States of the Union

Richard J. Margolis was the consummate wordsmith. Turning phrases in unexpected ways, he shed light on nuance, gave voice to the powerless and skewered the mighty - always, it seemed, with a twinkle in his eye. Dick's career spanned many roles, subjects and forms. He was a freelance journalist, a poet and children's author, an educator, an editor and an activist. He wrote about education, racial disparity, urban and rural poverty, Native Americans, migrant farmworkers, the elderly, the forgotten.

His works appeared in such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, The New Republic, Smithsonian, Working Papers, The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, and Change. He was a regular columnist for The New Leader, an internationally renowned platform for the nation's most respected, progressive writers and artists.

He died in 1991 at the age of 61. This book collects some of his best pieces spanning 30 years as a freelance journalist and essayist.