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by George Shadroui | February 27th, 2008
Reflections.
The death of William F. Buckley, Jr. is a cosmic event for many of us who have admired, corresponded with and befriended him over the years.
He was not only the founding father of modern American conservatism, he was a man of uncommon kindness, decency and charm. His wit was legendary, his writing stylish and moving, his example one many of us have tried but failed to emulate.
Having not been blessed with a particularly good memory, I don't recall my first encounter with Buckley's work. Certain shadows suggest passing knowledge as a teenager – an occasional Firing Line episode, a copy of The Jeweler's Eye sitting in our upstairs bookshelf, a column spread out on the kitchen table as my father digested his daily diet of news and opinion.
The defining moment, the moment that sent me headlong toward conservatism, was in the spring of 1980. I had invited a close friend, a Massachusetts liberal no less, to join me for spring break at my home. We were both aspiring writers at the University of North Carolina, I serving as editor of the Daily Tar Heel, he as one of our staff columnists. He had no plans and I lived only 90 minutes away. Of course he would make the trek with me to Salisbury, he said, and so we drove.
It was an interesting weekend for Buddy Burniske, who would remain a dear friend for almost 30 years before his own untimely death two years ago. He loved to combat and confront and that made him part of our family. Many years later, as he battled courageously his fatal cancer, we talked of that trip and others.
That special journey years ago was culminated by one of the most riveting hours of public discourse we have ever witnessed, Bill Buckley's Firing Line interview with Malcolm Muggeridge – How does one find faith? Buckley's presence was announced to me like a brilliant light, and the shadows of his influence on my father's thought gave way to unmistakable clarity: if these two men could embrace the anti-liberal position so prevalent among my family, then perhaps the wave of liberal conformity that overwhelmed every aspect of student life in Chapel Hill might be resisted.
Thus began a life-long relationship with the style and substance of Buckley and the circle of intellectuals and writers he had assembled around the intellectual conservative movement. The philosophy and faith that underlie their approach toward life and, yes, death, struck me as more profound than the post-modern secularism that had become fashionable among liberal friends.
Over the next couple of decades, I would have the opportunity to write for National Review and, on occasion, correspond with Buckley. I met him in passing in Norfolk, Virginia in the mid 1980s. It was not a moment I would forget, though he surely did as soon as he was back in the car heading to the airport. Nevertheless, as I moved in and out of NR's circle of thought in the years that followed, I was always pulled back by the pure force of Buckley's intelligence and decency. He was the intellectual lodestar by which I (and many others) navigated through complex political and cultural issues.
My connection to Buckley began to deepen in the final years of my father's life. The need to explore the places, people and causes that bound us across time and space grew more intense and Buckley and Firing Line had been a topic of discussion among us for many years. When I lost my father, I began to write Buckley more often and he responded with his usual decency and understanding. Over time, the formal notes and letters gave way to personal topics and, finally, he asked that we dispense with the formalities and start calling each other by our first names.
I struggled with this. I had called my father by his first name on occasion, but Buckley was an icon, a public personality who had helped shape the history of our nation for half a century. "Mr. Buckley" seemed right, "Bill" terribly presumptuous.
Even when he invited me to his home to have dinner, I did not take the offer seriously. If I knew anything about the man from reading him and about him for two decades, it was that he did not want for good friends or company. And then there is this point of pride. I abhor, you see, the ogling of the famous that has become a sick sport in our popular culture. I respected Buckley too much as a shaping intellectual force to treat him as another celebrity. He was a man of grace and dignity and I sensed he was a private man as well and therefore would not welcome the physical intrusion of a stranger.
But when I wrote an article on this site praising him last year, a call came to my house from Linda Bridges, an NR editor, that "Bill" really wanted to meet me. I realized then that he was sincere and that I was being absurdly nonchalant. For God's sake, a close friend told me, you have admired this guy and written about him for decades, make the journey or regret it the rest of your life.
Buckley sat next to me, inquired about my writing, my job, my family. He lamented that he could do nothing to assist my writing career, but applauded my work. He asked at one point if I played the piano, which regrettably I don't, though I promised him that my uncle, a classically trained pianist, might play later. "Well someone sure as hell taught you how to write," he said kindly. "You did, Bill," I said. He laughed.
The table talk revolved mostly around Iraq and Peter Galbraith did most of the talking, as he had just published a couple of books about how disastrously the Bush administration had handled the war. I ventured to say that the bashing of Bush had still gotten out of hand and this, more than disagreement about the war, drove me to write against the leftist position. Buckley offered that Peter's rendition of events was "tendentious," but he did not talk a great deal. His energy was waning.
