Nicholas Kristof

BOTH SIDES NOW

BY KAREN DAY

New York Times journalist, author, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, humanitarian, social justice advocate, father, husband, and most recently vintner, Nicholas Kristof has spent his life accumulating challenging job titles and the accolades have followed. This May, he adds memoirist to his resume with the publication of “Chasing Hope,” a compilation of his words and work dedicated to righting the wrongs humanity inflicts upon their own. “I guess the title could also be my epitaph,” he said, laughing wryly during an interview on his recent trip to Boise.

These journalistic powerhouses spent the evening recounting experiences around the globe that have infused their voices with the passion and power to reach millions. Notably, Kristof has a dangerous habit of covering the worst war zones and humanitarian plights, including Darfur, which earned him one of his Pulitzers.

Kristof was visiting the Treasure Valley with the NPR host of “Morning Edition,” Steve Inskeep, for a public conversation at the Morrison Center. The Cabin sponsored the event in support of literacy and opposition to booking banning.

“Darfur was particularly shattering for me,” said Kristof. “I saw genocide and risked my life to try and stop it. It was incredibly frustrating because I could not stop it, but on the other hand, hundreds of thousands of people are alive today because people around the world did respond which has reminded me, despite our human capacity for evil, we also have the capacity for decency, compassion, resilience, and strength.” happened in my hometown in rural Oregon. One third of the kids on the school bus have been exposed to deaths from drugs, alcohol, and suicide—the problem used to be meth and now it’s fentanyl.” He also mentioned an in-progress, several-year commitment to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail through Montana, Idaho, and Washington with his 20-something daughter.

Kristof has documented decades of injustices, making it difficult to imagine how he maintains the ability to see the light in the world’s darkest moments. is balancing is no act; it’s an acquired critical thinking skill and his particular superpower. “I think we journalists in the non-pro t sector tend to focus on the individual stories that are negative, and don’t focus enough on the backdrop of positive progress that is happening every day,” he said.

He went on to explain why he doesn’t get depressed while focusing on seemingly endless bad news.

“When I graduated from college, 41% of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty. Today, it’s less than 10%. When I was kid, the majority of humans had been illiterate throughout history. Now, we’re up to 90% literacy, which is astonishing.” This is Kristof’s second superpower. He knows the data on both sides of the chart, a rare approach in news media, which infamously continues to be driven by the incendiary motto, “If it bleeds, it leads.”

With his life’s work compiled in print, what’s next? “I’d like to do more for the people left behind domestically,” Kristof said. “I’ve been very shaken by what’s happened in my hometown in rural Oregon. One third of the kids on the school bus have been exposed to deaths from drugs, alcohol, and suicide—the problem used to be meth and now it’s fentanyl.” He also mentioned an in-progress, several-year commitment to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail through Montana, Idaho, and Washington with his 20-something daughter.

Then, there’s the “family project,” on the farm where Kristof was raised. In 2018, www.kristoffarms.com began planting cider apples and grape vines. Now, purveyor of hard cider, pinot noir, chardonnay, and rosé contributes yet another job title to Kristof’s resume. “It’s been really good for me,” he said. “In my day job, I spend my time yelling at the world and no one pays attention. But if a tree needs a little more water and I give it some, it responds. With cider, if it needs a little more sweetness, I can add something. It’s very rewarding to affect this kind of physical progress.”

True farmers and humanitarian journalists appreciate hard labor as a kind of tough therapy and Kristof is both. As is his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, the other half of the only married couple to win the Pulitzer Prize as co-writer of their book, “Half the Sky.” Their successful partnership has produced several books and can now be enjoyed with a glass of their chardonnay. Much like the farmwork, Kristof’s writing to upright the wrongs in our world goes on. And on.

“I’d like to write a book on animal rights,” he added. “The ethical raising of chickens. I’d like to go after the confinement operations. However…” he paused. “There has been real progress. I mean the idea that McDonalds would now have cage-free eggs was unfathomable when I started my career.” There it is again—that superpower. Nicholas Kristof continues to prove that the ability to see both sides of reality is the best way to change it.