For the "Where Chicago Eats" issue of the Chicago Reader, Anton Ford, Assistant Professor in Philosophy, and Miranda Swanson, AM'01, contributed their thoughts on food.

Anton Ford and Hannah Gold, a fourth-year in the College, debated whether something as crowd-pleasing as a doughnut can be an absolute good in an article penned by Gold. The relationship of donuts to philosophy arose in Ford's "Justice" lecture class, in which he asked, "If one finds a box of doughnuts in a hallway, is she forced to eat them, doughnuts being unmistakably delicious?" ultimately concluding, "Doughnuts are not an absolute good. You choose whether or not to eat another's doughnuts; the act, therefore, cannot be justified."

Miranda Swanson, AM'01, writes about her favorite Chicago chef, who is also her husband. The enjoyment they take from meals has also become a family affair—Swanson's two and a half year old twins are now old enough to appreciate lobster on linguine as well.

In an article for Forbes.com, Jeff McMahon, AM'02, examines the beloved, accessible, and often rule-breaking writing style of Roger Ebert, X'70. McMahon notes that many tributes to Ebert since his death have somewhat clumsily focused on his love of movies, and neglected the nuance and humility he brought to his reviews. Along with his obvious passion for the films he reviewed, McMahon's article illustrates that Ebert should be remembered both for his honesty and his respect for the audience. "Why was Roger Ebert the greatest movie reviewer?" McMahon asks. "Not because he cared about movies, not because he told us what to think about movies, but because he told us just enough to care and to think for ourselves."

McMahon is an alumnus of the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH) and currently serves as the program's writing advisor. He also teaches journalism courses for the Committee on Creative Writing.