Since 1983 I’ve been on the faculties of various universities in the United States: two public land-grant systems (the Universities of Wisconsin and of Illinois), one Catholic university (Notre Dame), and two private research institutions (the University of Chicago and Duke). I’ve taught undergraduates and graduate students, supervised doctoral students, written books and essays and journalism, and, throughout it all, talked to anyone who wanted to listen, with a special preference for those who’d pay to listen to me. The ordinary academic thing.