Language Gone Silent

New York Times columnist William Safire, who was also a speechwriter for President Richard Nixon and, by extension, Vice President Spiro Agnew, both of whom left office in disgrace, has died at age 79. Safire is one of the more vexing figures for me, as I disdained his politics but loved his non-political column, "On Language," which ran regularly in the Sunday Times. The column was always informative and witty, and he will be missed for it.

The Times has also reprinted his classic farewell to his political column, entitled "How to Read a Column," well worth the few minutes to read including:

8. Cast aside any column about two subjects. It means the pundit chickened out on the hard decision about what to write about that day. When the two-topic writer strains to tie together chalk and cheese, turn instead to a pudding with a theme. (Three subjects, however, can give an essay the stability of an oaken barstool. Two's a crowd, but three's a gestalt.)

With that advice in mind, I'll just comment on the irony of losing such a dedicated language man on a day when it is leaked that one of the world's major communications companies may very well sell off the magazine publishing arm that gives it its name.

Time Warner without the Time?