The Nose: Christopher Hitchens & Tebow Trend While Mann's Malloy Epic Continues
The Nose rounds up the week in pop culture.
The person with the best take on the death of Christopher Hitchens would have to be Christopher Hitchens.
Here he is:
"The only position that leaves me with no cognitive dissonance is atheism. It is not a creed. Death is certain, replacing both the siren-song of Paradise and the dread of Hell. Life on this earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more."
When you write essays or air your opinions in public, people come up to you and, if you're lucky, say, "I don't always agree with you, but I enjoy your work."
With Hitchens, one had to go a little further. There was something thrilling about Hitchens arguing against one's own position in that marvelous unfurling prose. It was nearly an erotic feeling.
We'll talk about his legacy today and round up the week in politics and pop culture.
Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.
Send to friend
Printer-friendly version
Comments
EMAIL FROM DAVID:
Colin, like many people, I admired Christopher Hitchens. The obit in the new york times was okay but every other obit really pissed me off by pointing out (incorrectly) that christopher hitchens swung to the right. Just because he believed that so called islamic fascism was extremely dangerous, and supported bush's re election does not mean he became a right winger. He never stopped hating mother teresa, henry kissinger, and never stopped being an ardent atheist. Why therefore should anyone assume that he swung all the way to the right? I maintain that most of his left leaning beliefs never changed. A desire to protect western civilization from a perceived threat again by so called islamic fascists does not make one a right winger. I regret missing the beginning of your show as I would have called in to make this point.
E-mail from Bill
Tebow is like the Little Gospel Train That Could. The Fighter during the depression. His story is uplifting during a time when America can't, Tebow can.
Post new comment