The Last Honest Liberal

For John, BLUF:  A great voice for civil liberties.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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That above description of Mr Nat Hentoff was written in 1999, by Clay Waters.

Nat Hentoff, Journalist and Social Commentator, Dies at 91

The obituary is from The New York Times and the reporter is Mr Robert D McFadden.

Nat Hentoff, an author, journalist, jazz critic and civil libertarian who called himself a troublemaker and proved it with a shelf of books and a mountain of essays on free speech, wayward politics, elegant riffs and the sweet harmonies of the Constitution, died on Saturday at his home in Manhattan. He was 91.

His son Nicholas said he was surrounded by family members and listening to Billie Holiday when he died.

Mr. Hentoff wrote for The Village Voice for 50 years and also contributed to The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Down Beat magazine and dozens of other publications.  He wrote more than 35 books — novels, volumes for young adults and nonfiction works on civil liberties, education and other subjects.

Here is the Obit from The Village Voice, a paper for which he wrote for many years, before they laid him off in 2009, under new management.  He would have been about 84.  The Voice promises a retrospective later in the week.

We have lost a great voice.

Hat tip to my Wife.

Regards  —  Cliff