SAR Snapshot: Gerald Early on Disagreement

Introducing a new format as I slow the pace of Some Assembly Required

Van Engen and Early (Jeff Brown for The Carver Project)

As I finish up my next book and maintain other responsibilities amidst a heavy travel schedule, I am going to try out a new rhythm for Some Assembly Required. My usual posts will run every other week. On the off weeks, I will post a SAR Snapshot—a brief reflection, quote, or story aligned with the themes of this Substack.

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For this first SAR Snapshot, I want to highlight a public dialogue that took place this past Friday between two of my friends and colleagues, Abram Van Engen and Gerald Early.

Hosted by The Carver Project, the discussion focused on Gerald’s remarkable career as an essayist and cultural critic. Among his many notable accomplishments, he has served as a consultant on four Ken Burns documentaries, is a regular commentator on NPR’s Fresh Air, and has been nominated twice for the Grammy Award for Best Album Notes.

One of my favorite moments in the evening was hearing Abram read this quote from one of Gerald’s essays:

I always found it valuable to listen to people I disagreed with because that helped to clarify my own thinking as much as listening to those with whom I agreed, and the struggle of listening to someone I disagree with is a hard discipline, as if one is learning a new power, a mastery, a new dimension of one’s own humanity.

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you can likely see why this quote resonated for me. Thanks to Abram and Gerald for a lovely and encouraging dialogue!