John Leonard

Critic John Leonard died this week, aged 69. His obituary in the Times concludes with a speech we heard him give a few years ago, when he won a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Critics Circle: " 'My whole life I have been waving the names of writers, as if we needed rescue,' Mr. Leonard said. 'From these writers, for almost 50 years, I have received narrative, witness, companionship, sanctuary, shock and steely strangeness; good advice, bad news, deep chords, hurtful discrepancy and amazing grace. At an average of five books a week, not counting all those sighed at and nibbled on before they go to the Strand, I will read 13,000. Then I’m dead. Thirteen thousand in a lifetime.' " He was a leftist, great reader, honest critic, and devoted New Yorker, and his columns made us look forward to Harper's each month. He'll be missed.