Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Ruven Afanador for the New York Times

It was the cover story of last Sunday’s New York Times magazine, and several of my more plugged-in girlfriends have mentioned it to me since: A terrific interview by Emily Bazelon with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, now the only woman on the United States Supreme Court, about the upcoming confirmation hearing of Sonia Sotomayor. Depending on who was talking, we all see ourselves in her: My friend W. loved how Ginsburg pointed out that when she talked at a judicial conference, no one heard her, but when the guys at the table said the same thing, it was a brilliant idea. What I loved was hearing her certainty about the big issues of our time: Abortion (she points out that “women of means” will always get to choose now, so it’s an issue about poor women), racial discrimination, and civility.

Long live Ruth!