When President Bush nominated him in 1991, Judge Kleinfeld pledged to keep his chambers in Fairbanks. Ms. Kleinfeld, who is now 56, wouldn't dream of moving to another university and conducting a commuter marriage. That includes having a good marriage and raising my own children. The professor still spends most of her time working at home, writing on a blue iBook laptop on a red table wedged in a tiny alcove across from the washer and dryer. Although the Kleinfelds could clearly afford a much bigger place, they say it would make them stand out in Fairbanks.
Nobody wants to be exclusive.
After 25 years, the house is chock full of mementos from Ms. Kleinfeld's research. The crafts and clothing were made by people whom Ms. Kleinfeld has interviewed for her forthcoming book on what it means to be an American. Most of them had come to Alaska to lead simpler lives. Like them, Ms. Kleinfeld and her husband were searching for new opportunities when they came here on their honeymoon 33 years ago. Research possibilities on the East Coast, where Ms. Kleinfeld earned an Ed.D. from Harvard University, had already been picked over, she says.