Thanks very much to everyone who has posted previously in various venues. It has been a delight to read all of these rich, detailed, and heartfelt memories of Marc.
I met Marc in graduate school at Michigan in 1980. We dated and then lived together for a number of years. Marc was one of the most feminist males I have known; he really got it. Not that there is one “it,” but you get my drift. Living together was easy and seamless; I have very fond memories of those times. There was no household division of labor; we just did everything together – grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning. Marc truly got a kick out of hemming and mending! And, he was very affectionate and loving, in small and large ways.
We had our routines and a sense of profound closeness developed organically from these routines. Friends and maintaining a sense of camaraderie was very important to both of us. This translated into hosting informal dinners and inviting out-of-town guests for the weekend. Regardless of the exact reason, there were always very interesting and wide-ranging discussions.
As has been mentioned many times, Marc brought new meaning to the word ‘generosity,’ generosity took multiple forms. Marc was generous in terms of lending an ear, it could be about anything, personal or professional. People would seek him out for advice in the Department. Marc had a work ethic that few can match, but he would always make time to talk. Marc was always extremely supportive of my work, always willing to listen and provide feedback. I was very appreciative of his generosity in this way.
Again, as has been alluded to by others, Marc was always on the lookout for references that might be useful to fellow graduate students as well as to faculty. If he saw an article in the library, he would Xerox it, and then drop it off in your mailbox. Someone came up with a name for this phenomenon- something like the “Steinberg clipping service.” If Marc knew your interests, you were in the right circle! Also, he enjoyed scouring the used book bins in local book stores, and again he was always on the lookout for something that might be useful to someone.
The summer that we started dating I was living with a woman who had immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager. Marc was very generous in terms of giving me gifts. She asked me, are all American men like Marc?
Again, as has been described by others, Marc was an innovative, dedicated, and prolific scholar. As many of you know, for his dissertation, Marc studied two groups of nineteenth-century British textile workers and examined how specific discourses (“fighting words”) could illuminate the dynamics of class formation and protest movements. I remember being at a reception in graduate school, and over-hearing, not meaning to eavesdrop (smile), one prominent scholar say to another prominent scholar, “Marc Steinberg is doing some of the important and innovative work in this area.”
This is a small and silly memory, but is telling. I remember Marc went through an experimental salad dressing phase. It was spurred on by me giving him a copy of one of Paul Prudhomme’s cookbooks. In the beginning he would follow recipes for a couple of salad dressings, but then he went rogue. I can still see him opening the spice drawer, pulsing the food processor, and working away. I consider myself to be an adventuresome eater, but to be honest some of his creations were a bit bizarre, but I always ate them! But what was so endearing was his spirit- a trait that could be seen in many realms of his life. Why not experiment and push the boundaries of your basic vinaigrette?
Marc was a cat lover; I am posting a couple pictures. One is a picture of a neighborhood cat stopping by for a chat and for some attention. And, the other is a picture of Marc’s beloved cat BroCow making her name a reality. She was a real sweetheart!
Note: I just attempted to upload these pictures but they were too big. {Note from Sabina: I’ve inserted one above and am working on the second photo.}
At times like these, words often fail, but I will close by saying that the world has lost a stratospherically generous, brilliant, funny, loving, and all-around humane person. We will always miss Marc.
Jane Rafferty