[OT] Death of an outstanding wordsmith

[Dori Green]

Mr. Buckley stayed at the home of my family's attorney and friend
whenever he came to Rochester.  When I was 14 or 15, I was failing
trigonometry and got caught writing short stories at my desk instead of
paying attention in class, so my father swooped me over for a scolding
from Mr. Buckley.

His advice after quickly scanning one of my stories and making a sour
face was to keep writing, I must learn trigonometry but it was
"intensely obvious where my best proclivities resided".

I had to go home and look up "proclivities" -- and think about it --
before I realized that I had been ebulliently complimented!  I did take
William F. Buckley's advice.  And I did repeat trig the next year, and
paid attention in class, and passed with a B.

I've been selecting books to stock for my upcoming two-week confinement
after some surgery.  I do believe I'll include some of William F.
Buckley's work, just to roll around in the richness of the language and
celebrate the life of an unabashed authentic character.

Dori Green