by AARON MATE
Katrina vanden Heuvel on the life and legacy of her late husband Stephen F. Cohen, the eminent historian who shaped the field of Russia studies and bravely challenged the New Cold War.
Stephen F. Cohen, the eminent historian who helped shape the field of Russia studies and bravely exposed the fallacies and dangers of Russiagate and the new Cold War, passed away on September 18, 2020 at the age of 81. Cohen’s wife, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation magazine, reflects on his life and legacy.
Guest: Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation magazine, and wife of Stephen F. Cohen.
TRANSCRIPT
FOX 11 Los Angeles, May 2019
Interviewer: What is your secret to success for a marriage when two people disagree, especially politically in these days?
Stephen F. Cohen: Off-camera she turns to me and says, “You know, I know you’re right.”
Katrina Vanden Heuvel: Oh … I do not! [laughter]
Stephen F. Cohen: I forgive her for everything she said.
Katrina Vanden Heuvel: I do not. No, I think it’s a shared history. I think it’s a 27-year-old daughter who’s extraordinary, clerking for the Ninth Circuit, who is a shared bond—
Stephen F. Cohen: In San Diego, yeah.
Katrina Vanden Heuvel: —and we agree to disagree. And I’ve learned an enormous amount from Steve, and I think he respects that I have to run a publication, which is, you know, a big tent. There are many different points of view on th—
Stephen F. Cohen: The inherent conflict really is that I wouldn’t say she represents a community, but she’s responsible for a very large and important community—who complain to Katrina about me!
Now, in the new era of feminism we’re not supposed to be hyphenated politically. Steve’s supposed to have his views, but if I say something objectionable, they suddenly, “Katrina and Steve say this.” It’s not true.
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