By Jennifer Price
Professor Steven Roberts and his wife, Cokie, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, have been married for 43 years.
Their secret to a successful marriage?
Biting their tongues.
“The secret…is the number of teeth marks you have in your tongue. Not saying the first, second or even third thing that comes to your mind,” said Mr. Roberts, GW’s J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Media and Public Affairs. “You need to have a certain amount of grace and tolerance and respect.”
The prominent couple, who have both had distinguished careers in journalism, published separate books in the past few years. The two discussed their books together March 15 at GW’s Marvin Center.
Mr. Roberts’ book, “From Every End of This Earth: 13 Families and the New Lives They Made in America,” tells the stories of immigrants families from across the world including China, Afghanistan and Mexico. At least half of the families profiled are connected to GW.
Ms. Roberts’ book, “Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation,” chronicles the lives of early American women like Abigail Adams, Martha Jefferson and Dolley Madison.
“Steve loves writing about living people, but I like dead people. They can’t argue with you, which is really nice because in our day jobs we have to talk to politicians all the time, and they do nothing but argue with you,” said Ms. Roberts, a New York Times bestselling author, an ABC News political commentator and a contributing senior news analyst for National Public Radio.
“Ladies of Liberty” is a continuation from her previous book “Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation.” Both books required an enormous amount of research, drawing from private journals and unpublished letters.
“The women’s letters to each other are the best of all. They’re humorous, and they discuss their fears, ambitions and predicaments. They talk about the men and everyday life,” Ms. Roberts said. “You get a much more complete picture of the era rather than just reading political theory.”
These women were the driving forces behind opening social service agencies such as orphanages and poor houses, she said.
“They took this country to a far better place,” said Ms. Roberts.
Throughout Mr. Robert’s career, which includes working at The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report and ABC Radio, he has been interested in immigration. Growing up in Hudson County, N.J., he lived in an immigrant community. His own grandparents immigrated from present-day Russia and Poland. One grandparent lived in his parents’ house, and two others lived just a few blocks away.
“I never met a babysitter I wasn’t related to, and I never had a grandmother who didn’t have an accent,” said Mr. Roberts, who wrote about his own family’s story in his book, “My Fathers’ Houses.” “I thought everyone grew up that way.”
While profiling 13 different immigrant families, “From Every End of this Earth” shows the major changes that have impacted immigration today, including modern technology.
“When my grandfather moved to America from Moscow, he didn’t talk to his sister for 50 years,” said Mr. Roberts.
But today, immigrants can keep in contact with their families back in their home countries.
“The notion that immigrants take away from the country instead of contributing to it is totally wrong,” said Mr. Roberts. “We continue to improve because of the infusion of new energy, new blood and new entrepreneurial spirit.”