How many kinds of professors are there?
Yesterday’s NYT article on Judith Steinberg Dean quotes one Myra Gutin from Rider University:
In her book, “The President’s Partner: The First Lady in the 20th Century,” Ms. Gutin outlined three broad categories: “ceremonial” (Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower), whose White House role was mainly entertaining; “emerging spokeswoman” (Jacqueline Kennedy, Pat Nixon), who seized the podium to promote issues important to them; and “activist” (Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford). Dr. Steinberg, she said, fits nowhere.
In our blog (Sadly, No!) we outline three broad categories of professors: those who research important things few people care about, those who research pointless things a lot of people care about, and those who research pointless things of no interest to anyone. Dr. Gutin, who is busy writing a biography of Barbara Bush, fits in the third.
Uh, Sadly, No!, aren’t you underestimating the vast relevance of Barbara Bush in the 20th Century? Don’t you remember her critical sleuthing skills in tracking down the Lindbergh baby’s kidnapper? Her insistence that the U.S. keep the planes flying during the Berlin Airlift? Her brilliant play at second base for the Miracle Mets of ’69? If anything, the market is CRYING for a decent biography of Barbara Bush. Finally!
Someone should kindly point Mrs. Dean towards the good professor. In her recent interview with People Magazine, Judy Dean has this to say about America’s First Ladies:
“Judy: I think they’ve all done it in different ways and I think I’ve admired different things about different first ladies, but it’s not like I’ve read up on it or anything.”
Doesn’t she know there’s a wealth of material out there from Myra Gutin alone?
http://people.aol.com/people/features/peoplespecial/0,10950,576954-2,00.html