Transcripts For CSPAN2 Summer Series With William F. Buckley Jr. 20240712

Mr. Buckley down to discuss a collection of his from the book, happy days are here again. Here he is on cspans Interview Program from 1993, footnotes. On the cover of your new book, it says the sections of the libertarian journalists. To call yourself a libertarian. Often on. As of course you know, the movement was encouraged by National Review. In the late 50s and the idea was to put a dot to the libertarians and the conservatives too much they had in common. And how effective it would be between them. And known that i am a libertarian. In the term, and most of whatever ideas and or intended to those or diminish the human liberty. Host remembering say you saying, made when you ran for the bear new york. They just seem people throw the garbage out the window. If the people would pick it up and deal with it rather than government deal with things. William no. Your memory is in which he was defending, lettering of the streets. On the grounds that is a form of something against the city. Nice look, its a very helpful to use them as a means of protesting. So that words what i work on because i dont think he would make a good mayor. It was really just talked about. Host somebody by cisco, went to the get. William they get the best that i can give them. But the past eight years, those were very eventually years. They covered the collapse of the soviet union, and some very important people. Plus a certain number of personal excerpts ratably do my sister serves as the editor was attempt to divide into the moons in which out right. Teddy kennedy and others. And they are analyzing specific problems that i hope assuredly. There is a section on commenting. In a section on reflecting and also the celebrating and appreciating those people. It is a wideranging collection. I hope people enjoy it. Host people by former columns when you put it like this. William and ordinarily, the answer is that ordinary people will buy anything. Unless, there are hard constituents. Counting the day after tomorrow rather than buying a new book. But if he published in the ninth collection, that usually means that the people bought for state. Host what is this the numbers and books that you have written. And which sold the best. William the book is all the best was the second of my books called atlantic. In the mystery books all came in somewhere between 75 and 100. Except the last one, was after the end of the cold war. And casualties cold war. And then, will every book i have written, most of been on the bestseller list. Host which ones did you enjoy the writing part of it the most. William i really dont like to write. Is terribly hard work. That may be one of the reasons why i have managed to develop to write quickly. If i have the same kind of profession writing that might younger brother as, who just thinks that this is the way that i write. Then i can answer your question in the greatest sense. Jordan watson to become a our about three times a week. Arson the morning. Is this the day in which i have try,. And awakened bright and happy. Thats exactly the reverse with me. Host didnt do you bright for an end instead of getting started. William also, a lot of it is to do things for the after pleasure of it. Even weeding or gardening, the after pleasure of seeing the rows in the grass, perhaps, skills the the having to develop your technique. Was but its me. I like to have something to have written. In part,. Host other than the big names, Richard Nixon in such. Dino credit, which person you talked about the most in your books. William no i dont. Host what a surprise you. William well, you obviously asked me. He was during that period which we were very Close Friends which was about seven years he wrote to me. In fact he wrote me some beautiful letters. And they were published as a book. But it kept saying things in it they were a very interesting. And in the way that he said it. Medevac of the novel coming up in this january, one of the high points in it, has to do with the discovery by young pete people of the afghan war and moscow, the description. And there is a group of young people who meant silence late and swore to give their lives to the assassination of a tyrant. So as it pointed out, with didnt discover there. Dangerous because people could get the same idea as being applicable to land and therefore they were removed. So it took james to find out about the normal things that were important in romantic development of russian history. Host when did you know him. Maybe tell those who may be not have heard of him. William so he was a Time Magazine Senior Editor who in sworn testimony, named people he had known by working as a secret intelligent agent for the soviet union. And the greatest ongoing division against an american cultural history and the question of who was lying. In the evidence, that the person who was lying is this still alive by the way. La became actually a family at a Senior Editor at National Review. And he died in a very young age is 61 of a heart attack. An enormous insight. When this book was written. There in the first chapter which was a letter to his children. He said, when i left the soviet union, it caused me to the cause of the west. I couldnt help but to figure that i was perhaps was living the winning side to join the losing side. So that great says of melancholy. I was about to point out that in the first chapter of his book, inside of the evening. So 500,000 more copies than normal. And from that moment on, he began something of an american legend. And he probably still is. So dont think any quotation of him is likely to been on key to the reader. Host i saw a reference of the couple months ago to the fact that in august of 1948, that was the first ever televised hearing. Sue and i know that. Steam i want to go back to that and ask you, what impact did that have. Was Richard Nixon on the committee. William yes. And us as a matter of fact that was the First Episode in nixons career. That gave him an enormous launch because the committee was a little bit bedazzled by the firepower of the forces and they were about to follow way and say chambers is a liar. When nixon moved in and mobilized the evidence. Persuaded the Congressional Committee that in fact, he was probably lying not chambers. So he became very conspicuous during that period and it was that gave him the reputation that awarded him a seat in the senate. In the senate two years later in tears after that, the Vice President of the United States. Host will you then. William that was a 1952 and i graduated from college in 1950. So about, the drama was very significant episode when i was in school. Liberals tended to assume that his was correct because of the pedigree was so form in the bowl. He had to go into Johns Hopkins and then to the harvard law school. Then he had clerked with who was it, is Supreme Court, the famous liberal. Yes frank. And then dean, had sort of testified to the availability of his character. All the secrets of the soviet union. So he was a tremendous or it was a tremendous blow to the liberal establishment. His shining legacy the new deal. I was in fact a traitor. Most people who identified with him, years ago can see that that is what he was. So some people may be tired of the subject. This postponed believe of the conspiracy belief. Host do you remember back in those years who was influencing you the most. William i had a few professors they probably wouldnt have heard of that were influential. It seems to me that in retrospect, it is a kind of collage of people. Very much sort of have what it was an influence you in respect to this particular thing. My colleague, 25 years was james who was probably the best american physical strategist by training his crews and so on. He influenced me enormously. But he didnt meet him until the magazine began. It began in 1955. In the back of your book, there are the section in which is called number of people that you write about are no longer alive. Let me ask you about them. Malcolm. Honey say he was the best known british journalist up until hundred years ago. Was married to the niece of Beatrice Webb and he went to the soviet union as a sort of committed young socialist procommunist. And he was there not a devastating critique did of li life. This was nearly 30 years ago. He was. Much a socialist side of the world. Other than several books then during the war he was very active and then after the war he was the editor of punch magazine. One had a sort of a a humorist. And meanwhile he was entertaining the esquire magazine. The editorial section. He began in march that would turn out to be intellect to blake, directional towards damascus. He became a christian. In his perspective changed. So that when he was talking about christ or about the commandments. Better duty to one another, he would manage to do so as a humorist. And other certain times, he gave a lift to his evangelism. It is quite distinctive. I saw him believe it or not, speak to from washington. And he was just after the speaker. Then he ended up with a paragraph that embellished the idea of the many of the story of bethlehem. And had these pagans, he became the most influential speaking intellectual. Quite a lot of times. He was set of program in the vatican on the 15th chapel. And he called and said you know, i hate famous people. Ive known them all. And so he abandoned that. And it is very amusing because the pope and his wife, had to meet them where they were. So when he came to malcolm, he looked at him with that sort of benign face. However long. So. [inaudible]. He said you are a great friend of my predecessor. Probably never even heard of pope paul the fourth. But it quickly became that that hope that we were losing basketball or something. He was vastly amused by that. Host do you know who you are. His two month he had access to the 16 chapel the first time in history. As a result who had gotten permission for us to use the 48 hours to make a documentary. So i thought of any map. And i thought he could get used to my private chapel after getting home after having access your sprint do you get it. And i said will you sort of wrong by that. So does not just that sort of picture. After that, i want to assure you called why am not a catholic. So we did. We talked about all of the reasons i was in a catholic. And he said but i am catholic. And it was a wonderful wonderful wonderful man. A great whisk and brilliant brilliant analyst. Host want ask you that you put in the column. By the way, often do you write. Im sorry rest in peace. You often do that. William i do affirmative yes. A national level. For years and years and years. Nearly 500. Hostwilliam i am not at an obiy writer. That is not my profession. Host is or someone to describe what it takes to get you to write about obituary. If you like them. William or dislike them. One or the other. Or have had some historical endorphins. But he was the internet editor and i would write when he asked me to do so. The reason the right for the regular column. And i dont know whether he is the only one worried. Host all just read this quote and ask you about it. As an old man, looking back on ones life, one of the things that struck you most forcibly that the only thing that is on anything that was suffering. Not happiness, not anything like it but the only thing that really keeps you going. But what life is about, the joining of understanding coming into contact with what life really signifies is suffering. William let me comment on that by saying two things. Number one, i am disciplined, the cause me to write this way. The lessons of job. Did not job taught us that suffering can be enabling. In the case of malcolms mother, he seemed to but even part of his heart there was a certain sense of he was