History and Sci-Fi Buff
His wife used to tease Robert Nagel that he never watched any
television channel below the number 13. He
could not stand commercials, and therefore commercial television.
Instead, he watched black-and-white movies on cable (though the
spread of commercials to cable did not please him), and he was
faithful to the History Channel, no matter what was on it. His
wife, Janet, has not been able to bring herself to watch that
channel since Sept. 11. Lt. Nagel, a member of Engine Company
58, lived in Manhattan with his wife and their daughter, Bridget.
The other thing that captivated him was science-fiction; hundreds
of science-fiction books were spread around the house. He was
the type of person who let people know what was on his mind. He
was blunt. He was opinionated. "He didn't like things to be bottled
up," Mrs. Nagel said. He could discourse at considerable length
on almost any subject. It was not unknown for his monologues to
well exceed the listening patience of his friends. When he sensed
a distinct waning of interest, he would quickly inject the phrase,
"and furthermore," and then stop talking. It became his little
joke. Sometimes, someone would say something and he would interject,
"and furthermore," and then immediately clam up. Those who knew
him just chuckled, and so did he. Profile published in THE NEW
YORK TIMES on February 3, 2002.
Return
to Robert's Home Page