“Steinberg pauses after a full day of grading.” Marc added this caption and put this drawing on his office door.
It’s typical of Marc’s humility that he would compare himself to a gerbil-like creature, and it’s characteristic of his humor that he would modestly mock his own workaholic tendencies. Marc also had a deep affinity for turtles. He saw himself as a tortoise, not a hare, someone who could secure professional or intellectual progress only through sheer dedication and constant application, not someone with innate speed or sprezzatura.
As one glance at his curriculum vitae reveals, Marc indeed worked and published tirelessly, relentlessly. More than one colleague in his reading group joked, “Marc has read everything!” His intensive reading developed his intellect. His knowledge grounded his insights. Still, his diligence needn’t have compensated for any deficiency of talent. Those who knew Marc also recognized his astute mind and quick brilliance.