sort of doomed about the materials of a man and mans failure to be inspired by, the particular part of her testimony. That would cause him to feel that sort of order. And he became a vegetarian. He didnt used to be that way. But when in the sense that he was taking some sort of a pleasure from the mortification of the flesh. But that never affected his mood. In john lennons introduction and thinking back on his days he said i had lunch which was like lunching with brothers. And it was the chambers and he that he was living in. It was there where you felt that path of his melancholy. And there was a consistent entertainer. Without in any way getting of the way of his own records. Host do you feel the people expect you to entertain them all of the time. William i think it is a terrible sin to bore people. And amazingly board myself. And im prepared to admit that i attended something with them, thats mine racing, not his. So under a certain path of which i write, do make an effort to please the reader. In the same way that the date want to use cords that please the listener. Musician. So if you sit down to play music and you limit yourself. Youre never going to use the kind of variety that makes it special. And if you deny yourself the hard work and at the time of pleasure, by using the language. Usually shouldnt be writing professionally. Host you have a bunch of letters that inhere also. Letters that were sent to you. To mr. Buckley, this is from hamilton. In new york. Regarding your firing out from hearing from a qualified question. Number one. The manner in which you sent his rude. Do remember this. William no. Host interested upright an adult fashion. In his single shot you appear, use it is if your guess and do. And two. Even in questioning appear rude. Dont ask questions of against even once his opinion jim favor. But it comes in the form of interrogation prudent for you always come up with the personal insecurity of a long preface attending to show what you know. You answer him. And for she said no i cant think straight. When you get a letter like this. Periods. William personal, was my comments. Host [laughter]. What is your comment. And of course i would want to share about the study. After all ive read three hours the night before. Have you ever jumped out of an airplane ignited with a parachute for the mission of eliminating the guard at the end of the bridge. It will have anything but if i did i would certainly want detail introductory instructions. On and on. William what taken more seriously than i remember having done so. Having brought the subject of which you did. I usually dont up to your on television restlessly. But i just finished a 2000mile hike. So ask your permission not to have to do that. The answer is, we all have our ideas read but is actually wrong and. 5 and six. Because and my program has been going on for 29 years. I have one complaint in this 29 years my guests. They didnt give them all the time they wanted to say it in the way they wanted. Number two, the matter of introducing the guests. Because i often have people, as a last proposal or whatever. I feel an obligation to acquaint them. And if you take a couple of minutes to do that. I dont think thats inordinate. Especially when the program is one hour. Host we get when you get a letter like this, what is your first reaction. You smile. William will the first thing is, is this alliteration publish. And a column of letters directed to me. Or other instructors or interesting or whatever way. But the one that you just read me, obviously my reaction was, a couple of things. Shield for might lead readers and the fact that some of my people are my readers react this way with this form of hostility. If from everything from my behavior to other things. Host wrote this letter. On these letters, did your sister pick all of these herself. Sue and she dominated them. And i was okay with that. Host you say, in your commenting on what innocence and sinema you. And then you right, you talking to the baltimore sun. William f. Buckley jr. Includes elegant arrogance. That is from them. An aspect with a british accent has left him fame and fortune. William this kind of dumb because the people or people with the accent, dont necessarily have a fortune. Host you want to say than arrogance and expectations is being suffered modified, they require the use of plural verbs. See were shooting back and the editor. Sue and oh yes. Host you did list things earlier than that. But when people write and they talk about your presence on the set, your socalled expectations and your accent. Do you know that is the way you look. William open till age six i spoke spanish that was only language i spoke. Then we went to parasite only spoke french. And suddenly i went to london and a scrape learn english for the first time. So you tell me what i sound like. Nobody is british has a british accent. So people will ask me where im from and i will say connecticut. And they say people that somehow they speak in connecticut. So my family and friends with tell me that. Host what were you doing in all of this places. William my father was in the oil business. In a very large family. He is bilingual himself. He had family who spoke spanish. Host how many brothers and sisters do you have. William i have ten and i was the six. Host he ran for mayor once and you lost. Do you wish that you and one. William no, i didnt run. Thinking that they would win under the label. Which i run the most was one and a half percent. In my joke made the benefit of people tease me about having, that i think if youre running for the mayor of new york, is dangerously close to winning. So i would run again, my Campaign Slogan would be by invitation only. Host so will your life like today. William i am the president of the board and the owner of the National Review and i rejoice every day that i have such a brilliant editor. I have a book about which are discussing. And im writing another one in switzerland. And then 16th anniversary of esquire. In reviewing a 1600 page travel book by henry james from the New York Times. I lecture a lot. Host what you live. William in connecticut. Cletter hi 40s and most of her time. William on both and traveling around. And most of my book writing is done in february and march. I dont plan not to do it. So continued to go on as long as it serves the purpose. Host as the fact that the light is on a Public Television network, techsupport ever bothered you in relationship to politics. William no because i hear the terms very early with the proposition that a minority in the democracy lives by the rules of the majority read and even if i wanted to see the post office privatize, not going to protest if im not using the facilities of a post office. I give 100 percent agreement with him. And recently, the fear years ago or a few months ago, he wrote a letter to National Review. And i quote. Over a former editor who hadnt wanted to take Social Security because he was opposed to the Social Security law. In the Social Security was voted in, continued to criticize that that you think is wrong or how its run. But to participate in it, is a failure to live by the verdict of a majority which dominates the republican which you are a participant. And you agreed to abide by these rules unless you become radical. Host have you made any money. William now, i dont know any journalist who makes money. With the exception, the household of the progressive to zooms in america. And it was designed to make Henry Wallace the president of the United States. Host how do you keep going. William part of my own income in this direction see my back the back of the book again. William shawn, this is a column of january the 18th of 1993. William published in the National Review. Host who was he. William William Shawn became the editor of the new yorker in 1953. After ms. Ross died. It was the editor for about 35 years up until three or four years ago. The man was spectacular columnist. He was terrifyingly shy. Very elusive. He was well organized and when i sent him a manuscript of a book in which mike had recounted during the week of that year and he accepted it. The publication. I cannot believe it. Because im a conservative. This was in 1970. So that i had to send them a second book and he accepted it. And then the third book, and he accepted it. By the physical, i had this extraordinarily hospitality by this man. And about once a year, he would find himself the job of editing line by line to book that had been accepted by the new yorker. This helped me that it would fall under his personal direction. So i would have lunch with him. And having lunch with William Shawn was the next thing to a declaration. Because you are getting to get into his privacy. You would think about calling me by my first name. But it was an enormous experience because he devoted every single second. He was said to me, i really dont think that you have the proper use of a, and the to the effect, he would never publish any except a year to. So my situation with him was wonderful. And then when he retired as a recount in his obituary. He was no longer a man who was sort of in charge of fortune. I would never ask an editor to lunch. But i did. I thought, should i ask in front again. The odds were against doing it. And the odds are that i might have run into him this one time. Had given him, now it was a obligation. I could go ahead and ask him. So i did and he accepted the did not make a date. And then i received a letter that he had written the day before. Making references to books that i had written. They were unusual, had in normas influence on american letters. Host did you also said that he was up months in advance with your secretary and check to make sure that when you are trying to get a date set, we better do that from a couple of months from now. William yes. He loved to talk to your secretary. As though he were speaking with you. And almost, informal with the secretary. But he would say, i would like very much to have lunch with mr. And i will come back and suggest a date. Think of stuff. It wasnt at all sure i was talking with the secretary. But he was with you. Host can you have attribute in the back here under the appreciating section. To ronald reagan. At some point i think you wrote about their dancing together. Do you remember that. William that was at valley fair. The rent on the cover. They got an interview with reagans. And in the interview, this was of course at the white house and only been there for a couple of years. And he said would you consent to dance for us. Meaning in front of a photographer. Instantly he said of course. And the music went on. He had 15 seconds to do it. And in situations like that, and his wife, they dance over such extremes of commitment to marriage to each other. That is where they are. And nobody ever seen it close up. That they do think it is funny and is not funny. Its perpetual emotions. Host im just looking at, i mentioned earlier, the name of chambers. That piece were you say, the last time i heard the legend of seriously, this book chambers was given but those tune knew him and his wife had ever doubted what was so between them. William that is a beautiful story. A great god, dress like vader appears in his humble little shed. So this old couple are there looking with some longing and little porridge that they had safe to eat that night. And he asked if he could have something to eat. And without hesitation, they take half of it and give it to him did and on having tested there, he transfigured himself. And sees that he is a god. In his faith, he would greet the imperial staff and tell me what one would wish you would desire. And they said they wished to die. At the same time. They didnt want to outlive the other. So he touches them on the head and suddenly the