Chomsky and Me: A Memoir

by Bev Boisseau Stohl

“This is a beautiful, tender and profound book about one of the most important thinkers of our time, by one of the people who know him best. A masterpiece of observation and memoir.”
—Johann Hari


“A ringside seat on the life and times of a man regarded by millions as a remote intellectual deity, but who comes into sharp focus through the delightfully warm and humorous lens of Bev Stohl as a relatable mortal … If you want to know the real Noam Chomsky, this is the book for you.”
—Amir Amirani






Bev Stohl ran the MIT office of the renowned linguist and social critic Noam Chomsky for nearly two and a half decades. This is her account of those years, working next to a man described by the New York Times as “arguably the most important intellectual alive today.”

Through these pages we observe the comings and goings of a constant and varied stream of visitors: the historian Howard Zinn; activists Alex Carey, Peggy Duff, and Dorie Ladner; the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners Lee; actors Catherine Keener and Wallace Shawn; the writer Norman Mailer; gaggles of fourteen-year-old school students, and the world’s leading linguists. All make appearances in these stories. Many who visit are as careless of their allotted time as Chomsky is generous with his. Shepherding them out in mid-conversation is one of Bev’s more challenging responsibilities.

Other duties include arranging lectures to overflow crowds around the world, keeping unscrupulous journalists at bay, preventing teetering ziggurats of paper and books from engulfing her boss, and switching on his printer when it is deemed “broken” by a mind that is engaged less by mundane technology than the realms of academia and activism.

Over the years, what has commenced as a formal working arrangement blossoms into something more: a warm and enduring friendship that involves work trips to Europe, visits with her partner and dog to Noam’s summer home on Cape Cod, and a mentorship that challenges Bev with all manner of intriguing mental and practical puzzles.

Published with the approval of its subject and written with affection, insight and a gentle sense of humor, Chomsky and Me describes a relationship between two quite different people who, through the happenstance of work, form a bond that is both surprising and reciprocally rich.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

290 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2023

Reviews

[Laura B · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional read! For decades, she helped Noam Chomsky manage his office, travels, communications and more. Now, from her unique perspective, Ms Boisseau shares her stories. And does so delightfully, insightfully and generously. Her writing voice is startlingly clear and refreshing. By turns poignant and funny, this book is a true pleasure to read. I didn't want it to end.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Chomsky and Me" is a delightful read that left me both entertained and enlightened. Bev Stohl brings a perfect blend of humor and seriousness, befitting Chomsky's groundbreaking work and activism. The anecdotes about Stohl's dog, Roxy, and her antics and misadventures around the MIT office particularly made me smile.

I found myself learning a great deal about Chomsky's contributions to philosophy and political activism, and also about the valuable personal lessons that Stohl learned over years working with one of the most influential intellectuals of our time. By the time Stohl described her retirement party at the end of the book, I felt I would miss the cast of characters almost as much as she does!

[Leigh Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving and sweet account of Bev’s 24 years running Noam Chomsky’s MIT office - the ways it shaped her and she shaped it. A touching look into the world of the renowned scholar and activist as well as the personality and warmth of the “third Noam” that Bev got to know behind the scenes.
Bev’s profound perceptiveness and dry wit shine through as she recounts both minute and grand moments in her work with Noam and her personal life as the two parallel and intersect. She threads themes of serendipity, friendship, loss, and renewal and makes you feel right at home in the amazing and quirky world that she and Noam shared.

[Jean Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Chomsky and Me: A Memoir" is a delightful, don’t-miss read. Bev Stohl details her 24 years working as Noam Chomsky’s personal assistant. Not only does Bev share her story on the page, but you also get a unique insider’s view of Noam, one of the masterminds of our time.

Bev and her furry companion, Roxy, are the gatekeepers to all sorts of personalities, film crews, and students who walk through their MIT office door seeking an audience with Noam. Bev handles the weighty world topics and logistical minutia with humor and compassion.

Bev’s standup-comic experience shines as you read the laugh-out-loud sections. Other parts will touch your heart and leave you reaching for a tissue as she draws you into the warm, caring relationship she cultivated with Noam.

Don’t miss this enticing and engaging read!

[Charlotte A]

Chomsky and Me gives the reader a front row seat to a world few of us experience firsthand. For nearly a quarter of a century Beverly Boisseau Stohl was the ultimate factotum (Latin for “one who does the deed”) for Professor Noam Chomsky, one of the world’s pre-eminent scholars and a Lion of Linguistics at MIT’s Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, and she tells the story in her own rich, humane, and often laugh-out-loud funny voice. Poignant, respectful, and vivid in touching detail, Chomsky and Me is a must-read for not only those in academia but for anyone – anyone – interested in the delicate dance of human relations and curious to know more about those gifted souls whose destiny is to show the rest of us how it’s done. - Charlotte Andry Gibbs

[Marijke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Als Chomsky-adept uit de jaren 80 van de vorige eeuw (!) was het heerlijk om te lezen hoe hij in het dagelijks leven was. Afgestudeerd op zijn briljante gedachten, maakt de hernieuwde kennismaking met deze originele, spirituele man tot een heilzame en positieve tocht. Met alle positieve credits aan de schrijfster!

