Saturday, April 05, 2003

This is terrible

I must join Virginia Postrel in expressing great regret about the fact that Atlantic Monthly editor at large Michael Kelly has been killed in Iraq. All the usual observations about his bravery need to be said, and sincere condolences to his family are appropriate. However, I must simply observe that the Atlantic is the magazine I look forward each month to reading more than any other. As editor in chief for several years, I think Kelly turned it into the best and most intelligent magazine in the English speaking world. It seems that Kelly was someone who got bored spending too long in an office and felt the need to go out and actually be a reporter. This was admirable, but he paid the ultimate price for it. As somebody who enjoys good journalism, I will miss him.

Update:Andrew Sullivan has an appreciation of Kelly in Salon. Personally, I think I read somewhere yesterday that "Journalist Michael Kelly was killed in Iraq" but it didn't sink in. It is only today that I saw it again and thought "That Michael Kelly". I will confess I hadn't been aware he was in Iraq. That's what comes from following the war mostly in the British rather than the American press.

No comments:

Blog Archive