On Language

Apropos of the news today, my only interaction with William Safire, who passed away this weekend, was a mention in his “On Language” column about an op-ed I’d penned for The Times.  I remember a friend called and said, “you’re in Safire’s New York Times column.”  My immediate reaction was, naturally, a heart-stopping ‘oh shit, this can’t be good news’ one.  But then I realized it was “On Language” rather than any political column and it remains one of my favorite cites of anything I’ve written.

One Reply to “On Language”

  1. First of all, I think you have good reason to be proud that you were cited by Safire. It is a testament to your skill and work ethic.

    Honestly, though, I had to pause when you mentioned your natural reaction to hearing you were cited by Safire. I have no doubt that you were taken aback, but I am also very certain that there is a demonstrable irony in the fact that many of your readers at this blog deceitfully wear their progressive monikers despite having long lost their union values. In this vein, most of your readers would have found a welcoming seat on Safire’s sofa—which may not have been a bad thing after all given the prospect of a quality conversation with the man.

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