Dinners With Ruth

Totenberg reflects on how she and Ginsburg lost many people close to them, including their parents and spouses, over the course of their friendship. How did these losses impact their friendship and their individual selves?

As a journalist, Totenberg is responsible for reporting on the Supreme Court Justices and activities objectively. However, in her work, she describes her close friendships with several Justices and other political figures. How does Totenberg try to reassure the reader that she is not biased in her reporting? Do you agree or disagree with her self-assessment?

One of the book’s themes is about Confronting Sexist Discrimination. How did Totenberg and Ginsburg cope with discrimination in their careers? What lasting effects or legacies did such treatment have?

Totenberg recalls how the Thomas-Hill hearings helped to create a discourse around workplace sexual harassment. How did the author’s own impression of the issue change through her reporting on the case? Why? Explain in detail with references to the text.

What were the factors that shaped Totenberg and Ginsburg’s deepening friendship in Ginsburg’s final years? Why does Totenberg feel that she and Ginsburg were closer than ever? Explain.

Has Dinners with Ruth changed your impression of Ginsburg as a person or a professional? Explain why or why not, and provide examples.

Discuss why Totenberg thrived at NPR in comparison to her earlier workplaces. How do her discussions around workplace experiences reveal US women’s legal and cultural advancement—or lack thereof—since her early career?

How did Ginsburg’s rulings shape the legislation around women’s rights in the US? Refer to three cases in which she helped to dismantle discriminatory laws.