Still, Hunt's journey through successive generations of new friends has its own pathos, since his chronic failure ever to get to grips with money tainted the very thing he stood for, namely, good fellowship.

ECONOMIST: Leigh Hunt

Startup incubators and fellowship opportunities are good models, but we also need to think more seriously about companies and nonprofits sponsoring "innovator in residence"-style positions to provide a creative context.

WSJ: The Experts: How to Foster Young Entrepreneurs

They stick it out through the Iran-Iraq war and the birth of two children, leaving for good a decade ago when Ms Nafisi received a fellowship from Johns Hopkins University.

ECONOMIST: Memoir of Iran