Person Place Thing With Randy Cohen

Dean of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and a staff writer for The New Yorker, he says, “When people ask what I think is the foundational institution of democracy, I always say: 'the public library.'” Enjoy it while we’ve got it. And what’s left of our democracy.

To be a great architect—or painter or poet or almost anything—do you need a great patron? “Certainly that helps, but then you have to bring the talent and vision and invention,” she says. Oh, well, then, never mind.  We spoke at the Louis Armstrong Center, a building they designed. Produced with Open House New York. Music: Valerie and Ben Turner.

This political scientist sees a crisis of legitimacy. “When 90% of Americans believe there ought to be universal background checks on guns, and nothing happens, you begin to wonder if your vote matters.” Happily, he has ways to make our democracy more democratic. Unhappily, they won’t be enacted. We’re all pessimists now. (All = me.) Produced with the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. Music: Pete Rushefsky, Lisa Gutkin.

This architect, celebrated for repurposing the Domino Sugar Refinery, says that his young colleagues are eager to address the great issues of the day, “as opposed to designing spaceships in the sand built by slaves.” If that’s not the title of his next book, fire the editor. Produced with the Center for Architecture. Music: Mamie Minch.

“I live overlooking Central Park, and I’m blessed at this stage in life to know that heaven is at my doorstep.” One reason it’s heavenly is that, in the eighties, as its administrator, she led the effort to restore it to its current glory. “It’s a wonderful feeling,” she adds. “For all New Yorkers,” I add, in my thank-you note.

When he was a student at Wesleyan University, he worked in the kitchen; today he’s Wesleyan’s president. “When I walk into the kitchen, although I’m the old guy who used to work there, it’s like I’m the monarch coming in with his entourage. Even if I’m by myself, I feel like they’re looking at me suspiciously.”  Uneasy lies the head that wields the mop. Or used to.

This terrific actor is admired for her work in Grey’s Anatomy and Hedda Gabler—range!—so I was sure that she seldom has heard a discouraging word. I was wrong. “Oh, please, are you kidding? I could do a dramatic reading of all my bad reviews.” And she’d be brilliant in it! Music: Hubby Jenkins. Produced with Red Bull Theater.

He’s done graphic design for Nike, Apple, and the Denver Nuggets, and is happy to confer with clients. Up to a point. “What you can get is design by committee, which to me is the most terrible thing.” (“Short of design by belligerent, knife-wielding committee,” he did not add.) He spoke from Spain, courtesy of the Type Directors Club.

She’s a witty jazz singer, an astute comedian, an admired actor (Orange Is the New Black), and she has an economic policy: “Support your local dyke bar. Go. Spend a little bit of money. Have some fun.” She has my vote, and she’s not even running for anything. Presented with 54 Below.

The author of Apeirogon and American Mother advocates the radical act of talking to our adversaries: “We do not need to love each other, we do not even need to like each other—although we hope that we could—but we absolutely need to understand each other.” Produced with the American Irish Historical Society. Music: Joseph Charles.

Just after his team rebuilt Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, it turned completely brown. Why? “How do I know? I’m not an arborist. I’m not a horticulturist. I can’t tell an elm from an oak. That wasn’t my job.” His job was Parks Commissioner; his solution was to water the lawn. It worked. Produced with the NYC Department of Records and Information Services. Music: Rashad Brown.

Flor de Toloache, a mariachi band cofounded by this Latin Grammy winner, is not just all women, it’s all world: “We had women from Australia, Korea, Egypt, Japan.” Which means it could only be formed in New York City. Additional music: Daniel Espiliz, guitar, Shae Fiol, vocals. Produced with Greenwich House School.

“We do bare feet, we do singing, we do dancing, we do point shoes,” declares the Joffrey’s artistic director. "The company combines techniques of ballet and modern," explains this former Joffrey dancer at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Range!

As a boy, this conductor loved family summers in Spain. “It was a beautiful place to practice undisturbed and a fantastic place to play soccer, because soccer was my great love, violin and soccer. And then we discovered water skiing.” Mozart, same way: violin, soccer, water skiing. The making of a musician.

At 96, the author of The Women’s Revolution: How We Changed Your Life, declares, “After thousands of years when women were in servitude to men, we changed it. I hope we’re going to have a woman president. I take some credit for that.” Rightly so. I’m writing her a thank-you note.  So should you.

This Kenyan gay rights activist is adept at working with her adversaries. “You have to keep pushing, and getting friend and allies.” But she’s no softy, adding: “and sue some people.” I generally go right to that last tactic. I’m an American.

When this graphic designer worked at Sony Music, the handwriting was already on the wall, the tiny, tiny wall: “It was no longer LPs; it was CDs. The canvas kept shrinking.” And now with digital music, there’s no canvas at all. “It’s not the end of the world; it’s a different paradigm.” Disconcerting optimism, great design. Produced with the Center for Architecture. Music: Solange Prat.

Does use determine design, or does design shape behavior? This architect asserts the latter: “A certain object does make you behave a certain way or do certain things.” For example, a simple lime-squeezer lured her and her family into more lime squeezing than anyone—or any lime—anticipated. Produced with the National Academy of Design. Music: Tomas Rodriguez

Among his many productions, he directed A View from the Bridge and West Side Story on Broadway and collaborated with David Bowie on the musical Lazarus. “It turned out to be—I didn’t know, of course, when we started—the last work that he ever made.” And a surprisingly happy experience.

This singer-songwriter has been admired for fifty years, and yet: “I always wanted a Collings guitar, but it was too expensive, and I just didn’t feel worthy.” If she’s not worthy of the tools of her trade, then what hope is there for us mortals? (Happily, she now has a Collings.) Presented with Richard Barone.