transformed into true trees. Which vessel together and leave the impression of a continuance of perpetual symbolism. Of a tender and beautiful love it is a beautiful story. Host teddy white. William teddy white, one said to me, you know im tom probably the most expensive journalist in america. Nice and will teddy, it is terrific. They said dont like to boast but it is probably true. I think it is probably correct. He was the most soughtafter journalist for several reasons. When he was a terrific terrific writer. And second he was a terribly industrious reporter. He knew everybody. But he also had a capacity to make you talk to him and say things that probably you were truly predisposed to tell him. He certainly, has a gift. John lindsay when he ran for mayor, he did a piece on him. And at the same time we did a piece on me. And so he came to see me and i said something pleasant to him. And i said First Business and then we will become friends later. And then we did friends. And we both sparred nixon to china. We are to the journalist who went to china 1972. We spent a lot of time together. And he and i therefore other friends met always six or seven times your for lunch. Hosthe was a wonderful human be. He came from a very poor jewish ghetto. And boston which he like to write about. He worked his way through harvard and became a psychologist. He became a traveler in the chinese question. He saw the light of day a few years ago. He was very high up. They had an ideological parting of the ways. So i had a very wonderful productive life. Host leaving by fellow traveler. William he came first tended to think that everything that we came up with was probably correct. Im talking about the late 30s in the early 40s during when we were sort of weathering on the vine, and china. And there was a lot of corruption. His hospitality to the movement, he caused that resignation. Host were used to seeing you with the symphony and would write about walk. But in this appreciating section, you have a column with beethoven and monomer monument. What is that all about. William well thats an interesting point. And adam smith said that the state and the german leaders certain things in those are a very short list. And i couldnt look at the common defense. And it can be a cut stone in of monuments. So i also asked the question, does the authority of adam smith attach to state enterprise that takes lessons and makes their music available. It was like a buck a month or whatever it is. You can plug a telephone line into six channels. In one of those channels if you push number three has nothing but Classical Music every night. It was a marvelous entity. And i was trying to manipulate this. In such a way to suggest that a monument not only be something chiseled in marble sitting in the middle of a park but also might be keeping alive a musician and providing the really wonderful admitted t. Host all the things you do in public speak. An interview a television and being interviewed, writing books and writing columns. What brings the most fun and joy to you what is the most difficult. William the easiest pleasure in the most, ive done it since i was 13 years old. Timmy is a marvelous form of recreation. Isa write a lot as a boy. But in terms of what is most difficult. There is nothing for me but its difficult as trying to have a piece of music. In fact i have very bad fingers. They do not behave well. Reporter what about in public policy. Things like would you rather be interviewed or would you rather do the interviewing. William i think it depends on person. Sometimes one has a gift home one feels that to know more about. Because he finds something important and we want to talk about it. But he would have to be awfully boring human being and after, you suddenly would rather be happy its over by contrast. In some people might find that. And after two minutes, he might say, i say talk me through this. [laughter]. So that he is seven more minutes to go. [inaudible]. So think depends on the person. An interview of somebody who really doesnt follow what you are saying is pack. Because then you feel like you have to Say Something and then the next question reveals that absolutely need to understand. And that hurts. In some sometimes people would have the suffrage so you asked the question number one. And you give this reply that either takes you through act two or act three. But then you ask the next question. And that sort of is a discontinuity there. That makes it terribly abrupt and sit unsatisfying. Host did you ever get up and walk off of the set. C1 nowilliam no. Maybe there was profanity or high as a novelist, i can write in which my guy would walk of of the set. But ive never been in that situation. Host what about you and john slugged it out on what was it the today show. William we did that in 1972 and a 1976. Host as i remember, a few years and pass but you would a after each other. Sue and that was interesting. We were in miami. We were at a Book Convention and we had 25 minutes. And you can get a certain amount done and by 1976, all the format in the morning shows unchanged. And they had more than seven minutes, then they had a meeting of the board of directors. And then seven minutes, neither of us can unwind. In our specialty is not the Johnny Carson jab. But something to the extent that you would have a point. If i require a minute of analytical over a chair. In both of us agreed that it simply didnt work. Attempting to exchange years and seven minutes. We elects to do it again. Host was never personal level. Remember youre saying some. Strong things. William oh yeah. And i almost arrived in a mutual covenant because we were close personal friends. Under no circumstances to allow that friendship to eliminate the harshness of the position. By now we had been a soviet republic if we had because it was absolutely correct. And he says complementary things about me. Host some conservatives have criticized you for letting in two different worlds. And at various times, i sing this in interviews. And he talks about in his book, in which they criticize, a powerful. William what. Host we had lunch with him and then friends at the New York Times things like that. Did you deserve these criticisms. What he said somebody who does this. William i find it very odd. Because you can disagree. But it is pointless with somebody, to give an enormous amount of attention, with absolute might be the godfather of the child of the editor of the tabl. Theres nothing sort of unusual about a member of the labour party or soviet party. So i dont think that is unusual. Unusual to have somebody with whom you disagree. Specifically, i dont spend my time talking politics. I do have to talk politics three days from now because its a political seminar. The between now and then, i dont talk to politics with anybody not to my wife or anybody. Im not interested that much. Other than to talk about and i could spend time if i have time just to ponder but these things just never came up. We just do former calisthenics rea. Like skiing or like what hed when he left and came over here as a scholar. But its never really been talked about. And at first as a republican, muscle he talks. [laughter]. But he is so entertaining. But one doesnt mind. Host on the cover of your book and inside of the five it says, an introduction by john, the same john leonard that we seem to be sunday morning. William yes rated. Host byzantine and liberal. William much so. When i started the National Review, i had an essay in 1955. And it was edited by him. So i called them up. And i said to him, would you like to take a summer job with National Tribune and he said i would take their job with anybody anytime. Because i just got kicked out of harvard. So he went to berkeley to be radicalized. Which was very completely done but hes a brilliant brilliant writer. Host in the acknowledgments the beginning, you say that i am indebted primarily to the Senior Editor. Hostwilliam shes my sister. E is a fulltime editor. She help me with my first book. Host just as a friend or because your her brother. I would not give out the data of the declaration of independence without first checking with her. William shes a chief researcher in the National Reviews. Shes bold. Host other than the novel. That is coming up in january, what is next in nonfiction. William im about one third of the way through a books on the tactic of religion which i suspended because he didnt have enough time to do the reading that i had to do. But i will crank that up or not, i dont know. A couple of ideas about which i havent yet decided. But i will write a book though. Host happy days are here again is the name of the book. Its a section of the libertarian generalists. Our guest is william f. Buckley jr. And thank you very much. William thank you. Its. Every saturday evening the summer we are taking opportunity to open our archives and focus on the wellknown author. Tonight, it is a look at the late author columnist intellectual and television host, william f. Buckley jr. The founder of the National Review and the author of a longrunning newspaper column. And a great affinity for forms and language. According to his obituary in the New York Times, when he donated his materials to the yale university, they weighed 7 tons. Up next, from 1996, buckley offers of his thoughts on proper and improper uses of the english language. [inaudible]. [applause]. Good evening everyone and welcome. We are delighted to have william f. Buckley jr. With us tonight to share his thoughts on english language. The right word is his new book and i will be the subject of that conversation today between mr. Buckley and his longtime manager prevented the program, mr. Buckley will be happy to take a few of the questions and sign copies of your books. An edited 22 of mr. Buckleys books. He worked for many years, editor in chief. And is currently editor as large at random house and he would now introduce mr. Buckley. Thank you. [inaudible]. The book is called buckley, the right word. It should have been edited. [laughter] any lengthy introduction of buckley would be superfluous, unnecessary, and also dumb. A perfectly good biographical sketch of him in the buck come and if you dont know who he is, i dont know why you are here. [laughter] violating the iron rule of those who introduce speakers by saying they need no introduction, i will go right to the interview. What in the world after possessed you to do this book . What possessed me to do this is committed to consummating it. For ten years saying things like we ought to do a book focused on language. I was finding it to be so bored by his explanations on the subject so i said okay go ahead and do it. After heated, certainly im happy with the result, but it took an awful lot of time. What he came up with is a book that sings the praise of language. I think in one of the autobiographies, churchill said i dont believe in Corporal Punishment but any child who doesnt appreciate the language i have a son about whom this isnt a problem, but i do think that the beauty of the language is something about which should be universal enthusiasm. So im thankful for bringing the buck off. You say in the book you write a lot but you hate to write. I dont think people did ditches dont enjoy digging ditches. If they are being paid, then thats good, isnt it. The writing is for some people, including me, excruciatingly painful because you are using your entire nervous apparatus so if you have a call on the horror book review, you are burning up a lot of stuff that would be sitting around or essays by other people. Now i know that this isnt always the case my good friend george will said when i wake up in the morning before i am completely awake i ask myself is this the day in which i have to write a column and if the answer is yes i