Correspondence with Harold Mulherin over the Pandemic
by
Susan Woodward
January 7, 2021
March – is it
serious? Can I really not visit my mom? Yes. Es ist Ernst. And the
announcement that Harold is retiring. I thought he might be squabbling with
colleagues, not out of the question, but retire? That seemed too
much.
May – Oliver Williamson
died. Harold reported that OW learned from James Buchannan how to get
ahead in the world – go to Europe every summer, say the same thing over &
over. Harold was always aggrieved that Armen did not win a nobel
prize. But Armen was not a lobbier. Harold reminded me that when Jack
Hirshleifer asked his class “why do people bet on sports games?” he answered “because
it makes the beer taste better.” Jack was not ready for that creative answer,
but it is a profound answer.
August – we exchanged
fantasies and strategies for getting to Europe. Harold said was ready to
bolt if he could find a country to let him in. Maybe spend the rest of the
pandemic in Verona. We lamented that in America, everywhere the clams are too
big for a good spaghetti alle vongole, and we were missing it acutely.
Still are!
October – Harold was
full-time in Savannah, rather enjoying life there. Page is gardening,
planting collards which will be ready to harvest in early January, when it is
good luck to eat them.
November – on the occasion
of E Lazear’s death, Harold asked -- should Armen get credit for teaching
Lazear? Harold still looking to bolster Armen’s CV.
I’m thinking especially
fondly of the trip to Rome when I spent 5 days with Harold and Louise.
Lots of good food, spaghetti alle vongole, and cacio e pepe, and we made an
excursion up the Aventine to Sant’Anselmo to hear the Benedictines chant the
vespers. Harold was always wanting Louise and me to move faster. It was
May, and warm, and Louise said she wanted to move slow enough to not break into
a sweat. This was fine with me.”
Related link: Susan Woodward Remembers Armen Alchian available at
https://uneasymoney.com/2015/08/19/susan-woodward-remembers-armen-alchian/
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