[Johannes Inktvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love chomsky

[Laura Beretsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all Noam Chomsky fans. Chomsky and Me provides a delightful insider's view into Noam Chomsky's daily routines, viewpoints, and quirks. Told from the perspective of his Admin Assistant of 20+ years, the story seamlessly intertwines their lives, while providing funny clever vignettes about the academics, denizens, and activists that orbit in and out of Chomsky's world. Much of the book takes place at or near Chomsky's MIT office, so readers who have spent time there will appreciate the descriptions of the setting. Chomsky fans will definitely appreciate Bev Stohl's insights about this cultural icon. Any reader will appreciate the poignancy Stohl brings to her own journey and the professional and personal choices she made along the way.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

When asked how he dealt with depressing issues in 1999, Noam responded:

“[I don’t feel] depression. It’s more agitation. A lot of adrenaline flowing. It may not show, but a lot of anger.”


This book isn’t what I expected. It’s not a hagiography of Chomsky, nor is it an autobiography of Bev Stohl. It’s a collection of stories and recollections of the author, with a huge focus on Chomsky. We get glimpses of Chomsky forgetting how to use a laptop, fielding questions from thousands of acolytes, peers, and geeks (one of them was me), Chomsky losing himself in Tolstoy, and Chomsky seamlessly recalling relatively mundane events from decades ago.

Now, I say all this to get the point across that if you’re reading this essay review, you’re probably interested in Chomsky enough to be considering this book. This book is for you. However, if you’re expecting a detailed life of Chomsky from this, you will be disappointed. It’s a lot of stories that folks will know (e.g. Chomsky getting punked by Ali G, moving offices, etc) that you will have already heard.

There are insights, but it’s a personal memoir and there simply aren’t many bombshells to make it of interest to the general reader.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like giving this 2 stars is MEAN because the author seems wonderful as a person, but I just wasn’t interested in this book. I think it could be better for someone who idolizes Chomsky and finds it charming that he loses his pens. Ok that was kind of mean, there were definitely more interesting anecdotes throughout, but….as someone who works in a full + social office I feel like having cute funny weird offbeat endearing awkward anecdotes about the people you work with is… not unique. But maybe there’s a sweet point there about how if you spend enough time with people you’ll get lots of silly little stories and they’ll become big parts of your life! But I didn’t have to read a whole book about it :( IM SORRY TO THE AUTHOR

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know anything about Chomsky--there's plenty--read this book. If you want the satisfaction that come from reading a memoir, feeling close to a writer, read this book. If you want a great reading experience in general--the book is charming, funny and poignant--read it. If you want the pleasures of reading good writing, read it. If you want to LOL, read it.

[Richard Ballo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.
As a contemporary of Ms Stohl, I had only heard that Chomsky was a radical. Even though the book didn't go into that aspect, it gave me a glimpse of that person. Stohl's work and organization for him was a look into what it takes to work for someone in demand by people of all stripes. I can relate to the ending of a job and what retirement looks like, It is not easy.

[Kristofer Petersen-Overton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely memoir. I am one of the many people who Bev Stohl helped to meet with Professor Chomsky over the years (at MIT in December 2014). Chomsky also replied at length to several emails about my research over the years, in college and later in graduate school. This is a heartfelt, humorous and moving memoir that provides a nice behind the scenes look at Chomsky’s life before he left MIT.

[Min‑Jun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of us read to escape reality, or imagine worlds beyond our own. Some read to learn new skills, like cooking or crafting – or about people they admire Gamers❤️‍피망머니상「gangdongshop」010한게임9331머니상6906❤️‍피망포커칩판매

[Michael C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare to read a book and feel at the end that it was absolutely perfect. The sensitivity and grace with which Chomsky's kindness, generosity, and brilliance were presented make this work a must read for every Noam Chomsky admirer.

[Gail Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful depiction of an incredible human’s life, the author’s relationship with him and his family and others. I laughed, I cried and marveled at the life of someone with so much passion and devotion to humanity.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm and heartfelt stories with such a unique perspective. Loved it!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you idolize Chomsky—as I do—you'll enjoy this personal, humorous, anecdotal account of their life together by his long-standing assistant.

[Chris Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stohl was Chomsky’s administrative assistant at MIT from March 1993 to June 2017. Through his writings, interviews, talks and correspondence, Chomsky developed into a world-wide clearinghouse of political activism. When 9/11 took place, people called him from all over the world asking for interviews to make sense of it all. Countless numbers of people have filed through his office, including frequent film crews, hoping to get advice from him. Over one three-day weekend alone, they received over one thousand e-mail messages. For 24 years, Stohl was the gatekeeper for this vast and chaotic enterprise. Every single person had to go through her to get to Chomsky. Much of the book is about the constant challenges she faced in fulfilling this duty.

Stohl writes in an entertaining and an easy-to-read style. The bottom line is that I really enjoyed this book. I especially recommend it to linguists, who will learn about a side of Chomsky beyond his linguistics persona.

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