The First Person with Michael Judge

The First Person with Michael Judge

Home
Notes
TFP Conversations
TFP Guest Essays
TFP Poems
Archive
About

TFP Guest Essays

Scott Samuelson: On Achieving 'Tennisosity'
As in life, the point of tennis isn’t to hit serves above a certain speed or win a major title. The point is for a great game to be played—one that…
1
Molly Wesling: Czesław Miłosz's Hundred Acre Wood
Upon the birth of her son, writes Molly Wesling, the great poet sent a gift: "The Complete Winnie-the-Pooh." The inscription read, "To Nicholas Wesling…
3
What Thinking Looks Like
Tired of artificial intelligence? Scott Samuelson reflects on great Baroque paintings to remind us of what natural intelligence is.
2
E. Fuller Torrey: The Tragic Odyssey of the Homeless Mentally Ill
Many mental health professionals know very little about the origins of today's public mental illness disaster. It's high time we remedy that.
3
Scott Newstok: Helen Vendler and the Art of Mentoring
Like all great mentors, the visionary poetry critic and professor helped me to understand my own architecture better.
2
Christopher Merrill: A Requiem
Delivered at a recent celebration of Iowa Rep. Jim Leach’s life.
6
Deborah J. Stein: Letters From Ruthie
As the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau approaches, TFP proudly revisits Deborah J. Stein's lyrical essay for her mother, Ruth Stein, who…
10
Thomas B. Wilner: Trump Sells Out Our Allies
And in doing so makes the world a far more dangerous place.
1
Robert Hass: 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.
1
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.
1
© 2025 Michael Judge
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture