James Goldgeier is the rare scholar whose compassion rivals his penchant for insight. Splitting his time between the classroom at George Washington University, the Council on Foreign Relations, and a family that includes two young sons, Goldgeier is an example of the humanist spirit at work. He spoke with Zócalo at NPR West in Culver City on September 24th, 2008, giving us a glimpse of the person behind the theories discussed at the evening’s forum and in his recently published book, America Between the Wars: From 11/9 to 9/11, co-authored by Derek Chollet.
Q. What do you wake up to?
A. Alarm clock because I have to get my son up to go to school.
Q. What comforts you?
A. Seeing my kids.
Q. What do you consider beautiful?
A. Ever since 4th grade, I have wanted to see whales in the ocean. This summer we went whale watching off the coast of Santa Barbara, and we saw whales . . . they were unbelievable.
Q. How would you describe yourself in 5 words or less?
A. Curious about the world.
Q. What profession would you like to practice in your next life?
A. Owner of a baseball team.
Q. What is your fondest childhood memory?
A. My father was one of the team physicians for the Baltimore Orioles, and so I spent a lot of time at Memorial Stadium as a kid, sort of hanging out with dad at work.
Q. What is your most prized material possession?
A. My father passed away recently, and he had a big coin collection which I have now, which means quite a lot to me.
Q. When are you most creative?
A. Between breakfast and lunch.
Q. Whose talent would you like to have?
A. The thing that most impresses me are great athletes like Tiger Woods who have an incredible power of concentration.
Q. Who is the one person living or dead that you’ve love to have a beer with?
A. Harry Truman.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.