He’s On The Map

Somebody concluded that Westville’s Mark Oppenheimer is an ​“emerging leader in the humanities.” Fortunately for Oppenheimer, that somebody had $50,000 to spare.

That somebody is actually an institution: the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. The group looks around to spot talented people who are making a big impact on arts and letters, and seem poised to make an even bigger impact. Then it gives them a $50K ​“Hiett Prize in the Humanities.”

Oppenheimer just got one.

Oppenheimer’s contributions to arts and culture in New Haven and nationally have indeed been growing at a torrid pace. Author of books on religion and on debate, Oppenheimer used to report for the Hartford Courant. Then he edited the New Haven Advocate.

Today he writes a fascinating biweekly ​“Beliefs” column for The New York Times, runs the Yale’ Journalism Initiative, teaches at Yale and at Wellesley, and helps oversee the New Haven Review of Books, which he co-founded. In between working on books (three at once at the moment) and magazine articles. And in between his favorite job of all, father of three young daughters.

Phew.