If the timing of this seems crazily off, it’s because the contents of this post first appeared in my monthly email newsletter in June. If you subscribe, you can get more writings like this delivered straight to your inbox and not miss a thing. Sign up here.

A number of weeks ago, David Montgomery, a reporter for the Washington Post, called to talk about the Clemente Course. Here’s my standard blurb on Clemente:

The Clemente Course in the Humanities is a year-long, college-level introduction to the humanities taught to low-income adults. We teach art history, moral philosophy, American history, literature and writing & critical thinking in Monday and Wednesday evening classes that run from mid-September through early June.  The program provides free tuition, books and materials to qualified students. Graduates who complete the work of the program earn six college credits from Bard College, which can be transferred to any college or university.

David was looking to write about a program that was funded by the NEH, which is being threatened in the next budget, and found Clemente. Lela Hilton, our National Director, suggested he come visit our Boston course where he watched Tim McCarthy teach about the Progressive Era. David also had a chance to talk to some of our alumni. Plus, somehow I ended up in a photo for a WaPo article that quotes Newt Gingrich (bucketlist item #2713–check). Here’s the story.