An original handwritten two-page letter to Louise Kertesz from Muriel Rukeyser, dated August 9, 1976. Muriel states that whatever happened to Louise’s daughter is wonderful news, and sends good wishes to Louise and her family. Monica McCall had found reviews of Body of Waking in her office at ICM, along with "the plays." The second part of the letter states that Muriel will be in London from the 19th to September 3rd for the P.E.N. Congress, where she will speak on "the Truth of Imagination" in poetry. Page 2 of 2. The letter is attached with a paper clip to a seventeen-page bundle of Louise's handwritten notes of findings, quotes, observations on Rukeyser. [See documents 018_LK_01_006 to 018_LK_01_023.]
An original handwritten two-page letter to Louise Kertesz from Muriel Rukeyser, dated August 9, 1976. Muriel states that whatever happened to Louise’s daughter is wonderful news, and sends good wishes to Louise and her family. Monica McCall had found reviews of Body of Waking in her office at ICM, along with "the plays." The second part of the letter states that Muriel will be in London from the 19th to September 3rd for the P.E.N. Congress, where she will speak on "the Truth of Imagination" in poetry. Page 1 of 2. The letter is attached with a paper clip to a seventeen-page bundle of Louise's handwritten notes of findings, quotes, observations on Rukeyser. [See documents 018_LK_01_006 to 018_LK_01_023.]
An original, typewritten letter, dated July 7th, 1975. The letter is from Muriel Rukeyser to Louise Kertesz. In the letter, Rukeyser thanks Louise for sending her essay on Thoreau. Rukeyser also provides an answer to Louise’s question [how to access a copy of M.L Rosenthal's 1949 thesis, "Chief Poets of the American Depression: Contributions of Kenneth Fearing, Horace Gregory, and Muriel Rukeyser to Contemporary American Poetry"] and suggests that she write to M.L. Rosenthal at N.Y.U. and ask to borrow a copy of his thesis. Rukeyser ends the letter by saying that she is enclosing a copy of the issue of American Poetry Review that Louise had requested.
Dated September 11th, 1976. A typewritten note From Muriel Rukeyser to Louise Kertesz. Muriel had received Louise’s questions on August 25th, and she praises “The depth of perception, the beauty, of your work - what you have written and your questions - lead me now to make a further commitment to your work.” There is “one condition, very important, that I must make: will you send me a confirming note that all passages in your manuscript concerning my son and his birth be sent to him, and none of those passages be published without his consent?” Muriel ends by saying, “Your book, as it is taking form, seems extraordinary to me. It is not a thesis.”
Dated June 24th, 1977. A photocopied handwritten note from Muriel Rukeyser to Louise Kertesz. Rukeyser states that Kertesz's manuscript “is an astonishing and beautiful book, and brings through the structure and vocabulary.”’ Rukeyser had written to Bernard Perry to “hasten things along” and asks if Louise wants her to write to another press. Rukeyser also looks forward to seeing Louise. Her final words, "Slowly coming back," refer to her recovery from her second stroke.
A photocopy of a typewritten two-page letter, dated September 12th, 1942. The letter is from Albert Einstein to Muriel Rukeyser. The background information on this letter is that Muriel Rukeyser had asked Albert Einstein to write a foreword to her biography of the theoretical scientist Willard Gibbs. Rukeyser asked Einstein to “lend his name to her effort to make Gibbs known to a time that needed the story of his achievement." Without reading Rukeyser’s book, Einstein refused, saying that “In my view, there is but one way to bring a great scientist to the attention of the larger public: it is to discuss and explain, in language which will be generally understood, the problems and solutions which have characterized his life-work. This can only be done by someone who has a fundamental grasp of the material.” Kertesz found this letter during her research in the Berg Collection of the New York Public Library. Page 2 of 2.
