EUGENE GOODHEART

GOODHEART--Eugene. (1931-2020) Eugene Goodheart was born in Brooklyn, NY on June 26, 1931, the only child of Samuel and Miriam Goodheart. He died on April 9, 2020, at his home in Watertown, MA. He was a literary critic, essayist, and public intellectual who wrote more than a dozen books that affirmed the ethical and humane value of literature. Goodheart served as Edytha Macy Gross Professor of the Humanities at Brandeis University where he directed the Brandeis Center for the Humanities. His memoir, Confessions of a Secular Jew, explores his Jewish identity and coming of age in mid-20th Century New York. Later in his career, he turned to political writing, arguing for the value of compromise during a time of increasing political polarization. Goodheart also taught at Bard College, the University of Chicago, Mount Holyoke, MIT, Boston University, and elsewhere. He earned his B.A. from Columbia College, his M.A. from the University of Virginia and his doctorate from Columbia University. He is survived by his wife, the anthropologist Joan Bamberger, and his son, Eric Goodheart, his daughter, Jessica Goodheart, and his grandsons, Max Medearis, and Alex Goodheart.