“For a moment, up against a real adversary, he did not look embattled by his own demons. His jaw relaxed. He listened. The unpracticed smile returned—less tooth, more lip. His eyes had a lightness to them. Even the shoulders did not stoop protectively. His new tragedy and test appeared to have surgically removed the distrust and cynicism that ordinarily grip him, and he became, at least momentarily, a whole and engaging man. It was enough to make those of us who’ve known him for a couple of decades wonder if he could rediscover himself.”
—From “A Kinder, Gentler Rudy?” May 2, 2000