wake up happy, mine is exactly the opposite reaction. I dont understand how people should be surprised that if you face something that is painful to do if you acquire the skills that are doing it quickly, you dont have to change diapers [inaudible] what would you be doing, sleeping or reading. Writing is simply what some people do, and that is what i do. I remember a chamber saying to me one time i wouldve liked to have written. He means he likes to sit down at supper and say i work hard all afternoon and that gives you retrospectively satisfaction, so i think do you suppose all painters like to paint . I didnt think to ask that question or do they feel i feel good for having what do you think of that . Not all like to paint all the time. Hispanic or maybe what appeals to them but not the portrait of princess. I painted a little bit. Actually, i am terrible at it and it never occurred to me they have some of the same defense of labor your use of arcane difficult words is put in the position of having to defend your self. Explain yourself in less than 20 words. I cant do that. The kind issue has a review of my book by James Jackson kilpatrick. I think of him as a marvelous credit and marvelous columnist. He has written a trip to fix the consult on which i wrote the foreword that he had a hundred year war and i thought i would fly from him on this by singling out unusual words he used in the course of the year. Its a terrific demonstration. I thought that he would crawl up on his knees and surrender, but he forgot, so he says the purpose of journalism is communication and to the extent that one risks a lack of communication, one isnt discharged off ones responsibilities, to which when he first raised this point i said if you balance writing a recipe for what to take when a rattlesnake bit you, i would be certain there was no ambiguity in the instructions. Eight pills from bottles, chew, swallow, nothing unusual, but, said i come if you got a newspaper 20 or 25 pages, there ought to be little corners of the, in which people can intend not only to communicate but to entertain. Sometimes that means using a slightly unusual word. The notion that the center of what they were trying to communicate is lost by that is hard to establish. I cant believe anything written here but because that word exists, i didnt understand what you are saying. When one runs into a slightly unusual word, another gets it from the context where one had learned it. Or one says look it up. I made the point in one of my x. Ex changes, and this was in the New York Times, if the word exists exists because of economists would call the felt need for it, or they didnt serve another purpose, so therefore, this word found its way ultimately into the dictionary. If it found its way there, it must have been in satisfaction of a curiosity for a word to serve for that purpose. I thought by saying what [inaudible] play on the piano and play an unusual chord you dont say it defeat could dont use unusual chords in my presence. He would say that is kind of nice. I tried very hard not to use words for this purpose but i do not use a word if i think that word is just right for the situation. So does it matter that rhythm or i think there is that, too. Heres a useful trivial piece of information. Shakespeare used 28,000 word. 40 of the words he used he used only once. That is quite extraordinary. If he found it was just right then, and that is the only time that was absolutely just right. In that same, i think that a devotion to the music of the language satisfies our appetite where its important to be discouraged. If the New York Times or the New York Post said okay, you may not use any word outside of the 11,000 birds that we authorized, i think that there would be resentment by readers who felt they were not allowed in on the music of the language. Is it pronounced theoretic . Guest tv could kilpatrick says it is okay to select a word for word from him and he quotes me in some situations in which i use the word ironic, but were peaceful. Somebody said why did you use the word instead of the were peaceful to which i replied because it has that extra syllable. He thought that was okay. He understands the rhythmic requirement for language and doesnt deny you the records to synonyms for purposes. But the reason i found it odd that he said that is that it is an unusual word, so why he should waive his antagonism given that circumstance. Id surprises some people when they learn english wasnt your first language, or even your second. Why is that, i mean what was it . I was brought up in all its circumstances. Of the circumstances. There were ten children come into the oldest five had spoken french and the youngest five, spanish. My father lived in mexico and by the time i was born, we lived in paris and switzerland. He was bilingual and we spoke to each other in spanish and then when i went to school at age six in france, i used with Little French i remembered but it wasnt until i was seven in london but i was exposed to english. But its not that unusual. Tons of people arrive here at the age of six or seven never having spoken a word of english and had no problem with it. I sat yesterday at lunch with my students and gail. Im teaching a course in composition. On my right ear is a lovely girl about whom i told her about an incident involving sam and when we did the trans siberian trip from moscow a couple of months ago and i told her about being lost in this market and to try to remembetry toremember the won given to me that morning so i used the word e. Kress debate could ecra. The plaintiff that particular story is she arrived at age six not speaking a word of english. He said he hasnt decided whether to continue to write in french or english and i guess what i am saying is in america, the assumption is that the native language is the only language at which one is at home and i do not think that is true. Especially when one is very young it is easy to learn and become fluent in another language. [inaudible] [laughter] when i think it may be an advantage having english as a second language. You have written enough in novels and about a cia man named oaks. Did you grow up wanting to be a novelist or a cia agent . [laughter] its not easy the last couple of days to defend the cia. I remember about 30 years ago and national news, it was buchanan publishing, we were defending the mission of the cia but not defending the cia. We ran a paragraph that read the attempted assassination yesterday had all of the cia operations, everybody in the room was filled the cia has screwed up terribly. I wrote a piece for playboy two or three years ago called twice by the league could y. Spy and the importance of intelligence. If somebody decided to blow up the next twa flight to rome it made sense to know who they are and who else they are threatening. Certainly in terms of the cold war, it was extremely important and true that they had demoralized and scandalized as the result of richard ames. I was in mexico and i was an agent so i wasnt and still am not free to say what i did. I didnt kill anybody if that makes you feel better. But that became sort of tedious. Its somebody whose cover is so perfect that its reasonable to suspect he is a cia if you are a cultural attache. But you may very well be doing it normally and youve just called in for the ad hoc assignment then you can effectively serve as an agent, which is what i was. Youve written many books and youve been reviewed many times, once or twice even yearly. This book contains examples of your own reviewing. Isnt it dangerous for a novelist to review novels by john updike or somebody else . Spinet im not sure what your point is. My rule, i hope it is a rule about which i have been correct i always appraised of the on the basis of whether i think it is good or bad. It makes no difference at all who wrote it, with his political opinions are. It is an obligation. What he is referring to is some people who reviewed my books begin by saying he is a rightwing son of a bitch, lets get down to finish boring us. When joe klein wrote his book, i thought what a wonderful terrific idea. It wouldnt easy to do in this and if they have certain takes. Somebody comes into the room im told that it would be difficult to describe. My officer wrote in particular it is a barrier to be known for espousing particular views that are hated and asking that reviewer to redo a book. Do you want to weep this moment. [laughter] what is the most potent review that you have ever written . [inaudible] i think thats easy. About a year ago, lets see, the chapel hill press they sent me a book about a sailing adventure. You get one of those about every three weeks. I will read a couple pages of it. I was absolutely overwhelmed. I couldnt believe how terrific it was. It was a father and son who took a 25foot sailboat around tape horn and alternated the chronicles. It was exquisitely written, so marvelously, i could i sent in email to a lady in the New York Times with whom i dealt with in the 40 years that i have been associated, i only twice asked to review a book. I would like to review this book. She came back a day or two later and is it okay. We had planned to review it. I sent 2700 words. Three weeks later i was informed they were going to run all 2700 on the cover. It was the last cover review the New York Times after ran and did it propel the puck into the bestseller. Its a book about a father and a son who travel and so on. I came to the last sentence in that paragraph and a book that will be read in daylight 100 years from now. When the New York Times came back with their version with a couple of changes, but hundred years from now was reduced to a year or two. [laughter] we thought that was kind of exaggerated a little bit. Thats my responsibility. Well, okay. Another, there was a little kitten on the buck into picking the kids primary companion especially when his father was not sailing with him so tiger was the name of the kitten. Came up to me when i was writing the journal and said what are you doing. I said im writing in my journal. Am i in it . You were but you wont be again if you do this [inaudible] [laughter] you cant do that. You take the ginger out of the symptoms. But we dont own the New York Times i was told. [laughter] you are fine. I think that it would be better if we got the audience in at this point. [inaudible] i had a problem with is that the book because it struck me they were attending sort of customized positions. He ended up with his own. The average person reading that book wa wasnt in the position n that end of the political synthesis. Therefore, however persuasive he was, inside those paragraphs, he heated in my judgment, put a communicable cosmos and it would be very hard after the book was published to find three people in this room beside his position favorably. There is a lady that. One of the things ive grown to admire over the years is your ability to carry a thought to its logical conclusion whereas when it starts to get scary or bigger than i can handle we will pull back. How do you break through that barrier . I try not to she admires his ability to carry through to the conclusion that sometimes things go beyond that to the poinnot to the poins almost scary how does he manage this. It tells you about the consequence of a certain behavior [inaudible] in the book that im just finishing its about the catholic faith and in it i recall my oldest sister. She had ten children. She was entirely prepared for polemical combat. It was a sort of afternoon tea situation. They passed around hors doeuvres and debates over messing around they said why would you eat meat on a friday and she said because i will go to hell. He was amused about it. I suppose you believe the assumption about the virgin mary. Not only do i believe that but