Bernard Hirsch Herman Memorial Lecture

Melissa Block and Stefan Fatsis are internationally renowned journalists who also happen to be husband and wife. On Friday, January 13, 2017, the pair visited Newman to deliver the Bernard Hirsch Herman Memorial Lecture and became the first dual lecturers in the series’ 10-year history. In front of an audience of Upper School students, faculty, and guests, they shared stories from their careers and fascinating perspective on the state of journalism today.

Block is known primarily as the long-time co-host of All Things Considered for National Public Radio (NPR) from 2003 to 2015, and is now Special Correspondent for NPR. Fatsis was a daily reporter for the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal and now contributes to a wide array of publications and news outlets, including the New York Times, Atlantic, and Deadspin. He is the author of three books – about baseball, football, and competitive Scrabble.

The lecture took the form of an on-stage conversation with Head of School Dale M. Smith and English Department Chair Thomas Uskali and was guided by insightful questions from the audience.

Referring to the summer Fatsis spent training with the Broncos team as research for a book, sophomore Kevin Qi ’19 asked him, “What stereotypes about athletes were disproved by your time with the Broncos?” Fatsis replied that professional athletes have far more interesting “inner lives” than many would expect, and that their subject matter expertise rivals that of any profession.

Block, when asked about her most memorable reporting experience, described the now-famous report from Sichuan, China, where, in the midst of an interview about the upcoming Beijing Olympics, Block and her producer experienced a major earthquake while tape was rolling. Her reporting from the catastrophic event helped earn the NPR team a number of awards, including a Peabody Award. In assessing the appeal of this series of stories, Block pointed to their raw emotionality and intimate focus on human beings.

“It cut through all the distance and all the difference in people’s lives,” she said.

Prior to the lecture, Fatsis and Block visited classrooms and met with students interested in journalism, politics, global affairs, and sports writing. A topic of common discussion was the importance of journalism in holding government accountable and increasing confusion about the very definition of news.

Through events such as the Herman Lecture and classroom visits, Newman students have the rare opportunity to speak with nationally celebrated authors, journalists, poets, activists, media leaders and more. The insight our students gain from speaking to these professionals, trendsetters, and innovators inspires and motivates them to make the most of their Newman education and become the next generation of leaders. For that we thank the Herman family and the generous donors who help make this event possible.

The Bernard Hirsch Herman Memorial Lecture, now in its tenth year, was created to bring unique experiences to Newman. The lecture honors a 13-year Greenie and distinguished member of Newman’s Class of 2004, celebrating his unique talents, his intellectual insights both spoken and written, and his sharp sense of humor. Bernard Herman viewed writing as an essential means of expressing himself and affirming the dignity of all. Son of Mollie Solomon Herman ’71 and the late Avram C. Herman, and brother of Adam J. Herman ’00, Bernard was a regular contributor to The Pioneer at Newman and was selected by his classmates as their Commencement speaker. He went on to study creative writing at Brandeis University, where he was also a senior writer and photographer for the independent student newspaper, the Justice.