Christopher Hitchens may be a divisive figure, but he's also a brilliant, incisive, dynamic thinker. He never stoops to dogma or peddles ideas under the banner of "common sense." When asked on tour, I regularly name him as one of my favorite writers, though it often draws confused looks from my readers, who are looking for me to name crime-fiction authors. The quality and elegance of his writing are staggering, especially considering that his articles are time-sensitive and written to more intense deadlines than many of us writers face.
For two razor-sharp articles on free speech and the cartoon "debate," check out:
Stand Up For Denmark!
http://www.slate.com/id/2136714/?nav=navoa
And Cartoon Debate
http://www.slate.com/id/2135499/nav/tap2/
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Hitch too has always been one of my favorite writers, political and otherwise. Which makes much of his post-9/11 positions all the more frustrating. He never gave Clinton, Bush 41, or Reagan the kind of pass he appears to be giving the current administration, simply because Hussein is no longer in power. Is it a great thing for the Iraqi people? Of course. But Hitch has never been an "ends justifies the means" that I recall. Would that he maintained that standard now.
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