D. Quentin Miller

Cognoscenti contributor

D. Quentin Miller is professor and chair of English at Suffolk University. His most recent book is "A Criminal Power: James Baldwin and the Law."

Recently published

I see people throw a dollar into a barista’s jar for a two-dollar coffee, writes D. Quentin Miller, and I wonder if I’m cheap when I don’t. (Alex Jones/Unsplash)

Tipping Point: Since When Does Everyone Get A Tip?

I see people throw a dollar into a barista’s jar for a $2 coffee, writes D. Quentin Miller, and I wonder if I’m cheap when I don’t.

Cognoscenti

Feb 27, 2017

American writer James Baldwin poses in front of his typewriter in his house, March 15, 1983, Saint Paul de Vence, France. (AP)

James Baldwin: America's Prophet, Resurrected

Why the most prominent African American writer of the civil rights era, the man Malcolm X called "the poet of the revolution," is as relevant as ever.

Cognoscenti

Feb 24, 2015

Author John Updike speaks at the Washington Convention Center, Saturday, May 20, 2006. (Caleb Jones/AP)

Updike Redux: Portrait Of The Artist As A Workaholic

For the prolific author, 'enough' was never enough.

Cognoscenti

May 14, 2014

In this April 26, 2013 photo, running shoes and other items adorn the makeshift bombing memorial near the Boston Marathon finish line. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

Sometimes The Most Eloquent Memorials Are The Least Permanent Ones

I’m sure the city will craft a carefully considered, permanent tribute somewhere, but I’d like to sing a note of praise for the spontaneous, temporary shrine that appeared near the...

Cognoscenti

Apr 9, 2014

A Global Studies class of 10th and 11th graders work at Bedford Academy High School on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013 in New York. (Bebeto Matthews/AP)

Our Shifting Priorities: Taking The Essay Out Of The SAT

If this change signals a more general admission that the ability to produce good, sustained writing is no longer something we value in everyone seeking higher education, I’m hesitant to...

Cognoscenti

Mar 11, 2014

Author Ralph Ellison is a witness at a Senate Subcommittee hearing in Washington during continuing hearings on the racial problems in big cities, August 30, 1966. (AP)

'Invisible Man': Why Ralph Ellison's Classic Novel Still Matters

On the occasion of Ellison's 100th birthday, a look at the impact "Invisible Man" has had on generations of readers and authors.

Cognoscenti

Feb 28, 2014