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Old friend Ellen, a retired professor of English in Oregon, is a regular correspondent. She and her husband, Rick, own a vineyard in Southern Oregon and supply grapes to wineries. They also make a bit of wine for themselves. Ellen and I met when we were in college nearly half a century ago. It was in the graduate program where we met, taking a seminar in the works of Charles Dickens. Our professor was Harry Stone, who recently donated his vast collections of original Dickens letters, notes, manuscripts and first editions to the library at California State University in Northridge. During our coffee breaks, Ellen and I used to complain about the amount of work Stone imposed on us. Reading Dickens and attending Stones meaty lectures wasnt enough. He had us researching the Victorian Age, the status of orphans in the time, the gin mills of London and the poverty. Stone insisted we delve into this so we could challenge his positions.
Dont regurgitate what I say. Argue with me in your essays, he demanded, and we did. Today, Ellen and I regard Harry Stone as one of...