|
I miss William F. Buckley. This book is a wonderful collection of his best. It's so nice to hear an intelligent conservative speak on the issues, rather than the crackpot nutjobs that I occasionally listen to on the radio now.
"One way of putting the problem is that it's not discernibly heading anywhere; it ambles along, stuffing more and more odds & ends into its elastic bag, until it simply decides to sit down." Yet another quote that WFB includes is from Lee Barnes, the, then, editor of the Fort Pierce (FL) Tribune who explained his decision not to carry Buckley's column - "We have a policy here that we will only use columnists who write in English." WFB's response. Mr. Un-negotiable. The review comments included "Well, I did find it a bit dense, discursive and anti-climactic." One of the first Notes & Asides in Mr. Of course, I was sitting in front of the computer the whole time so that I could look up terms and latin quotes.Love the way that most of his writings (can't stand his fiction) exercises my mind.
However, setting aside ideology, simply reading this collection of "Notes & Asides" from National Review made for great entertainment and an increase in my personal lexicon.Interestingly, just before receiving this book, I had written an essay and submitted it to a friend for review. The reason is: We aren't getting enough letters that qualify as N&A material - inquisitive, zany, confused, annoyed, piquant."That is truly sad. Buckley's latest offering and read it in one sitting. "Qualis anus equi."I told my still-current-friend-in-spite-of-his-review, "Although I'd love to be considered very like WFB in intellect and wit, my resemblance to him in sentence structure is less gratifying."So many things about this book appealed to me (but I hate the title):1) A very young man started writing to WFB but, after receiving his help to enter and graduating from College (Yale, I think) and taking a position with the State Department with a letter of recommendation, never contacted WFB again.
The only one I have issued in seventeen years. What a fascinating person he must have been.8) Although Rickenbacker's final days brought tears to my eyes, my real sorrow was plumbed by why the Notes & Asides feature was eventually removed from regular appearances in NR:"I regretfully conclude that `Notes & Asides' can't continue as a regular feature of National Review. Buckley's book pointed out similar failings in one of WFB's articles. I am so curious about this. I think that is true for our nation overall.
Bought Mr. It goes: "John went to the store and bought some apples, oranges, and bananas." NOT: "John went to the store and bought some apples, oranges and bananas." I am told National Review's Style Book stipulates the omission of the second comma. My comment: "National Review's Style Book, effective immediately, makes the omission of the second comma a capital offense."I, too, come to a full halt when that second comma doesn't appear in such sentences and was just overjoyed to find WFB of the same mind - although I would have said "non-negotiable" rather than "un-negotiable."6) The give and take between WFB and John Kenneth Galbraith, the far ends of the ideological spectrum, demonstrates the pinnacle of Civil Discourse.7) WFB's eulogy and last words re colleague Bill Rickenbacker made me cry. Rickenbacker had come alive in this book to me as I knew of him only by name prior to this reading. Wonder why the correspondence stopped.2) I don't care how many times WFB explained it, I still don't understand "Immanentize the eschaton". That, IMO, is cause for real sorrow.If Mr. I agree with none of his foreign policy positions but most of his economic stands.
Buckley's book sells well, perhaps that means that this state of affairs is on the mend. I even tried to find this young man (no longer so young) on the web and was unsuccessful. I don't care that I know what the words mean - the phrase makes no sense to me.3) Similarly, WFB states that his favorite saying and motto is "Quod licet Jovi, no licet bovi." Well hell, it seems intuitively obvious to me that Jupiter (God) has more license and power than an ox but what does WFB find so meaningful in this saying.4) LOVED the correspondence with Art Buchwald.5) Yes, I am very strange but I lifted my fist in a "YES." gesture when WFB instructed the NR editorial staff with (according to him) his only mandate during his term as Editor:"A ukase. The readership, both fans and foes, had grown stale and less erudite. His recent passing further reduced the nation's collective intellect.
Early on the fun begins when he founds the "National Committee to Horsewhip Drew Pearson" for besmirching Shirley Temple, establishing honorary members, selling buttons, etc. After awhile, Buckley began to set aside unorthodox letters sent for publication, and this brings together material chosen from that collection. "National Review" magazine began publishing November, 1955. Some of his critics are pretty erudite and witty themselves - eg. The material is presented chronologically, divided into four sections. Section I runs up to Nixon I, II goes through Watergate and the Carter malaise, III brings in the Reagan years, and IV goes through the end of the Cold War and on to the next set of challenges.Buckley's equanimty and good humor are astounding - funnier than any comic. an English professor tongue-in-cheek's critiquing Buckley's grammar and sentence structure.It's all pretty much apolitical, and at times even a bit irreligious, but almost all (except for a bit of spite back and forth with Arthur Schlesinger) light-hearted. If only I could write half as well.
I can highly recommend this book if you are a fan of William F. Buckley, Jr. It is just so typical of him. Read and enjoy.
No promotion for student self-esteem, you work on this one.As always, when dealing with Buckey there are ideas and humor. I used to consider myself reasonably well read and a fair workman of the language. Buckey. Reading it has been an education, a very good education. While I didn't always agree with him, he was entertaining. Dang.
When I first ran across him in one of Rich Little's routines, the family TV didn't have UHF so I had no idea of what the comedian was talking about. Then I read William F. You must admit, whether you agree with him or not, they are original and are presented well. Such words. And, they're all real.I opened Buckey's book and immediately fled for a dictionary. I went to work and bought my first TV (a black and white 18 inch Admiral) with UHF and there was "Firing line" on PBS.
And he remained so to the last.No matter which side of the great divide you're on (or, like me, a middle of the road extremist teetering in the center), Buckey is worth knowing.
|
