Life of the Mind Salon: Marc Dunkelman

The 2015 Fall Life of the Mind Salon Series continues on November 4 with author Marc Dunkelman, who will speak on his new book, The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community.

“After a panoramic view of how the United States has changed in so many ways, Marc Dunkelman argues that Americans are left with a sense of isolation from neighbors nearby: we keep ‘inner-ring’ relationships with family and close friends plus ‘outer-ring’ with Facebook friends we see infrequently, but we have lost middle-ring relationships with families down the street and a barber around the corner. Institutions, Dunkelman believes, must adapt to these new realities, nourishing a fresh sense of community. This is an insightful call for remembering what Tocqueville found best about America.”(David Gergen, codirector of the Center for Public Leadership and professor of public service at Harvard Kennedy School and senior political analyst, CNN)

Marc J. Dunkelman is a fellow in public policy at the Taubman Center and senior fellow at the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation. After graduating from Columbia, he spent more than a dozen years working on Capitol Hill and at think tanks in Washington, DC. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Chronicle of Higher Education and National Affairs, among other publications.

Wine and cheese will be served at 5:30 pm followed by the talk at 6:00 pm. Free for members; $10 for non-members. Please call the Redwood Reservation Line at 401.847.0292, ext. 112, to reserve your spot. Seating is limited.