What with one thing and the other, we weren’t able to properly digest the fact that William Safire is leaving the New York Times. Unlike most, our first thought was what about “On Language”? It won’t surprise most of our readers to know we often disagree with Safire politically — and sometimes we disagreed with him linguistically. That two people (or more) could diverge so dramatically is the beauty of the English language (it is also the bane of the English language). However, while his op-ed column is retiring, there is hope in other sections:
Safire, 74, said yesterday he is giving up the column in January. “It’s time to leave when you’re still hitting the long ball and have something else you want to do,” he said. Safire said he told Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. last year that the 2004 campaign would be his “last hurrah” and that Sulzberger “expressed the proper dismay” but urged him not to give up his “On Language” column. Safire will continue that idiosyncratic column for the paper’s Sunday magazine.
- William Safire to End Op-Ed Run at N.Y. Times (Note: we get the irony; it amuses us)