A photocopy of a typewritten two-page letter, dated September 12th, 1942. The letter is from Albert Einstein to Muriel Rukeyser. The background information on this letter is that Muriel Rukeyser had asked Albert Einstein to write a foreword to her biography of the theoretical scientist Willard Gibbs. Rukeyser asked Einstein to “lend his name to her effort to make Gibbs known to a time that needed the story of his achievement." Without reading Rukeyser’s book, Einstein refused, saying that “In my view, there is but one way to bring a great scientist to the attention of the larger public: it is to discuss and explain, in language which will be generally understood, the problems and solutions which have characterized his life-work. This can only be done by someone who has a fundamental grasp of the material.” Einstein acknowledges that "the personal side must be taken account of," but it can’t be the whole focus of the book, or the work becomes “banal hero-worship, based on emotion and not on insight” and that Einstein has learned “by my own experience how hateful and ridiculous it is, when a serious man, absorbed in important endeavors, is ignorantly lionized.” In the end, Einstein refuses Rukeyser’s request, writing that “I cannot give my public endorsement to such an undertaking. It would seem to me less than honourable. That sounds harsh: I even fear that you will take my inability for unjustifiable unkindness. But so I am, and cannot be otherwise.” Kertesz found this letter during her research in the Berg Collection of the New York Public Library. She bracketted the first part of the letter, and attached a sticky note to the back of the paper that says, “Einstein.” Page 1 of 2.
Photograph of Muriel Rukeyser with Sarah Lawrence President Charles R. DeCarlo on her left. “A day in Honor of Muriel Rukeyser," December 9, 1978, Sarah Lawrence College.
Dated 1954, a photograph of the Bollingen Poetry Prize Selection Committee. A group photograph (from the back row, left to right) Wallace Stevens, Randall Jarrell, Allen Tate. (Front row) Marianne Moore and Muriel Rukeyser.
Louise Kertesz, far right, standing with poet Richard Eberhart and two other individuals, one man and one woman, at a poetry event, date and location still to be determined.
The poet Richard Eberhart stands behind a low table with an open book in front of a small audience of seated individuals, at a poetry event, date and location still to be determined.
Muriel Rukeyser is present in the photograph, sitting with the writer Alice Walker to her right. Grace Paley appears to be the woman standing in front of Walker and involved in conversation with her. Alice Walker was a former student of Muriel Rukeyser at Sarah Lawrence College.
“A day in Honor of Muriel Rukeyser," December 9, 1978, Sarah Lawrence College. Muriel Rukeyser is present in the photograph, sitting with the writer Alice Walker to her right. Alice Walker was a former student of Muriel Rukeyser at Sarah Lawrence College.
“A day in Honor of Muriel Rukeyser," December 9, 1978, Sarah Lawrence College. Muriel Rukeyser is present in the photograph, sitting with her nephew Louis Rukeyser to her left, and the writer Alice Walker standing and facing Rukeyser. Alice Walker was a former student of Muriel Rukeyser at Sarah Lawrence College.
"A day in Honor of Muriel Rukeyser," December 9, 1978, Sarah Lawrence College. Muriel Rukeyser is present in the photograph, sitting with her nephew Louis Rukeyser and the writer Grace Paley to her left and the writer Alice Walker standing to her right, facing her. Alice Walker was a former student of Muriel Rukeyser at Sarah Lawrence College.
“A day in Honor of Muriel Rukeyser," December 9, 1978, Sarah Lawrence College. Muriel Rukeyser is present in the photograph, sitting with her nephew Louis Rukeyser and the writer Grace Paley to her left and the writer Alice Walker to her right. Alice Walker was a former student of Muriel Rukeyser at Sarah Lawrence College.
Black and white photograph of Louise Kertesz (pictured far left), her husband Chris Kertesz beside her, and four other individuals, among them Marge Piercy, in conversation with poet Richard Eberhart, at a poetry event, date and location still to be determined.
Kate Mehuron, professor of History and Philosophy and the Department of Women's and Gender Studies, and Dennis O'Grady, professor with the Departments of Communication, Media, and Theater Arts and Women's and Gender Studies, were both instrumental in the planning and implementation of the EMU LGBT Resource Center. Acting as a vital connection between faculty, students, and administration, Mehuron and O'Grady describe working with other faculty like Kathleen Russell to win support for the center. They also describe some of the pushback to the center amongst EMU faculty.
