intensely disliked Atlanta: a gray zone of humidity, boredom, suburbia and isolation. Emory itself, perceived by its faculty as an oasis of culture and sophistication in the southern desert, seemed to me a sad and mediocre place: a view that I have not had occasion to revise, however unjust it may appear. A high point of my stay there was the visit of Eric Hobsbawm, who was attending a conference in Atlanta. We were probably both happy enough to enjoy one another’s company for a few hours in the alienating surroundings of Atlanta’s featureless downtown business district.
