Remembering Mr. Safire

Guest post from former Passport contributor Caitlin Wall:

It was one of the greatest honors of my young life to work for William Safire on his New York Times column On Language. Mr. Safire was the epitome of the hardscrabble newsman–a throw back to the era of the earnest. He was a believer in asking the tough question, and celebrated journalism as the rhetorical arena of the governed and the governing, where each contributed in turn and on his merits.

He had an energetic presence, a twinkle in his eye and unending enthusiasm for getting the job done. His love for an artful turn of phrase could be read by the smile on his face. His keen sense of journalistic sportsmanship kept all of his columns and opinions bound by the tenets of fair play. Each of our meetings began with Mr. Safire asking, “What have you got for me this week, Kiddo?” He often signed his emails with the simple phrase, “Keep the Faith!”

His Lexicographic Irregulars will be happy to know that no matter the number, he read each and every note from his readers, often responding to requests to settle a friendly dispute over grammar or usage. When aspiring authors wrote attaching manuscripts or offering their services, he never failed to respond with words of encouragement. As his long-time assistant has been quoted as saying, he was always generous in giving credit to others. His expectations of himself and others were equally high, and it brought out the best in his work and that of his colleagues.

In William Safire we have lost, as the New York Times put it aptly, the “oracle of language.” Americans have lost someone who possessed a vast understanding of our history, our political character and our spirit as a nation. To still many more, we have lost an icon and a mentor. In bidding goodbye to this man, larger than life, I can only say: Mr. Safire, Keep the Faith!

Caitlin Wall is a finalist for the Presidential Management Fellowship at the U.S. State Department who most recently worked at the United States Institute of Peace.

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