Columnist
E.J. Dionne
Interview
Notes from Evan Smith
"It's worth remembering, at a time when so many cable-TV screamers and op-ed page merchants of vitriol have hijacked the debate over the day's biggest issues, that are still a few thoughtful voices worth listening to, even if they're straining to be heard. This week's guest, E.J. Dionne Jr., surely falls into that category. For thirteen years, Dionne has written a twice-weekly column for the Washington Post that is syndicated around the country, and he has been a favored guest on the chat shows that pause occasionally for a few brief minutes of rationality before returning to the regularly scheduled scrum. A former reporter for the Post and the New York Times, he is exceedingly well-regarded by his peers: twice named one of D.C.'s top journalists, cited as one of the most influential thinkers of our time by a British newspaper, and the winner of the American Political Science Association's annual award honoring major journalistic contributions to the understanding of politics. He is also the author of several best-selling books, including Why Americans Hate Politics, They Only Look Dead: Why Progressives Will Dominate the Next Political Era, and, most recently, and soon to be released in paperback, Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right. Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, 57-year-old Dionne is a summa cum laude graduate of Harvard University and earned his Ph.D. from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He began working at the Times in 1976, covering state and local government, national politics, and foreign affairs, and joined the Post staff in 1990. Over time, he has maintained his calm, genial nature -- never shrill, uncivil -- and that is what makes him so rare in this business of ours. And such a success." - Evan Smith, Texas Monthly Talks, Broadcast 10.08.09