Glenn Rifkin
Cognoscenti contributor
Glenn Rifkin is a journalist and author living in Acton. He is a longtime contributor to The New York Times and is an avid nature photographer.
Recently published
'Helpless fury': January 6, four years later
Rather than being called to account for his crimes on Jan.6, Donald Trump arrives back on the Capitol steps triumphant and unscathed. His election to a second term dramatically shifts...
Paul Simon was right about 70: how strange to become an ‘old friend’
I was just 15, but this short, wistful tune about getting old etched itself into my musical memory bank, writes Glenn Rifkin. Getting old, at that point, was some mystical...
Joni Mitchell still knows our hearts
For me, Joni Mitchell's surprise performance was a gift during this time of pandemic and political maelstrom that has overwhelmed our lives, writes Glenn Rifkin.
Oh Celtics, take me to the promised land
This year's Celtics have been a revelation, writes Glenn Rifkin. I watch Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with the same expectations I had for Bird and Havlicek and Garnett.
Eat well, be happy: What Debra Stark taught us
In a troubled world, Debra Stark left behind an oasis of whole grain compassion and humanity, writes Glenn Rifkin, about the proprietor of Debra's Natural Gourmet, who died last week...
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America wasn't ready for Homer Plessy in 1896. Are we now?
Most people with a basic understanding of American history are familiar with Plessy v. Ferguson, the historic Supreme Court decision that established “separate but equal." (In essence, racial segregation.) But,...
I Write Obituaries For The New York Times. Memorializing People In A Pandemic Feels Like A Different Assignment
In 100 years, these small COVID narratives will be historical documents testifying to the magnitude of this tragedy, writes Glenn Rifkin.
Nature Isn't Partisan. And For One Morning, Neither Were We
Glenn Rifkin may never find common political ground with his cousin, but they're fumbling towards a different sort of communion.