Christopher Hitchens has died.
December 16, 2011 1 Comment
RIP Christopher Hitchens, the Paine and Orwell of our time according to William Grimes in the NYT. His best writing pushed further than a reader would expect–with good instincts, a historical lens, and an excess of argument. Case in point, this Slate piece on the Armenian genocide pushed all the right buttons:
The occurrence of the Armenian genocide in 1915 “is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence.” On the campaign trail last year, he amplified this position, saying that “America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that president.”
via Telling the truth about the Armenian genocide. – Slate Magazine.
Christopher Hitchens did what most political columnists can only dream of: He made his point and he wasn’t boring. Even in error he was hilarious. My favorite aspect of Hitchens’ writing is that he can say what I had never thought of in a way that I never would have said it. Not that I use myself as a benchmark for how good an author is, but that Hitchens made me want to hear his ideas because they are better than mine. And he is funny, with a zealous quest to always preach the truth, or at least the truth as he saw it, which is all anyone can ask of him.
Please read these. I promise you a very interesting and, at the least, entertaining, few minutes.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2004/06/unfairenheit_911.single.html
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/08/hitchens200808
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/07/mel_gibson_isnt_just_an_angry_narcissist.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2003/10/mommie_dearest.html