As a university administrator of over 40 years at EMU, Gregory Peoples devoted himself to bettering the college experiences of marginalized students,. In 1994, Peoples helped establish the LGBT Resource Center at EMU, and in this interview, he describes the challenges both to himself and from the university in forming this crucial campus support center.
In her 40 years of service to EMU, Glenna Frank-Miller has served in many crucial capacities including Student Affairs, Campus Life, Diversity and Community Involvement, Alumni Engagement, Career Services and more. She also co-chaired the planning and constrcution of the EMu Student Center. Involved in many levels at EMU, Frank-Miller here describes the need for, and implementation of, the EMU LGBT Resource Center. She describes the various threads that led to the decision to create the center, and describes the reaction on campus to its opening.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Trent Collier talks about raising a family in Ann Arbor, getting involved in community groups, and finding moments of calm in graduate school.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Tom Stulberg talks about being mayor of Lower Town, discovering and correcting local history, and his favorite things to do.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Susan and Sam Westhoff talk about family and growing up in Ann Arbor, the city's rich natural landscape, and trips to the Kerrytown Farmer's Market.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Paul Conway shares the story of how he made his way to Ann Arbor, attending and then working at the University of Michigan, and the challenges of a growing college and a growing city.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Odile Hugnot-Haber talks about her journey to Ann Arbor, the struggles of collective activism and engagement, and how the city can start to make a change in the world.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, mother Merrily Hart and daughters Rachel Klayman and Julie Roberts talk about growing up in Ann Arbor close to family, attending the University of Michigan, and finding their ways back to each other after leaving.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, long-time Ann Arbor resident Mark Margolis talks about running a small business, the vibrant community he's found, and the city's changing landscape.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Jeremy Wheeler talks about working with local businesses and orgs as an artist, the types of people who make up Ann Arbor, and the types of worries that come with rising prices.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Corey Mills talks about growing up in Ann Arbor, working for the AAPD, and how the city has changed but also stayed the same.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Charlie Reischl talks about growing up in the city, working for non-profits, and the importance of Ann Arbor's art and music scene.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Liz Nowland-Margolis talks about growing up in Ann Arbor, learning about her family's history, and community involvement.
Throughout 2024, the city of Ann Arbor celebrated its 200th anniversary with community events, festivals, and art displays that highlighted its rich culture and history. To cap off the celebrations, in December 2024 the EMU Center for Oral History Research invited community members to Skyline High School to share what makes Ann Arbor special. In this interview, Scott King and Andre Andersen talk about moving to and living in Ann Arbor, the things they look forward to outside of UMich Football, and what they believe the AAPD's role to be in the city.
Bob Garfield is a lifelong resident of Ypsilanti who attended the Roosevelt school in 7th grade. In this interview, Garfield discusses the year he spent at Roosevelt, noting that the lack of structure is what led him to transfer back to public school. He also talks about Ypsilanti's history, exploring how the landscape has changed, popular hangout spots for kids, and businesses that no longer exist. Garfield also speaks candidly about his experiences with substance use, working at the first Domino's pizza, and gushes with pride talking about his musically gifted adult son, J.T.
Kirk Profit is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and currently works as a lawyer and legal consultant in his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan. In this interview, Profit speaks about his time as a student at the Roosevelt school, which he attended from kindergarten until 6th grade, leaving early as a result of Roosevelts impending closure. He explains how the education at Roosevelt was creative and innovative, why swimming was so popular among Roosevelt students, and discusses what elementary and middle school students did for fun in the 1960s. He also discusses his life after Roosevelt, exploring his early involvement with politics, developing a social consciousness, and the current state of education in Ypsilanti.
Jim MacDonald was a Roosevelt school attendee from 1957 until his junior year 1969, when the school closed, and his dad, Alistair MacDonald, better known as “Mr. Mac was the principal of Roosevelt while he attended. MacDonald is also the proprietor of Jim MacDonald’s Antiques, which shares a shop with Apple Annie's Vintage in Ypsilanti's Historic Depot Town. In this interview MacDonald discusses his experience growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1950s and 60s near Oakwood and Sheridan, playing with his friends in Sleepy Hollow, and the impact his dad had on kids he went to Roosevelt with. MacDonald also talks in detail about his friendship with Wayne Blikken, explaining their cross country trip playing basketball at various colleges.