in the moment it happened the earth was this way on its axis. That was wonderful with them. [laughter] the consequences of that is disciplines and dont i find [inaudible] yes, absolutely. No scarier than the fact if you become an alcoholic you run certain risks. If you cross the road with a lot of traffic you run certain risks and if you believe in gods word you run certain risks. Remember i didnt make it up. If you have consequences, it may not remain spoken or if it is, it shouldnt surprise you when it is spoken. What do you think of the level of discourse like the recent campaign with both parties that didnt say anything as far as they could help . Everybody you ever run into this how awful they are. I would like to run into somebody that says i thought it was terrific. Who are they talking to come off my neighbor or your neighbor. Obviously some machine is churning out the type of listener they want to hear in just this way so you tune in and when you find that it becomes typically disappointing. Adams wrote the average american is a little bit above average. I like that. If what you are saying is that you regret a level of discourse. What do you think of Graham Greene as a novelist . The question is what do you think of Graham Greene as a novelist. Like his personality. Do you like Graham Greene and his personality . I havent met Graham Greene and im certainly glad i didnt because i dont think that he was an easy man to like. I almost went out of my way not to meet for the same reasons. He was a tangle of passion, energy, polemical, aroused on a number of points. Someone said what is the single root of the english language which you most dislike in which he replied america. He sort of celebrated castro. He had the interesting coalition and his commitment. On the one hand there is the devotion to the Catholic Church and the kind of need for the iconoclasm and okay if i understand the need for gods commandments and then suppose however irregularly to abide by them, i will make up for it by sending every other. I knew somebody very well that knew him very well and he was a hard man to live with. One of the books from the New York Times which he discovered ten or 15 years later it wasnt a significant book of his that he wrote some great books. If you mention god and the gathering of new york, it is meant by songs and then you never get invited back. [laughter] [inaudible] of the rightward happen to be [inaudible] mostly i think you are guided by idiomatic presumptions. He said i have a wonderful time in paris yesterday. Cut it out. [laughter] or i got my mercedes yesterday directly from the factory. [laughter] on the other hand, to disdain the pronunciation of a word which belongs primarily to the word rather than its Counterpart Organization is itself an act of innocence or in deference. A girl i fell in love with, she was eight and i was seven. [laughter] she told me shed just come back and visited london and had loved [inaudible] what was . She was only eight. People that would mangle the pronunciation and not in that sense are in different to a better way to handle it. [inaudible] shakespeare . Know, churchill. Churchill was such a theatrical person. When i was at a prep school, i heard that speech that he gave to darfur africans to to announce the americans and they would repeat that it is a minutes long [inaudible] some surrendered rather than to continue to listen but i learned later that he was invited to make it sound a little bit more friend chuck. No comes he wanted it that way. You can hear the sort of comprehensive understanding of the challenge one has to assume this was intentional. To say we are very much english and we understand it is to be a globalist enterprise and we try to come in and help you. Its more effective than the speech that came right after. Commander mandarin is an orange. [laughter] by drinking french wine [inaudible] so destroying the culture. Yes maam. In a book that you are just dying to review. There isnt any book that im dying to reveal that the women writers are sort of triumphantly successful i cant think of any woman writer whose book i wouldnt want to review because it was written by a woman. Sam was talking to me earlier today about a woman writer he is currently editing. And in the market is quite wonderful but i wont take your time to sell it here. I will be back in the morning. [laughter] the gentle man in the back. Speak to [laughter] [applause] p. Was very popular with republicans and he was a very eloquent member of the republican left in fact four or five years later he led the Republican Party and became a democrat which i urged him to do for years earlier. The conservative alternative view of the Municipal Party ought to be spoken about by somebody, so i did. It was inconceivable that i would win and sometimes having gotten a new 13 of the votes. 13 of the vote in new york city is the interest that close to being successful. If i ran again it would be voting by invitation only. [laughter] he became totallyou became tl when somebody said what would you do if you win and you said demand a recount. [laughter] my Campaign Manager didnt like that. [laughter] questions. [inaudible] what i defined the word genius i wouldnt attempt at anything novel. I use the word of loosely as somebody with extraordinary gifts. I know that there are is to say you mustnt use the word except maybe three times per century. Shakespeare, bach, that doesnt make norman a genius. But if you are generous in your taxonomy, you can say you are not shakespeare, but i will call you a genius because of the singularity of your talent. In a way he is a genius. [inaudible] shes asked to comment on the series. I have a sense of bill moyer that hes so ecumenical in the last analysis to all the differences into the judeo christianity. I understand the ecumenical impulse but if you applied to music or cover and also all poetry, the reason some people are ardent baptists is because they find the singularity that they think makes it super coordinated over others. Im that way. Im a catholic. Thats the way i feel about it. That doesnt mean you want to makthey want tomake other peopl, but it is too resist such efforts bill moyer and others make to insist that there really are no differences. Admirable [inaudible] and acknowledge the differences, which is what i try to do and i desire zero curiosity until it is sold out. Right . Right. Are we dismissed . I think so. Thank you all for coming. [applause] he will be happy to sign copies. Thank you very much. You are watching the tv on bookn cspan2, television for serious readers. Tonight we are spending the evening with the late author and columnist william f. Buckley junior, founder of the National Review magazine, host of the firing Line Television program, and he also had a longrunning newspaper column. Up next, from 1997, mr. Buckley reflected on his face in his autobiography, nearer, my god. [inaudible conversations] could you please be seated. [inaudible conversations] good evening. Welcome to our civic affair speaker series. I am president of the Womens National Republican Club. Our organization was founded by the suffragettes in 1921 to teach women the value of the ballot. And our founders built this historic townhouse in 1934. Today, the Womens National Republican Club continues its goal of furthering political education and promoting good governance. Gerrgary mittelstaedt, chairmanf Pacific Affairs series will introduce our renowned author this evening. [applause] good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am the chair of Pacific Affairs speakers committee. Tonight i have the great privilege and honor to present our speaker, mr. William f. Buckley, junior, the renowned social and political commentat commentator, journalist and author of 37 books, which range from sailing adventures to political commentary and awardwinning fiction. Mr. Buckley needs no introduction. Everyone in the room is familiar with this mega achiever. Weve read his syndicated articles such as this column on the right of the National Review, which he founded, and until recently edited, and of course watched him on firing line on saturday mornings. Tonight, mr. Buckley will speak to us about his latest and most personal book, nearer, my god and autobiography of faith. Here is what one critic has to say about his latest work. Nearer my god is a splendid story about modern progress. Bill buckley has written a book that is witty, poignant and inspiring which is exactly what weve come to expect from him. It is an added blessing, however, that he engages us with his rare and illuminating intelligence which has now graced this country for several generations. Please welcome our speaker for tonight, mr. William f. Buckley, junior. [applause] thank you so much, madam chairman. Ladies and gentlemen, i hate to start my few minutes here with a personal remark, but i have to do so. Im recovering from a dreadful cold in the throat so please be patient with me. Speaking of disabilities and the theme of tonights exchange, i remember hearing when i was running for mayor, the story of a man poised at the corner of park avenue and a huge limousine goes by and just touches his trousers. He looks inside and sees in the backseat as nelson rockefeller. So immediately, [inaudible] [laughter] one year later hes in a suite at the Alder Fostoria and they give him a check for a Million Dollars and he says i just want to tell you something if i see you move one arm or one leg anytime in your lifetime, you will spend the rest of the time in jail. So he says while, i will tell you how to make it easier for you. In a few minutes im good to be met by a cadillac limousine and its going to take me to the United States line. Im going to get off and be met by a mercedes limousine which will take me to see [inaudible] you ever saw. [laughter] [applause] i am here by invitation of your hostess to speak on religion, not on the Republican Party. We must struggle to make the distinction. [laughter] [applause] my book, nearer my god covers the idea of a Publishing Company here in new york. I was asked almost ten years ago to undertake it. I took off a couple of season i was heavily mortgaged on other books, but i undertook it in 1992. I write my books in switzerland. When i write i go for six or seven weeks during the winter. At the end of my writing season, i was pretty dismayed because i found that the subject was so vast and intimidating that i was afraid i couldnt do it justice. So when i came back from new york, i returned they advance and said sorry, im begging out. But then that little began. At some point in your life you know what im talking about, that little itch of something you should have undertaken and you think back on it and it doesnt quite believe the memory. When i sat down to attempt to define that particular little aggravation of conscience, i wrote an introduction to which i quote i recalled the story of the juggler in the familiar tale of the month that saw to express his devotion having witnessed the among whom there were those who sing like nightingales and play their instrument with the tongues of poet. They have learned to do this to entertain in the streets as a juggler. So on a frozen day in the dead of night, he makes his way through the laboratory across the place into the chapel with his sack full of wooden mallets and balls. He then puts on an act. I brought this act and designed to beautiful in the minds eye. Therefore thinking in this particular enterprise has undertaken some of the questions that arrest active christians in for christians. I undertook a special lock at a marvelous book wildly forgot to include difficulties. What happened is 1933, famous at that time as a mountaineer and explorer come as a philosopher in the historic, found himself up against a kind