Remembering Irving Howe

I cherished Irving as a generous friend and mentor. We shared a passion for literature, democratic socialism, and Jewish identity, making him irreplaceable in my life. (The one thing he didn’t share, or even comprehend, was my interest in tennis.) I will treasure the personal anecdotes, even as I am forever thankful for his writings and his example as a public and political figure of profound integrity.

I remember a meeting with Irving in 1981, when I returned from my first trip...