And then, abruptly, he excused himself for health reasons. He offered his home to us for the evening given the weather outside and thanked us for coming. When I told him that we would have to drive back to Vermont that night, a pained look came over his face: "It's crazy for you to drive back in this weather," he said. And I felt then what so many who were galvanized by him must have felt for so many years – the desire to listen, learn and converse was great, an almost gravitational pull, but I could not stay.
I bowed and offered my apologies. He acceded and with that the great man was escorted upstairs. I would not see him again.
While I never did get the photo, I had managed to video about 90 seconds of my uncle playing Bach for the greatest Bach fan in the world. Buckley listened intently just before dinner. "Hang in there," he called to my uncle as he reached a difficult spot in the piece he was playing. It was pure joy watching my beloved uncle, my father's younger brother, playing Bach in front of a writer and thinker my father and I had most admired for so many years.
Two men we both adored – Uncle Dick (as bill would call him) and Bill Buckley – together with Bach. Priceless. As I drove to Vermont that night through the pouring rain, my uncle asleep in the car, I could not help thinking that Buckley seemed so fragile that he might not again make another public appearance. I was greatly pleased when he managed a short stint with Charlie Rose just after Christmas, but he was not the same man we had all known.
Yet I also knew, as he made clear on one occasion while being interviewed by Rose a few years ago, that he longed to lie down and call his life complete. His wife and so many friends gone, his life lived at such a frenetic pace, his time on the public stage so distinguished and celebrated – what was there left to do?
As an admirer of William F. Buckley for decades, hearing of his passing brought back many fine memories of this great man’s, numerous, contributions. One of numerous was his turning on the light of narcissistic Liberalism… teaching this self-righteous, leftist, lot that they did not hold a monopoly on cerebral pursuits.
Today, swallowing hard, I peeked into several “liberal blogs” to read, if any, eulogies had been posted regarding Mister Buckley’s prodigious intellect. No shock and awe; there was nothing but transparent vilification and mean-spiritedness, which comes as no surprise… liberalism has not evolved but regressed into a dark-age, of utter nastiness, devoid of intellectual integrity and, simple, civility.
Goodnight, Mister Buckley, you will be greatly missed.
Comment by misanthrope | February 27, 2008
Thanks for your kind words about a great American. I would be curious to know where you saw him vilified, that I might respond. As I rushed this piece into print, I had hoped that readers would also go to the links on this site. Because Buckley, though a very civilized and kind man, was also a huge force in our nation. He was, if I might dare to say it, the Martin Luther King of conservatism, a man who inspired a rebellion against liberal orthodoxy that seemed, at times, content to allow half the world to live under tyranny. I don't want to overstate this. JFK, Truman and others were strong allies in the fight against communism, but Buckley went head to head with the left and liberal intellectual crowd and argued, no, while we must accept the pragmatics of coexistence, there is no moral equivalence. While statism might have its adherents, individuals functioning in a free market is the better way to go in most cases, while 1960s mores were popular, Buckely said, no, traditional values, faith, family, friendship — these are the eternal verities. I can assure you that all of us who knew and respected Bill are in deep mourning — from Rush to the NR crowd and even some of those on the left who have had the grace to acknowledge his great contributions to this nation. I refer you to a review of Strictly Right, in my archive. This man deserves many accolades and I hope readers of this site will let their respect for him be known.
Comment by George Shadroui | February 28, 2008
Mr. Shadroui: There were the usual, media-blogs, CBS, I believe was one. Viewers could log in and comment most were awash in cynical and vitriolic prattling about William F. Buckley. Consequently, venturing to numerous liberal blogs: I had to root about, as I do not view many liberal blogs on a daily basis. The ingesting of liberal fare dished up by the print and electronic media is hazardous enough to one’s health.
Please bear with me, as I had to take my four month old granddaughter to the doctor’s… it was a challenge. For the moment, my brain is a, wee, discombobulated. I have a few of them, which I will post, now… there were innumerable others that I can unearth, if you like.
In passing, Mister Buckley, although I was never blessed by knowing him personally, was a man of immense intellect; however, he, also, possessed an immense sense of humanity and wit: a quality that is, sadly, wanting today.