of fellow traveling posture. He couldnt quite convince himself that he ought to go all the way to default and he spoke often activated the impulses of this kind is at the root that than most prominent young theologian in england. He had been in episcopal minister at oxford. He became a catholic somewhere along the line he invited father knocks to explore certain difficulties that he had with religion. How can human beings, for instance, how can they exercise free will while god is a messy g and he said what do you think happened when christ told peter that he would be betrayed to three times the next morning. Peter acknowledged we have free will and he proceeded. That was one of the separate difficulties in which the two exchanges in the magnificent essays, so i revisit those and dwell in them and ask if they are modern perspectives on the basis of which we have fresh views on these difficulties. And the sense of which the christian and imagination is sometimes caught as it was in my case not unusual since im one of ten children with a devout mother and father. And christianity on christianity specifically and the way of life as we understood it. So that in my book i write autobiographical he to go through my experiences in the army, and my experiences at yale where i detected a hypocrisy namely the affirmation of the christian position combined with the neglect of it and the disparagement of that i have a chapter on the examination of doctrine how does Christian Doctrine become christian since we dont have a Supreme Court . The answer is in my church it is as a result van evolution wonderfully described by Cardinal Newman who my quote extensively and that chapter on the ordination of my nephew from 45 years ago he was there is a monk for a ten or 15 years and one doesnt know what it is when is backend to become a priest but he was tapped. One hundred of his friends and nephews and brothers and sisters uproariously were they are. The night he was admitted into the order i gave him a questionnaire which i put out on my traveling word processor and recorded his answers which i think are very eloquent. There is a chapter on a visit which i did a few years ago the story is so dramatic the implications are very often neglected. People dont understand what happens. That miracles are very few and highly numbered. No enterprise is bound to the lack of success as somebody who pretends to be because those who affect the cure are exposed to rubberized of medical examination which cant possibly be survived by anyone. But the visit has that effect and its difficult to describe under the first processor on professor said nothing is indescribable becomes the writer to describe it. I attempt to do so so there is material of various kinds in the book to substantial chapters devoted to exchanges of the forum consisting of seven or eight scholars who are converts to christianity questioning aspects in the hope that the illumination is more distinctive than my own and reaching some people not to my own explorations i devote a little time, not a lie, to the problem of religion in america and those conspicuously of inattention in the public schools. So ordained by a Supreme Court and in the judgment of others as they misread the First Amendment in order to transform and the anti religious instrument. The subject is always in the news you may have read about the judge in alabama. He was given a copy of the Ten Commandments hanging in his courtroom they have been there for quite a while but only now where they noticed. [laughter] the aclu had us spin on the separation of church and state and even now appealing to have a court order and then it seems complicated as governor james said somebody else will have to do it but on another front the very month the Ten Commandments were discovered in alabama. [laughter] a young lady 15 years old called heather probably was in milwaukee and what she had done was seek subscriptions to a pledge and said lets wait she had 50 girls committed to this covenant which was to postpone sexual experience until marriage and when it was detected that heather was also a member of the girls Christian League in mille lacs milwaukee under the circumstances the superintendent said its a clear violation of the constitution and you will have to cease. I remember reflecting on it at the time and it was too late to insert into my book, but my reflection was everyone is familiar with nancy reagan just say no. What would happen hypothetically if she were canonized. [laughter] would have been beyond the constitution to circulate the pledge from nancy reagan to say dont say no . [laughter] what if it were discovered by the incremental scroll that the last minute those Ten Commandments were a personal invention under the circumstances would it be all right to hang the Ten Commandments as long as it is established there is no religious auspice involved . [laughter] these are questions in which whatever form i do talk about in the book mostar noncontroversial to the extent that except religion is often controversial especially in a highly secularized world. There were a couple of concrete events recorded in the book and one of which and i will read now from the text february 1980 as a canadian approached me through the intermediary to ask if i would undertake an experimental documentary the size and shape and decided that would be left in my hands the singular asset seem to be a lot of money with exclusive access to the Sistine Chapel. This privilege has never before been extended i never learned how it came to be the canadian magnate had got it. But the invitation to me was to have our programs to be filmed in the Sistine Chapel. I accepted the commission. And i called on malcolm and asked he would serve as my cohost. He readily agreed obviously it was expected i would ask a star or two to participate in this extravaganza but only two weeks before i approached a neighbor in switzerland and princess grace from monaco who regularly vacation with her family nearby so by telephone i got Charlton Heston who paid michelangelo and then john the baptist in a movie the greatest story ever told and moses and the third with the Ten Commandments. So i was enticed by the prospect to do something michelangelos primary shrine with the painting of the creation. A few days before we convened in the course of my lifetime he said i have met mostly famous people and almost uniformly if i myself wishing in i hadnt. [laughter] but i think this is different. I wonder if you can arrange an audience with him and then he can use his resources and i use mine. So as malcolm and i were notified we had a private audience with the pope the following day at 1 00 oclock. We proceeded with the parables with the idea to have grace monaco read to parables. But then to ask of her and her husband if with their own experience it was something that could rival whether the point of the parable had a contemporary application and when it was over we prepared to the vatican for the scheduled appointment it was wonderful and some into his private quarters. For a 1 00 oclock appointment. Before anys audience he met with the programs to rome. And then still making half a dozen languages and then to stand the rest of each other and then was there although the fatigue he was hospitalized with influenza and he wore it on his head the needs were in attendance. And then to extend his hand the words and the ensuing exchanges are etched in my memory. And the highly accented english yes you are radio. What kind of answer can you give to that question . Document is to say yes he had done considerable work on radio the pope wished nothing further, smiled and offered his hands and said yes. You are close to my predecessor. And said i have great admiration so much for david niven as he extended his hand to me. I had to act quickly i thought there was any hope of rescuing the audience clearly the machinery at the vatican got tangled. [laughter] one had authorize the private interview to give the Sistine Chapel one of the visitors bureaucracy may have informed the most eloquent englishspeaking was a renowned and to leave on you present documentary and the second bureaucracy with the entirely set of people and one of them was a radio i thought i would give the pope a lifesaving read and i said it will be very hard to get used to my own private chapel back on after spending so many hours in yours. [laughter] and then to alert the holy father to what was going on my words startled him he stepped back in and he was escorted to the center of the room politely nudging my wife shot his picture and then he left the chamber. There was never such revelry in the vatican elevator malcolm practiced being radio and demanding that he could proceed and then today and i would always hear from him when i visited him at his country cottage in suffix and Pope John Paul the second. So my instructions were to invite the questions and to share whatever it is you wish to share of a secular concern. So i close by giving you two paragraphs to my mother to whom the book is dedicated. I wrote it a few years earlier she raised her glass to say darling here is 15 more years together and then we will both go. My father died three years later and her grief was profound and she emerged through prayer for relief in submission to a divine order and a few years later her daughter maureen died at age 31 and she struggled to fight her desolation and then her oldest daughter died three years after that. Three months before her own death then her brother then she was totally absentminded she knew us all that it was a debate where she has seen us are when and what make references to my father every now and then and the trip they plan next week to mexico and paris. She sensed what had happened and instructed her nurse she was under the impression she owned the establishment to drive to the cemetery and their unknown to us she witnessed from inside the car her older son lowered into the earth. He was visiting her every day taking her to a local restaurant for lunch and her grief was convulsive but she never broke the rule to never ever complain because she explained she could never re paid god the favors he had done her no matter what tribulation she was made to suffer. Ten years before she died my wife and i arrived from new york much later than expected and she had given up waiting for us so we went directly to the guest room a little slip of blue paper on the bed lamp they were love notes on her three by five notebook paper little valentines welcoming back there is no sensation to hearing from you when you called her on the telephone or the vibrations of her embrace when she laid eyes on you. Five days before she died one week had not gone by without her having saying anything. Although she clutched the hands of her children and grandchildren as they came to say goodbye she put on lipstick and pearls and then she reached out for her mirror and raised in front of her face and then said isnt it amazing everyone can be so old and so beautiful. [laughter] yes it was. Thank you. [applause] do not misbehave in front of cspan. [laughter] i have already read the book and is it ever worthy today to compromise ones religious beliefs in order to promote unity weather here in america or abroad . And for those that can be done and then a candidate you said im in favor of abortion but i insist the mother be notified but then the person is that the mother should never be notified is politically prudent and then to affect a mortal sin. For instance under the christian creed it would never be justified for a cia spy to seduce somebody or assassinate it would be a civil understanding of those that are theologically forbidden. Assembly wants to contradict me that doesnt hurt my feelings at all. Where orthodoxy seeks and reforms as it