."
May 8, 2004

 

Morgan in the Sunday Republican: Fetus and Personhood
Lynn Morgan comments on the the legal precedents that could compel a court to recognize fetuses as citizens.
May 2, 2004

 

Fox in the Washington Post "For Singles, April Really Is the Cruelest Month"
John O. Fox writes op-ed on a great injustice in our tax system: the "singles penalty."
April 11, 2004

 

Fox in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Don't Know Jack About Taxes"
John O. Fox says the tax code's complexity and inequity mean the joke's on us.
April 9, 2004

 

Pyle in the Sunday Republican: "War on Terrorism Shouldn't Stoop to Torture"
Here are two stories about our war on terrorism that deserve more attention than they have received.
February 29, 2004

 

Lasensky in the Forward: "The Good That Could Come From Sharon's Gaza Gambit"
Scott Lasensky pens op-ed on Prime Minister Sharon's recent announcement to dismantle Israeli settlements.
February 13, 2004

 

Pyle in the San Francisco Chronicle "How Immigration Threw a Traveler to the Wolves"
Professor Chris Pyle asks isn't it time to question how watch lists are assembled and used?
January 5, 2004


Previous Commentary 2003 and Earlier
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This page maintained by Office of Communications. Last modified on September 25, 2008.