Mary and Terry Clark are a married couple who began dating as elementary school students while attending the Roosevelt school. In this interview the couple speaks fondly of their time at Roosevelt, and each explain the extracurriculars they were involved in and the teachers that had an impact on their lives. They also discuss how they met, holding hands while walking to school, where the popular hang out spots were, and what the school meant to them.
Edwin "Ed" Pear is an attorney with a long distinguished career in real estate, business, and estate planning. Pear attended the Roosevelt school from K-12, and was apart of the graduating class of 1959. In this interview, Ed recounts memories of growing up in a Jewish family in Ypsilanti, his fathers clothing store, and other local businesses that existed at the time. He also reminisces about his time as a student at Roosevelt, sharing his experiences in athletics, extracurriculars, and lamenting about the sadness of the schools closure.
Gretchen [Geiser] Colbert is a 1968 alumna of the Roosevelt School and grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In this interview Colbert discusses her experiences at Roosevelt, highlighting how she developed a passion for music and joined the girl's synchronized swim team as it was the only sport available to women at the time. She explains how she took her passion for music with her through life, and how voice lessons at Roosevelt have led to a lifelong involvement in choir groups.
Mary Lou James was born and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, graduating from Roosevelt in 1947 and from Eastern Michigan University in 1951. In this interview Mary Lou explores her time growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1930s-40s, and recounts memories of going to Roosevelt revealing popular hangout spots, school dances, and what dating looked like back in the day. She also shares her experiences as a student at the Michigan State Normal College, being a sorority sister, and her marriage and children.
George Goodman is a Michigan native, military veteran, and was the first African American to be elected as Mayor of Ypsilanti, a position he held from 1972-82. Goodman attended Roosevelt from K-12, graduating in 1958. In this interview, George shares his experiences growing up in a predominantly Black neighborhood, how Ypsilanti has evolved over time, and his experiences at school and in the larger community as a person of color. He also explores his time after Roosevelt, briefly touching on his time as Mayor of Ypsilanti and how Roosevelt left a lasting impact on him.
Barry LaRue is a lifelong Ypsilanti resident, EMU alum, founder of the Riverside Arts Center, and former Operations Manager for University of Michigan theatres. Barry attended Roosevelt from Kindergarten through seventh grade, and, in this interview, he explores his experiences at Roosevelt going into detail about his involvement with theatre productions, the lab schools unique “progressive” curriculum, and the teachers and friends who left a lasting impression on him. Additionally, LaRue recounts his feelings of Roosevelt’s closure, his involvement in Ypsilanti city politics and preservation, and the ways that EMU’s campus has evolved since he was a student.
Margaret "Peg" Porter, is a longtime Ypsilanti resident, Roosevelt High School alumna, and involved with local history as a member of the Ladies Literary Society. In this interview, Porter discusses her experiences growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1950s. Porter also recounted her education at Roosevelt, highlighting the small class sizes and the impact of her polio diagnosis in 1955. She also shares her involvement in extracurricular activities, such as the newspaper and yearbook, and her later career in education and disability rights advocacy. Porter emphasizes the importance of community connections and the legacy of Roosevelt's students and teachers.
Suzanne “Suzy” Wood attended the Roosevelt School K-12, she graduated a year before the school’s closure in 1969. In this interview, Suzy recounts growing up in the Normal Park neighborhood and activities kids did while living there in the 1950s-60s, and her experiences attending Roosevelt as a studious honors student who stayed out of trouble. Suzy also discusses meeting her husband, Nelson, while at Roosevelt, what dates looked like in the 1960s, and her life beyond Roosevelt.
Thomas Dusbiber attended the Roosevelt School from Kindergarten in 1954 until he graduated in 1966. In this interview, Tom recounts his time at Roosevelt, talking about the quality of the teachers, the struggles of high school athletics, and where the popular hangout spots were when he was in school. He also explores the legacy of the school, and the reasons why so many former students remember it so fondly.
