Abstract

I met John Arras under unpromising circumstances. Awaiting my ride to The Hastings Center from the Ardsley Acres motel (rooms by the hour), I discovered that, contrary to what I'd been told, a competitor for the Center's coveted National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship was also there—a philosopher from California with wild hair and a ready smile. A grueling day of interviews followed. Eventually, we learned that we'd both have the opportunity to spend a year at Hastings, along with Nancy Rhoden, a brilliant young legal scholar. It was a wonderful, life‐altering experience.