Lexington | Miss Manners

摘要

How did America, a generous country, end up with such ungenerous politics-and might that ever change? Seeking good cheer in this holiday season, Lexington stepped away from the campaign trail to consult an expert with a different perspective on society and its foibles. Judith Martin has been writing her "Miss Manners" column since 1978, and is syndicated in more than 200 news outlets three times a week. Her postbag is as heavy as ever: she receives some 50 or 60 letters and e-mails each day. Beneath Mrs Martin's social advice lies a good deal of moral philosophy, not to mention wisdom (at 77, she shows no signs of retiring, though she co-writes columns now with her adult children). Her first two decades of correspondence are held at Harvard University, as a trove for future sociologists or historians.