David Love, whom I only now learn goes by “Dukes,” was a star student in my very advanced “Business Cycles” class at the University of Michigan. He went on to get a Ph.D. in Economics at Yale and become a tenured macroeconomics professor at Williams College. We have stayed in touch over the years, but had not corresponded recently. I share his email a few days ago with his permission:  

Dear Miles,

After a week of continuously visiting and reading your blog, I thought I’d let you know that you’re providing a wonderful public service. There’s a gem in nearly every entry, and I’ve found myself eagerly returning to see whether you’ve posted anything new. If you want to know how influential a good blog can be, consider that I’ve read Chetty’s article on measuring risk aversion; your recent NBER paper on the fundamental aspects of well being; and I just ordered an exam copy of Weil’s textbook on Economic Growth – and all in the week since I started visiting Confessions of a Supply Side Liberal. I was especially touched by your sermon inspired by David Foster Wallace, and I sent it along to friends and family far removed from economics.

There are many economics blogs out there, but yours contains a rare mixture of fine writing, humanity, and Feynman’s pleasure of finding things out. Thanks for putting it out there!

Sincerely,

Dukes