About me

I’m an economist by training, and still a college professor; my major appointments, with some interim breaks, were at MIT from 1980 to 2000, Princeton from 2000 to 2015, and since 2015 at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center. I won 3rd prize in the local Optimist’s club oratorical contest when in high school; also a Nobel Prize in 2008 for my research on international trade and economic geography.

However, most people probably know me for my side gig as a New York Times opinion writer from 2000 to 2025. I left the Times in December 2025, and have mostly been writing here since.

This is me, with my research assistant:

Why subscribe?

Subscribers will receive each new newsletter in their inbox. Most of my stuff, above all weekday posts driven by current events, will be free. There will be occasional items available only to paid subscribers; I’m still figuring them out. Also, I hope some readers will consider subscriptions as a kind of tip jar for what now amounts to a full-time job.

Stay up-to-date

You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.

Join the crew

Be part of a community of people who share your interests.

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.