Text Size:
A+
One of my core duties as Bowles’ personal assistant [in India] was to take charge of the schedule for visitors who were important to Steb—like Duke Ellington, Pete Seeger, those sorts of people—and use their presence to put on programs that would appeal to Indians. My routine in those days was to wake up early and skim the morning papers. I would go through the seven or eight English-language papers quickly, noting anything that should be called to the attention of the Ambassador.
I was up especially early on November 23rd—it was Dagmar’s birthday—and found the papers face down on our doorstep. After arranging birthday cards around Dagmar’s place at the breakfast table I turned over one of the papers and was stunned.