Zozan Yasar is a Kurdish journalist based in the United Kingdom who focuses on Middle East politics, refugees, and women. Her work has appeared in the Guardian, BBC, The New Humanitarian Practice Network, and the Voice of America, among others.
Yasar attempted to establish a freelance career in the U.K. right before the pandemic started. A veteran journalist covering the Middle East in Turkey but relatively new to the U.K., she encountered many challenges including financial instability, online harassment, lack of network, isolation, and mental breakdown during the pandemic. In this interview, she recalled the traumas she experienced as a Kurdish woman journalist and compared the challenges she faced in the Middle East and the U.K.
Youssra Jabeen from Pakistan is a video journalist with Arab News Pakistan. She was a development communications manager at the United Nations Development Program's Merged Areas Governance Program (MAGP) from March 2021 to November 2023. Before working for UNDP, Jabeen was a multimedia journalist with over 10 years of experience. She's interested in covering art and culture news, especially when they intersect with social issues such as women's rights and vulnerable communities. Her work has been published in major Pakistani news outlets such as BBC Urdu, Independent Urdu Dawn, and the Express Tribune. She also worked for the Dallas Morning News and received her degree in journalism from the United States.
Jabeen shared her insights on practicing journalism as a woman in Pakistan. In a patriarchal society, women journalists face gender stereotypes, sexual harassment, workplace bullying, and family pressure. In this interview, Jabeen talked about her reporting, gains, and losses during the pandemic. She reminded the next generation to remain hopeful and keep searching for one's purpose in life.
Stefania D'Ignoti from Catania, Italy, is a freelance journalist who covers migration, conflict, women’s rights, and organized crimes in the broader Mediterranean region. She has reported from Sicily, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, the Syrian border, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, The Economist, Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, the BBC, the Guardian, and more.
D'Ignoti was forced to shift the reporting focus from the Middle East to Coronavirus in Italy overnight after her flight to Iraq was canceled due to a border lockdown. She mostly covered the impact of COVID-19 on migrants and asylum seekers. In this interview, she commented on the challenges of being a woman journalist in Italy, the gender disparity in newsrooms and leadership, the contributions of women journalists, and concerns about job security and safety as a freelance journalist. Despite the challenges, D'Ignoti considered the pandemic a booster of her career.
Sen Nguyen is an investigative journalist, podcast host, and producer based in Hong Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She covers policies and developments of public interest with a particular focus on marginalized populations in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. She has produced stories for Vietnam, Cambodia, the U.K., and Australia, and published them in the South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, Thompson Reuters, CNN, and many others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nguyen has published more than 100 articles, many of them focused on the pandemic, its development, and its impact on the local communities. Her story about the COVID-19 pandemic on migrant workers was one of the top five countries’ finalists for the Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award organized by the Oxfam and Asia Center in 2020.
Nguyen published more than 100 articles during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the development and impact of the pandemic on local communities. She recalled the early days of the pandemic, the reporting process of her award-winning stories, and the challenges of being a freelance woman journalist in the region.
Nirasha Piyawadani is a freelance journalist in Sri Lanka who covers stories on human rights, peace, migrant workers, gender-based myths, social issues on sexual and reproductive, media literacy, and climate and environmental issues. During the pandemic, Piyawadani was a research assistant for the ICFJ-UNESCO Global Study: Online Violence Against Women Journalists from 2020 to 2021. She has been selected as a scholar for the International Visitor Leadership Program on Edward R Murrow Program for Journalists, conducted by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs from February - March 2021.
Piyawadani covered the issues facing marginalized communities during the pandemic. In this interview, she reviewed what it is like to practice journalism in this region, especially the challenges facing freelance journalists and women journalists. Ethnic tensions, job insecurity, political corruption, and discrimination against minorities and women, are a few issues highlighted in this conversation.
