Michael Kelly's Immortal Words

Washington Post ^ | April 3, 2004 | Joel Achenbach

[Remole]

The first American journalist to die covering the war, [Michael] Kelly left behind a grief-stricken family and millions of words. Max Kelly spent months going through his writings for an anthology, just published, titled "Things Worth Fighting For."

[Remole]

I know that many Freepers were great fans of Michael Kelly; here is great news that an anthology of his columns, compiled by his wife, has just been published

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[Howlin]

A missing Michael Kelly bump!

[martin_fierro]

"[Kelly] possesses an outward cynicism, but this is understood to be merely clothing; at his core, he is a square. He fights a lot, generally on the side of the underdog. He is willing to die for his beliefs, and his beliefs are, although he takes pains to hide it, old-fashioned. He believes in truth, justice, the American way, and love. He is on the side of the law, except when the law is crooked. He is not taken in by jingoism but he is himself a patriot; when there is a war, he goes to it."

Amen.

[Uncle Hal]

Kelly was one of the best. I looked forward to his column in the Post every week. I miss him.

[jocon307]

"I miss him."

Me too, a great writer, his death is a great loss.

[edwin hubble]

Michael Kelly's writing on the Clintons was among his best work.

(I will have to find the quote), but his brilliant clarity describing the corruption that was the common theme of their lives was among his best writing.

He was a courageous man.

[Bob Eimiller]

It seems only the good ones die... David Bloom was an honest and sincere reporter as well... one of the few without a political agenda on NBC or any of the major media outlets for that matter.

[Valin]

Oh great! Just what I need another book I have to buy. I really need to stop working as it cuts into my reading time.

[Remole]

The Kelly column on Clinton that still amazes is "I believe," where he lists, in paratactic style, a sequence of affirmations, no two of which can be held logically in the mind simultaneously. An amazing column, courage in print. See:

http://www.usactuary.com/I_Believe.html

[edwin hubble]

Thanks for the link.

I finally found the paragraph I was looking for:
(Mar. 31 2002 Wash. Post)

[Michael Kelly of the Washington Post analysed four investigations of the Clinton 'phenomenon' which had a common theme:]

'What comes across as the most important source of Clinton's uniqueness as president is the nearly unbelievable degree of his essential unfitness to be president - his profound immaturity, his pathological selfishness, his cynicism, above all his relentless corruption.'

[Alia]

Me too. I miss him; I still mourn him.

[beckett]

Kelly's clarity and courage are irreplacable. A big loss to journalism.