Dinners With Ruth

“We aren’t from a particularly confessional generation. What we shared was the special warmth and closeness of longtime friendship. We were present in each other’s lives, especially when it mattered most. We showed up.”

Nina Totenberg reflects on the nature of her friendship with Ginsburg, emphasizing how their mutual loyalty and reliability formed the foundation of their decades-long friendship. This quotation suggests that while both women were somewhat reserved and needed to maintain professional boundaries, they found other ways to connect meaningfully.

“Her dream was for Ruth to finish college and become a high school history teacher, a job that Celia Bader thought would be both fulfilling and obtainable. As Ruth herself put it, her mother ‘never in her wildest dreams thought about the law. That would be impractical because at that time women were less than three percent of the lawyers in the country.’”

Totenberg explains that Ginsburg’s mother, Celia Bader, had high standards for Ginsburg’s academics and hoped that she would pursue a career in education. This quote helps the reader understand why Ginsburg was always a dedicated student, while also emphasizing how she was part of a generation that pioneered law careers for women after women’s virtual nonexistence in the field.

“The Times, it turned out, was not that different from Record-American. Women did not appear on the mast-head; they were not featured as national correspondents, or appointed to the editorial board. Even when they did advance, they were generally paid less than men.”

Totenberg recalls the working conditions for women journalists in the 1960s, emphasizing the lack of visibility and unequal pay. This quote helps the author develop her theme of sexist discrimination and the advancement of women’s rights over her lifetime and career. By situating the reader in the past, the author provides a powerful contrast to the present, as Totenberg later experienced great success.