Gabbing.

It’s my general impression that I am one of three people in America who listen to podcasts, but every once in a while I am reassured that I am not alone. A couple of weeks ago, for example, I bumped into Professor Monica Hakimi while she was walking briskly with buds in her ears, and that’s how I learned that she was a fellow traveler. And in fact, comparing notes, we learned that we were both particularly hooked on one particular podcast, the Slate Political Gabfest. We speculated about why the Gabfest hosts recently had put out a special call asking for University of Michigan faculty to contact them; I confessed that I hadn’t reached out because I found myself too stymied by my desire to impress them, and she confessed that when she reached out, she was inordinately thrilled to see the hosts’ names in her e-mail inbox when they responded.

Here’s my favorite Political Gabfest story. I have a little podcast ritual: every week I drop my son off for his cello lesson, pop in the earbuds, and do 45 minutes of food shopping while being entertained by the Gabfest. One week, I was bopping through the produce section when I came to a frozen standstill: Co-host David Plotz was chatting about a New York Times article regarding a “former felon turned Supreme Court litigator.” Why should that have made me halt in fear? Because the article had characterized one of our professors as having “already talked to the admissions office … about saving a spot” for the felon-cum-litigator. The statement wasn’t, may I note, a quote from the professor; it was the journalist’s characterization of whatever the professor said. As if anybody cares about such niceties. It had made me cringe when I read it because, of course, the Admissions Office doesn’t go around “saving spots” for people. I had only barely recovered from the trauma of that article, and here the story was being raised anew on the Gabfest. I stood stock still, expecting to hear my heroes latch onto the gaffe and snicker about my beloved law school. But happily, they didn’t. So I loved them even more.

That is not, for the record, the best example of the greatness that is the Gabfest. It is simply the only example that in any way relates to me personally.

In any event, shortly after my conversation with Professor Hakimi, the Gabfest elucidated the shout-out to Michigan: They were asking for contacts from Michigan faculty because they were planning a live gabfest in Ann Arbor. Cue frenzied Beatlemania-style shrieking here!!! The first live Gabfest away from the East Coast will be in ANN ARBOR!!!! And then … and then … we learned even better news: The Law School itself is to be the host for the event. I’m getting my lawn chair, people. Don’t think I can’t throw elbows; don’t even try to get in line ahead of me. But I encourage you to get in line behind me. November 10, 6 p.m. See you there.

-Dean Z.
Assistant Dean for Admissions
and Special Counsel for Professional Strategies