should have a say. Do you have any suggestions . The religious dissension within israel for many years was thought of as an entirely private matter and is no longer that because israel to be sure is discreet but also an International Shelter and under the circumstances be concerned people who dont live in israel and what we see now with the situation flawed and extremely militant and demanding demandeds and whether certain laws are enforced. That we all read about the extent. And where that is in order. Thank you for coming mr. Beckley. It would be of interest to the audience that 20 years ago at a charity ball i purchased one of your beautiful paintings i have always been a fan so im happy to have a fan by buckley so now i have two questions are you still painting . Is it more valuable . [laughter] when my brother was elected to the senate that the two events were scheduled to defray the deficit both for auctions one were here and in rochester the next night and i was the auctioneer. And that the crowd really wasnt watching the wallets fiercely because the german who bought it and said here you can have it. [laughter] so the competing night so in rochester they were much less exhibitionist than manhattan. So i can see the enthusiasm done in new york wouldnt go and he would bid at thousand dollars there he would bid 500. And then i recognized it was my dear wife. [laughter] so im glad you now have it i think i first saw you interviewed by mike wallace on a television. With mike wallace a helper a detriment to your political career . [laughter] i am pro irish. And was joined to have the order of Saint Patrick a few years ago through my credentials. And i remember the night with mike wallace and especially because he had a ferocious reputation i think his show is called, yes on npr he would reputation after reputation with his research. So the preceding guest and then had this butterfly trying to add any black american to expression of discontent and with the mobilization. Sweat the end of the evening just before i came on he said do you worry how much time we are wasting for how much risk we are taking on the military . Not a word at all i would just say my prayers every night for hoover and mccarthy. [laughter] also the founder of meet the press. I said larry have you ever been completely wasted. For most in the world. And save mine into the last 22 seconds. And the worst to ever be elected in the history of the United States. What is your comment on that . Dont you understand he is a communist. [laughter] im sorry. I am rambling. [laughter] my question to you i know you are a staunch Roman Catholic i havent read your book yet but the first chapter as described in the National Review and i will get the book tonight. Have you had any doubts or into the metaphysical religions which give and entirely different aspect to the creator for instance the only reality is through all and end all and as all . Have you had any problems about that . So how did you arrive at your solution . I acknowledge in the book although not profoundly, the enticements of this or that spin on religion. I remember when they were going to get their inspiration and it didnt last. But all i can say is that in the past he expressed his restlessness with christianity. And then orthodoxy written as a protestant the everlasting man in which he compares the credentials and i wish i could put the famous phrase all over the world anxiously seeking something and it was orthodoxy. So to answer your question at a personal level, i am aware although not profoundly not only metaphysical but if anything comes up that has not been plumbed of those who settle through christianity. I was debating last week on evolution creation with formidable people on both sides. And a brilliant professor, i made a point much evolutionary thought is dogmatic. They must be materialist Natural Selection not divine intervention in the following has to be deduced that was there dogmatic commitment. But then darwin did not rise on the third day. [laughter] and the basis of christianity can never be selfsatisfied. That would be wrong and proud. [applause] thank you mr. Beckley for being with us this evening also thank you to the committee and jane randall of the Calvin Coolidge Library Committee for having this event this evening. Thank you for coming in mr. Beckley has consented to sign your book so please come forward. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] my wifes name is mary. [inaudible conversations] my name is ellie. [inaudible conversations] yes i really enjoy that. How are you . Fine thanks. My name is virginia. Thank you very much. [inaudible conversations] i have admired you four year years. The tv on cspan2 binge washing on watching with the late author William F Buckley junior. April 2000 and mr. Beckley sat down for three hours to talk about his life and work this is from the indepth program. Here it is. Welcome to put tv indepth. These are the books of William F Buckley junior ranging from his first book in 19511985 right reason and through his entire oaks mystery series to the collection of speeches let us talk of many things for the next three hours he joins us to take your calls and questions as we explore his complete body of work of politics welcome mr. Beckley. Thank you very much. This is 49 years old . 1951 to be calculated on the anniversary and in fact. The pitcher in the back . [laughter] it was then examination of life at yale as an undergraduate especially with the impulses and the enthusiasm or for Less Government and religion and to be encouraged in those questions that religion touched. With fate and skepticism. And i concluded as a collectivist should i continue . [laughter] as recently as 12 years ago at a reunion and becoming the minister that i had volunteered to read aloud i want to tell you everything that you said was correct to see if it was accurately. Cspan how many of those did you sell over 49 years . It wasnt an enormous seller. It got a lot of attention im guessing under hundred thousand. Cspan mccarthy and his friends . What year. That came out in 1954. It is a book and master at the law school but as an independent writer and in the final question and in 1954 those elements of the country of the communist issue. And in september 1953 and the crazy mistakes so the book is a very good resource and thats why i want to do but for Solid Research and the great . Questionmark as we completely disappeared and it proved to be the battlefield. Cspan we will talk with mr. Buckley and then it will the open phones as we work through all the books you published here is one that is a paperback year but what was the purpose originally . That was 58 or 59. What it attempted to do was distill and to hold them up with the political realism. What about john doe and who was he . It was a spectacular leftist or a socialist and to come around to shock the huge constituency and then he enthusiastically agreed to do so. Cspan you are on some kind of a scooter. I used to get on there for a while. But that but came out that was one of the first of my collections and was very success what happened to come out and those coming to the exchanges with the political conventions. That probably had something to do with the success and in 1958 and as we try to find them you didnt even have a 49. I try to keep a bound copy. Some of them we had. And then the material that was sent to me subsequent. That then somebody of those they have the perfect title for mr. Buckleys book. Cspan have you written most of your books . Except two or three. I have assistance. Cspan how long you stay there . Six or seven weeks. Cspan how long have you them back this time . I got back about ten days ago i am not rested. [laughter] and talk about testosterone that he said his energy level that might be a good thing to investigate. Cspan 1925 . Anytime of these 41 books you enjoyed the most . I find writing hard i am not in the company of those who look forward to writing. He told me he had a hard time sleeping. At 3 00 oclock in the morning he woke up. He had been writing that day so he went to the typewriter and wrote an essay and went back to sleep. I know some people like that. Whose need to write just like somebody needs to eat or exercise. I dont have that. Its not terribly hard sweaty work. I have to work quickly. Cspan how do you write . On a computer before that was a typewriter. I was the editor of my school paper and then for the first week or two it was by hand but then i moved to a typewriter. Cspan what time of day do you write . It depends on the deadline. Book writing is starting at 430 in the afternoon. It gives me time to ski because im a regular in the morning. Cspan you go skiing with your wife . She broke her leg in 1965 and have not skied since then so i go on my own. Cspan do you . I had a cranky flu it did not immobilize me but almost impossible to ski. Cspan United Nations journal. Thats a wonderful book. I was asked by nixon to be a public member of the United Nations 1973. So i did. So to testify and then by a photographer we dont have a cover because someone has taken it. Guest i sounded familiar under the conservative party ticket, 1965 being that the republican candidate, john lindsay, was striding forward ideas indistinguishable than those. So it was a rather dramatic occasion in part because there was a newspaper strike. [inaudible] john lindsay and maxwell had equal time and that gave exposure to my positions that might not have been half if the accounts were given to them, so it was athat was an interesting opportunity to try to express conservative views on these problems. I was in a sense prophetic. He became a democrat five years later and defeated the nomination on the party. Cspan this is dedicated november 3, 1965 and a grateful devoted soninlaw, 1966. What is your philosophy of dedications . Guest i try to acknowledge people that are important to me. Professionally or unprofessionally. There is a wide variety obviously because if you name somebody and forget the name somebody else, its depressing. So you end up with 40 dedications and find out you forgot your own mother to say. Its sort of comes to mind when the time comes to do edification. Cspan Kathleen Taylor was your motherinlaw. Your wife, her daughter, when did you meet her . Guest she was a sophomore and i was a freshman. The courtship i guess began in vancouver. She lived across the way from my sister. That was 50 years ago. Cspan this book, right reason. Guest to think of one if there is, lets say the first volume of my collections i asked somebody else to edit, to Read Everything that youve written in the last several years is an enormous task. So i asked the blue kaiser brookheiser to send out the material. Cspan something we are familiar with, the National Review. When did you start this magazine . Guest november, 1955. Cspan what is your relationship to it now . Guest i am an editor at large of the magazine. I resigned as the editor in 1990. Cspan but never made any money. Does that bother you . Guest only in the sense that it is a hospital and school doesnt make money. For this reason you absorb the [inaudible] philanthropic enterprise. Cspan is there a reason you dedicated this . Guest my dearest old friend and supporter of the magazine. We differ now. The great thing to say about him cspan here this isnt the latest issue. Where does he live . Guest south carolina. Cspan has it been tough over the years when supporters do not like what you are saying . Guest yeah. When they started its advertising this may interest you. When the idea of the magazine came up, the vietnamese intellectuals would come to america became close and he began one of the three which was a conservative and had 17 trustees. [inaudible] the idea that i start a magazine, the main thing is to keep