Nikita Jain is an award-winning independent journalist based in India. She has covered various issues catering to human rights, conflict, gender, crime, health, education, and the environment. Her work has been published on national and international platforms including The Wire, Women’s Media Centre, The Diplomat, New Internationalist, and The News Lens, among others.
Jain published hundreds of articles during COVID-19 to document the impact of the pandemic on hospitals, patients, and minority groups in India. Her reporting challenged the government-controlled mainstream media that downplayed the severity of the pandemic. She had to dispute government propaganda, negotiate reporting access, and endure mental and physical health concerns to deliver those high-profile stories, some of which resulted in meaningful changes. She called the newsrooms and the public to recognize the talents of women journalists and acknowledge their work and contributions.
Megha Rajagopalan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative correspondent for the New York Times based in London, the United Kingdom. Previously, Rajagopalan was the China bureau chief and Asia correspondent for BuzzFeed News and a political correspondent at Reuters News Agency in Beijing, China. She has reported from 23 countries in Asia and the Middle East on stories ranging from the North Korean nuclear crisis to the peace process in Afghanistan. In 2021, Rajagopalan and her colleagues won a Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for “a series of clear and compelling stories that used satellite imagery and architectural expertise and interviews with two dozen former prisoners to identify a vast new infrastructure built by the Chinese government for the mass detention of Muslims.” (according to the Pulitzer website). When the pandemic hit in 2020, she was a senior international correspondent for BuzzFeed News.
In this interview, she recounted the reporting and production of the project that won her team the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2021. She revealed how her team combined investigative reporting, data mapping, and architecture into journalistic storytelling, and how they collaborated remotely when travel was restricted. She also reflected on her experiences corresponding in China and working for Buzzfeed News.
Megan Clement from Montreuil, France, is a journalist, critic, and editor whose work focuses on gender equality, social policy, migration, human rights, arts, and culture. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, Bloomberg, The Sydney Morning Herald, Al Jazeera, The New Humanitarian, and News Deeply, among other publications.
Clement, an Australian journalist living in Paris, France at the time, traveled across three continents and underwent four quarantines for work and family reasons during the pandemic. She published her quarantine experiences in the first-person voice and raised public attention to the mismanagement of quarantine protocols at hotels and public housing. She urged public attention to structural inequality in race and gender and called for more diversity of representation in story topics, newsroom staffing, and leadership.
Maria Hansson Botin is a radio journalist from Sweden. She is a documentary producer at Third Ear Studio. She has several years of experience making documentaries for the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation, Sveriges Radio, investigative journalism, news stories, and as a local fixer in Sweden for foreign media outlets.
Hansson Botin quit her freelance job and became an investigative reporter for a production company in the middle of the pandemic. She retrieved her memories of the ground situation in Sweden, the government policies (which were quite different from the other Western countries), and public reactions. This interview highlighted her experiences producing audio and investigative journalism pieces and documenting the impact of COVID on rural villages, and the spread of disinformation and misinformation. She also compared her experiences as a freelancer versus a staff reporter, and some challenges that she encountered as a woman journalist. Last, she urged future generations to understand that finding truth is an ongoing process and that journalism may improve its transparency to regain public trust.
Lenora Chu is a journalist, public speaker, and media strategist with over 15 years of experience in the U.S., China, and Europe. Now based in Berlin, Germany, she covers Europe for the nonprofit news organization Christian Science Monitor. A long-time journalist, Chu focuses on the intersection of politics, education, and culture in her reporting. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and New York magazine, among others. Her book, “Little Soldier” won the “Best Education Book of 2017” among other awards. In 2019, she was named to the Public Intellectuals Program of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
Chu, a journalist based in Berlin, Germany, was covering the pandemic impact in Europe for the Christian Science Monitor. In this interview, she recalled her trip to China in January 2020 where the coronavirus originated, and a conference later in Seattle where the U.S. documented its first COVID death. She compared the public attitudes toward science, government orders, and journalists in the U.S. and Germany, and how the two countries handled disinformation and misinformation. She traced the cultural, political, and historical factors that may have resulted in the differences between the two countries. She commented on the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance during lockdowns, changes to work routines, and women journalists' contributions.