Blogs are a penny-a-dozen; however, here are a few.
http://freestudents.blogspot.com
http://www.liberalavenger.com/2008/02/27/william-f-buckley-dies-to-avoid-black-president
http://leftword.blogdig.net/archives/articles/February2008/27/Shed_No_Tears_For_Bill_Buckley.html
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2008/2/27/135839/926
Comment by misanthrope | February 28, 2008
Thank you for writing such a wonderful eulogy. I first heard Mr. Buckley as a young and confused twenty year old. I was questioning the conservatism of my parents, and embracing the liberalism of my peers, as so many do.
Then one night I stumbled on Firing Line, and watched in awe as Mr. Buckley demonstrated with finesse the "rightness" of being "right". I watched until long after I should have been in bed. I was in love with a man three times my age. Deeply, hopelessly, awed. Filled with unabashed adoration for this man who demonstrated that conservatism in its purest form is intellectually right, and unapologetically so.
My interest in politics and conservative thought were inspired, honed, and nurtured by Mr. Buckley. I literally felt a shock, as if a friend had died when my husband came home and said, "Did you hear? William F. Buckley died." A defining moment, I'll never forget where I was or what I was doing, much like 9/11 or the Challenger.
I was not blessed to know him personally, but I knew him through his essays. His most recent observations regarding the Republican party were so welcome among what seems to have become a group of non-thinkers. I admire his courage, appreciate his audacity, and cherish his civility.
Thank you, Mr. Buckley. And thank you, Mr. Shadroui for writing a eulogy almost deserving of him. :)
Comment by Beve | February 28, 2008
misanthrope, thank you for the links. they will be hearing from me soon.
hope your granddaughter is okay.
But….let me say this about a couple of those blogs:
RE: Ayn Rand. There was nothing vile about Buckley's column on Ms. Rand. He simply stated that she took her philosophy to extremes he could not coutenance. Randites are themselves, many of them, incapable of discourse. I refer you to a youtube clip of her on Phil Donahue. She was simply dismissive and rude to anyone who disagreed with her.
bill's comments on the birmingham bomb were wrong. But he many times said as much and those who know him have reported that he cried upon hearing the news. Nevertheless, his general point, apparently too sophisticated for the blogger, was right: lawlessness on the left or the right, no matter how justified the cause, simply encourages further lawlessness as people take matters into their own hands on the misguided idea that their cause, whatever it may be, justifies acts of provocation or even violence. Martin Luther King was a great American, but nevertheless he could not contain the violence and anger unleashed by the confrontational approaches he advocated, however rightly. And thus was had the weathermen, the black panthers, and the Muslim extremists who unleashed so much civil discord at a very difficult time. These issues are not easily discussed in soundbites. As a conservative, nevertheless, Buckley repudiated his own views and would support the MLK holiday.
thanks again for letting me see these rantings. I look forward to a more extended but fair essay on the issues they raised, but for now let us simply thank Bill for reminding the left that holdiing half the planet in slavery — even in the name of their causes — was wrong.
Comment by George Shadroui | February 29, 2008
[...] Current list of folks paying their respects (or possibly lack thereof): Tyler Cowen, Kathryn Lopez, Douglas Martin in the NYT, Ilya Somin, Alan Bock in the OCRegister, Robert Poole, Brian Doherty, Tavis Smiley & Garry Wills (video), Jacob Sullum, Matthew Yglesias, Jeet Heer, Steven Hart, Billy Beck, Prozium, Justin Raimondo, Richard Spencer, Andrew Sullivan, Jamie Kirchick, Rod Dreher, Marc Ambinder, Joe Klein, Rick Perlstein, Vox Day, Kip Esquire, Ilya Shapiro, John Derbyshire, Lawrence Auster, Timothy Noah, John F. McManus (president of the John Birch Society and author of William F. Buckley, Jr.: Pied Piper for the Establishment), Christopher Westley, Glenn Greenwald, Ann Coulter, Mona, Scott Horton & Lew Rockwell (audio), Daniel Larison, Ross Douthat, Taki Theodoracopulos, IOZ, Limited Inc, Dennis Perrin (with video of old debate between Buckley and Chomsky on Vietnam/imperialism), Robert Sirico, Peter Brimelow, Jacob Heilbrunn, Ximena Ortiz, Buckley's biographer-to-be Sam Tanenhaus, Razib, Joe Lieberman, Brian Moore, Robert Bidinotto, Edward Cline, Alexander Cockburn, Katrina Vanden Heuvel in Newsweek, John Nichols, James K. Galbraith, Ezra Klein, George Shadroui, Mark Steyn, David Warren, Jeffrey Hart, Chris Roach, [...]
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