The Justice

Media Credit: Rebecca Ney Editor in chief of The New Republic Martin Peretz '59 talks about developing his magazine and finding his journalistic niche.

Martin Peretz '59, editor in chief of The New Republic magazine, has the kind of presence that grows more intimidating with time. He speaks in a deep, gravelly voice that can be heard traveling from his diaphragm into his throat. Dressed in a hunter green button-down shirt tucked neatly into his belted slacks with his silvery hair slicked across the back of his head, Peretz uses big hand gestures and well-timed bits of comic wit to narrate his personal life and professional career.

Speaking to an audience of about 60 Brandeis students and faculty in Olin-Sang Auditorium last Thursday, Peretz-who received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Brandeis in 1989-described the path to his 25-year career at a magazine now known for its unique balance of liberal politics and conservative foreign policy.

"I have been a ghostwriter, in a certain way, to the history of the last 35 years, to American politics and society, simply by my editorship," he said.

After working as a professor of social studies at Harvard University for over 30 years, Peretz purchased The New Republic in 1974 and quickly became editor of the magazine. Though he remains editor, Peretz sold his ownership of the magazine to CanWest Global Communications two years ago.

Peretz's speaking style is a combination of subtle arrogance and genuine interest in his audience. In one sense, he's so comfortable with himself that he doesn't need to engage anybody's trust. (When his cell phone rang in the middle of the presentation, Peretz waved off faculty's scrambling attempts to shut it off: "It'll stop.") On the other hand, moments when he loses himself in reminiscing about the old days give him a more grandfatherly air than you'd think would surround one of the most powerful figures in publishing. (After interrupting his lecture with a brief biography of Franklin Foer, the magazine's current editor, Peretz suddenly lost his train of thought: "Where am I?")

Peretz gives off a sense of mature pragmatism, no longer bothering to coat his judgment of his intellectual abilities with modesty. He told the audience about his motivations for leaving academia:

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