The First Person with Michael Judge

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TFP Guest Essays

Truman Capote’s First Love
Pulitzer Prize winning poet Robert Hass on why Capote named his literary criticism award for Newton Arvin—the man he called “my Harvard.”
Linda Peeno: Voice Lessons
After the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, TFP revisits a powerful essay by managed-care whistleblower Dr. Linda Peeno.
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Chris Bastian: Some Hard Truths—and Lessons—for Democrats
Don’t stew in anger or hopelessness. The real work begins now.
3
Laurie Garrett: Trump’s Attack on Women Backfires
Whether he likes it or not.
Luma Mufleh: How You Become a Refugee, Part Two
It's hard in the U.S. to imagine life as a refugee. Allow me to do it for you.
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Luma Mufleh: How You Become a Refugee
It's hard in the U.S. to imagine life as a refugee. Allow me to do it for you.
Emily Whitman: The Wrong Rx for America
I loved the local, independent pharmacy where I used to work. So did our customers. Sadly, their health will suffer now that we're gone.
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Jane Drexler: 'My life is no longer my own.'
What my philosophy student taught me about the meaning of life—and the value of the humanities.
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Scott Samuelson: 'The Art of Living' in Springfield, Ohio
What John Gardner's masterful short story tells us about ourselves, the "other," and eating dogs.
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Nancy Weiss Malkiel: A History Lesson for University Presidents
With campuses bracing for more protests, administrators should take a deep breath, step back from the frontlines, and look to history for lessons.
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Scott Samuelson: 'Counting Lights'
Philosopher and author Scott Samuelson on the Tao of wrestling and why “Reversal is the movement of the Way.”
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Douglas McCollam: A Requiem for Heavyweights
Politicians, like fighters, often don’t know when it’s time to leave the ring. My father, a champion in the field of law, didn't either.
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© 2025 Michael Judge
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