Hendrik Hertzberg wrote the essay on Jimmy Carter for the book Character Above All, published earlier this year by Simon & Schuster. He also participated in the PBS television program adapted from it.

 Mr. Hertzberg served on the White House staff throughout the Carter Administration. From 1979 until 1981, he was President Carter's chief speechwriter.

Aside from his White House tenure, Mr. Hertzberg has spent most of his career as a journalist. He began as a San Francisco correspondent for Newsweek magazine. He was editor of The New Republic magazine from 1981 until 1985 and again from 1988 until 1991. His years at The New Republic included positions as Contributing Editor, National Political Correspondent, Senior Editor, and Columnist.

In 1992, he was named Executive Editor of the The New Yorker magazine and this year became Editorial Director.

Mr. Hertzberg received a B.A. degree from Harvard. He lives in New York City.