Life with Bill, Part VI

Revisiting William F. Buckley Jr.

Photo by Marcel Eberle on Unsplash

Dear readers: In recent days, many of us have been marking the centennial of William F. Buckley Jr., who was born on November 24, 1925. Last Sunday, I began a series, composed mainly of correspondence with WFB. Part I, here, opens with an introductory note. Succeeding parts are at the following links: II, III, IV, V.

November 28, 2006:

Jay, the sickness that began the day dear Milton died continues robustly—the longest, most acute misery I’ve ever had. So I am making no plans and hoping to fulfill my promise to do a seminar in New Haven on Friday.

Milton Friedman died on November 16. Re New Haven: Bill got back to Yale every chance he got. I’m not sure he enjoyed anything more.

At the end of my reply, I said,

Lemme know if I can do anything for you.

Bill answered,

Yes, you can tell me if you liked my obit on Milton Friedman.

At that point, Bill misplaced his hands on the keyboard, and what came out was gibberish—so, on to December 16 (Beethoven’s birthday!):

Jay, would you consider having Christmas lunch at Wallacks Point? [Bill and Pat’s home on Long Island Sound.] You would be TRULY welcome.

I could not, as I would be in Michigan (my ancestral home, so to speak). Bill then wrote,

Jay, I have built (am building) the evening around you on Dec. 29. According to the schedule you sent, you will be back by then???

On the morning of the 29th, I sent him an e-mail whose Subject line read, “Column on Saddam’s execution.” My note underneath congratulated him on said column: “Superb—A-1.”

Bill answered,

Thanks, pal, ever so much. Jay, I don’t expect it, but if I suddenly disappear for a while during our celebration, could you just sort of take over? My pneumonia sometimes hits me and I have to go to bed for a half an hour. Very unlikely, but you are #2 for me.

I do not have a specific recollection of the evening—but it was no doubt Buckleyan.

***

January 2, 2007 (in response to a note from me, asking how he was faring and telling him of some recent doings):

I think I am five per cent better, but am still sleeping four times every day! Was “The Magic Flute” as wonderful as rumored????

***

On January 6, I sent Bill a note headed “LBJ, Schlesinger, and you.” I said,

Am about to quote you in a piece. Remember when Arthur quipped, “Better redwoods than deadwoods”? Was LBJ giving a State of the Union address? And were the two of you going to comment on it, on television or radio? Johnson had said something about protecting trees, hadn’t he?

Bill:

You have your usual super memory. Arthur and I found ourselves in the same studio side by side because we were both to comment on LBJ’s State of the Union after he was through. But there was so little time left, given LBJ’s endlessness, that we had only about 3 minutes each. I invited Arthur to 73rd Street [Bill and Pat’s Manhattan home] and he accepted! ... Give me a buzz if you want more color.

***

On January 10, I ended a note as follows:

By the way, I’m going to a “St. Matthew Passion” at Carnegie Hall on Saturday night. If you should happen to feel a surge of health ...

Bill answered,

Oh God how I envy you!!!!

***

On January 14, I ended a note,

If I don’t see you pre-Bermuda—bless you, and have a good, fruitful time. (Down some rum raisin ice cream for me.)

(WFB was going to Bermuda to spend several weeks completing a book.)

He answered,

Jay, I’m still sick as a dog but the idea of going to Bermuda without seeing you is PROSCRIBED!!!!

***

Bill invited me to come to Bermuda, for a few days. There must have been some e-mailed back-and-forth, which I don’t now have. But on February 4, Bill wrote,

Jay, I am being UTTERLY SERIOUS. Why don’t you pick ANY three days in February to come stay with us? The quarters are unmatched, you have your own room and study, and three meals a day with your worshipper plus Anthony Dick [who was serving as WFB’s research assistant]. Say YES!!!! (I can arrange finances.)

I balked just a little, saying my February was “shot,” etc. Bill wrote,

Oh, come on. If not 3 days, 2 days?

I went. He was pleased, I was pleased. And Anthony is a good friend and excellent company.

Please bear in mind, when reading these notes, that WFB tended to hyperbole—in a knowing, grand, Shakespearean way. So you get things like “I am SOOOOOOOOO pleased at the prospect of seeing you.”

No one ever made you feel more welcome. Among his outstanding qualities was hospitableness.

***

February 5 (addressed to several of us at National Review):

I asked y’all via Priscilla to please tell me what the deadline would be for my Toledano obit. No word. I HOPE you have not been struck dumb??????????

(Bill was talking about the writer Ralph de Toledano, who had died on the 3rd.)

***

On February 19, after returning from Bermuda, I sent Bill a longish note, whose last paragraphs read,

Would you tell Cinty that I never ate a better sandwich than the one she made for me—certainly never one with fresher bread? [Cinty must have been the cook.] And I capped it off with rum raisin ice cream, made by Bailey’s. (Available at the airport.) (Also, we passed the main parlor on the way.)

Bill, thank you TONS for the continued enrichment of my life, and I’ll see you later.

Bill:

What a full and lovely letter, and I don’t have to say how much we missed you the INSTANT you disappeared. I will give your message to Cinty and I know she will be pleased. I hope you don’t have a barrelful of work to drown in, and can just sit back and ... listen to music.

***

If you wrote a piece, and Bill liked it, he was sure to let you know. He was persistently thoughtful like that, with multitudes of us.

On March 8, I received this on paper (rather than via e-mail) (not sure why):

Dear Jay:

I will shoot myself if I forget to record my admiration of your essay in The New Criterion on great speeches. I am ashamed to recall that I reviewed the identical volume for the New York Times and didn’t begin to achieve what you did. Anyway, I have survived.

We were talking about, and writing about, American Speeches, from the Library of Congress, edited by Ted Widmer.

Enough for one day? I think there will be one more installment—no more than two. If you are exhausted by this series, my apologies. If you have liked it—stay tuned. Thank you so much.