Conservative Journalism Giant Norman Podhoretz Dead at 95

"What you really need to know is that what mattered most to him was writing. Great writing. Good writing. Clear writing. Honest writing. He was the most literate man I have ever known, possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of the written word in our time and in times past, who found true moral, intellectual, and aesthetic purpose in the act of reading and deciphering and comprehending. And he was himself a prose stylist of magnificence."

"He often quipped that he would forgive any insult if the person delivering it also said he was a good writer. He was a man of great wit and a man of deep wisdom and he lived an astonishing and uniquely American life. And he bound himself fast to his people, his heritage, and his history. His knowledge extended beyond literature to Jewish history, Jewish thinking, Jewish faith, and the Hebrew Bible, with all of which he was intimately familiar and ever fascinated."

Norman Podhoretz died at age 95. He led Commentary as editor-in-chief from 1960 to 1995 and served as editor-at-large thereafter. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush. He prioritized great, clear, and honest writing and possessed encyclopedic literary knowledge. He combined literary skill with deep knowledge of Jewish history, thought, faith, and the Hebrew Bible. He rose from Brooklyn poverty to Manhattan comfort, raised four children, and left 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He was remembered for wit, wisdom, and a lifelong devotion to the life of the mind.

Read at www.mediaite.com