John P. Hammond (a.k.a. John Hammond, Jr.) is 73 today. Here he is covering Son House’s “Preachin’ Blues” in 1993.
Ed Kilgore, a contributing editor of the Washington Monthly, is a columnist for New York. More by Ed Kilgore
More on higher education
Thriving After High School: A Foundation to Build On
A new report makes a nuanced case for what post-secondary graduates need to get ahead.
Workforce Pell’s Missing Rudder
Congress finally opened Pell Grants to short-term job training. Now states have to build the systems that can tell which programs actually work.
Once Globally Preeminent, U.S. Universities Are Sliding Into Decline
High costs, political attacks take a toll as fewer students come, top scholars leave.
Higher Ed’s Affordability Problem Isn’t Just the Price
New survey data suggests that more Americans might see the value of a degree if schools simplified their pricing systems.