the shares because if they prosper or may not prosper. But people would be trying to decide who had the votes and its extraordinary how tranquil life can be if it is known who makes these decisions. We dont get an advertiser to call up and say this, that or the other, or editor, you have to use your authority persuasively. Cspan in five minutes we will go to calls. I noticed that there is a comma between buckley and junior, i thought you didnt like that . Guest the yale style books would eliminate the comma. If you want the constructive logic for it, you can do that. Cspan it has a introduction by Alastair Cook. Guest Alastair Cook wrote a review in the Washington Post in 1971 [inaudible] we had learned every three months the last 30 years. He would come back on certain issues. Cspan how old is he . Guest 97. Cspan guest im sorry, 91. He still plays golf. He had a little bout of pneumonia, but i expect to see him in a couple of weeks. Cspan is dedicated, what was the fire line, how long did it last . Guest it began in 1966, scheduled for 1965 but the fact that i was running for mayor disqualified. It was thought that it would last 13 weeks. The idea is we have some confrontational exercises with conspicuous liberals. It was quite successful. So it was renewed for another 13 weeks. Anyway, i wound up i told at the end of the millennium. The last show was in 1999. Cspan why did you want to kill it off . Guest because i thought things have to end. I thought i needed to pick a moment to let this end. Also, it was a strain to get it financed, because you of all people know, public broadcasting stations dont like to pay for anything, so they want everything free which would be the entire overhead provided by us to. Cspan nearer, my god by william f. Buckley junior, what is this . Guest ima catholic and [inaudible] an obligation to write about my faith or express gratitude for it. If its passed along certain points that i found persuasive over the years. Cspan who is th cspan who is the dedication to . Guest it is to my mother. She died at age 90 and was a very devout, marvelous woman. Cspan what was she like . Guest cheese from new orleans and a beauty. She had ten children and had a sort of way. [inaudible] everybody knew her. She was a southerner and we were brought up in europe and in connecticut. Connecticut was our home. Thats 1966, my father brought a place in North Carolina and that is where they are both buried. He was a texan. Cspan if you were watching this program live from if you were on the east coast lines are open to 026241111, eastern and central time time zone 202 624. If you live west of the mississippi. Another book here is the governor. Guest that is taken from the old testament. If we listen as the lord specifies th theres a lot of sf in the buck. Book. Cspan do you have a favorite . Guest i do, but it hasnt quite been published yet. If they book on 150,000 words of a half million. Cspan we dont have the actual book. We have the cover though. Guest everything i have to say is there, beginning with a speech that i gave at yale to the speech that i gave here in washington for the society for the 20th anniversary. People will find it interesting and amusing and historically important. The book was sent by the publisher to a dozen people who sent an terrific stuff. Even George Mcgovern says that its a wonderful book. Cspan unsurpassed work of the sharpest minds of contemporary conservatives. Guest who said that . Cspan as a confirmed liberal and his friend, i recommend this collection of speeches and commentaries to conservatives and liberals alike. The collection is a national treasure. Guest gee whiz. Cspan you have a bunch of novels. This is your latest, the 1999 novel. What is this about . Guest that is about joe mccarthy. 40 years after writing the first one, i thought the whole mccarthy seemed really needs to be explicated as a novel so you can say things that you know to be true and revealing that got left out in the cross antagonisms of the journalistic approach of the problem back then. I think its a very effective novel. [inaudible] very antimccarthy and things are portrayed in the book is very important. Cspan we will go to the audience. And when i asked the audience to try to focus on books that youve read of william f. Buckley. We have here a whole bunch of novels on the scale of what you like and do not like the best, how do you relate . How many novels have you written . Guest 12. Actually, 13. Cspan fiction or nonfiction, what do you like best . Guest generally easier to write a novel, because there is less research. On the other hand, if you are going to write the book in six weeks, you do. The wonderful thing about the novel is the temptation to improvise. You finish at 7 00 and the killer is coming in the other way. You have to have a surprise element. You tend not to write boring things because they would for yourself. It [inaudible] i cant do that, and any attempt to do so cripples me. For that reason, i liked cspan we have two hours to go with william f. Buckley. New york city. You are the first call. Go ahead. Caller it was good to see you in the audience at Carnegie Hall a week ago saturday. That reminds me i dont think youve written many books about music. I know you have an intense interest in a second i wonder why you have the night. Given your versatility, could you please answer those questions and also tell us about your relationship with music. Thank you. Guest cspan he wants to know why you havent written about music and he said he saw you at Carnegie Hall and wants to know why youve never recorded. Guest the answer to that is a [inaudible] it was recorded and there were so many. On the matter of writing about music, it is a special challenge. The first writing i ever did was as a critic for the late journal. At age 15 i went to the concerts and music mountain. I published every week for a couple of years. Somewhere along the line, two things happened. Number one, i recognized my knowledge of music was really superficial. I didnt have the authority to write about it structurally. Secondly, some people simply transcend it there is no way to communicate the beauty of music through writing. Under certain circumstances, theres kind of a [inaudible] thats rather depressing. Cspan little rock, arkansas. You are next. Caller good morning. Mr. Buckley, there was a story, something of an urban legend but you came to town one time to speak and that you stopped at a payphone at the airport and on the way out they had given you the key to the city on your way out and that you stopped at a pay phone on the way out in the called your plane into the next person that came to use it [inaudible] cspan you were on a pay phone and left and someone came back to the pay phone and found the key. Guest that would imply a lack of gratitude for whomever gave the key. An aspect of forgetfulness. Cspan sitting over the years youve been given a lot of things, do you make any effort pennsylvania, you are next. Caller good afternoon, mr. Buckley. I feel as though youve been a part of my story for the last 35 or 40 years. Back in the late 60s i got a hold of your home address and we corresponded occasionally. You have been a real intellectual and a touchstone for me for many years. Ive appreciated the writing and various ways and places that youve done that. Particularly appreciated the work you did on your transatlantic. I wathat was a real armchair adventure for me. I did have one question. A few moments ago, you described or identified yourself as a believing catholic. Somewhere during the midpoint of my time connecting with you and i became a christian myself, and i was wondering whether you use the word be leaving catholic in a way that you could explain. Guest there are a lot of references, especially to the catholic vote and that is most often meant people whose parents are irish or italians, and in a sense it is used without sort of doctrinal severity. I attempt to be governed by i heard the other day that 18 of catholics [inaudible] cspan he has written one almost every year in the time. Since 1951. California, you are next. Caller hello, mr. Buckley. How are you doing. You basically turned my head around back in 1962 plan i was in the service. In any case, i wanted to ask you where did you think that the conservatives cam gained the justification for certain measures of Public Authority over the conduct, but the liberals or the left also been the justification flex guest i think thats because the constituency is less transitory, by which i mean i understand conservatives as attempting to revive and celebrate a criteria that are not described [inaudible] it was the democracy, the reason we feel or up to two field to a number of decisions that were made [inaudible] caller i wanted to ask for example, the flagburning constitutional amendment effort, which is a conservative populist type of effort that has little to do with history, and yet it seems to be those that are conservatives have no problem with applying the power of the state in these kind of instances, but minimum wage upsets them, so im trying to find consist. Cspan did you get that, mr. Buckley . Guest i missed the first half. The consistency between something and the minimum wage. Cspan we are having a little bit of trouble with our earpieces here. Why dont we take another call and see if we can hear this one. Caller good morning. First, i am a longtime viewer. Thank you to cspan. Mr. Buckley, began watching firing line in high school in the midand following your writing. What in the buck, nearer, my god, you discussed about Malcolm Muggeridge and i wonder what your relationship with him taught you about your faith and what it could teach the rest of us. Guest Malcolm Muggeridge, as we recall, was brought up a christian and then left the faith and rediscovered, reborn, to use the term nowadays. He did so with enthusiasm. He spoke about christianity much as one might speak about broadway. The enthusiasm is his marvelous powers of expressing himself with many essays and a couple of books. We became very Close Friends and he asked to be on the firing line for the sixth time. I said okay, so we did. We had yet another final firing line. During the kind of augustus, it looked like the face [inaudible] his passion for the relevance of christianity shown through it. It is, by the way, a program the producer ran every year at christmas time and people want to see it again. Cspan is there a place people can see all of the old firing line . Guest the museum of television and radio over here on 50th street. They have 150 of them. Cspan for players. You are next. Caller greetings, mr. Buckley. My name is tom. In 1972 i had the chance to meet you on madison avenue. I was the first editor of a local paper called our town, and you granted me a 15 minute interview at a later date that turned into an hour and a half of talking. It was wonderful. I played the tapes for people and it was just wonderful. We discuss about mcgovern and nixon campaign. Id like your opinion on two things if i could. And that is the candidacy of three clinton for senate in new york, what you think would happen, and number two, are you ever planning on writing anything about the clinton presidency, and what would you think the first three lines of his obituary would be. And i thank you, sir, for everything youve given us. You really are a great man. Guest thats a very nice overy nice ofyou. Appreciate that a lot. I wish i could read or hear what i said in 1972 and if it survives the time now. On the matter of the race in new york, im not very much impressed by the notion that mrs. Clinton is an outsider. Its a house of cards. Bobby kennedy was formerly an outsider and my brother jim was formerly an outsider. I think that for people who want to vote the other side if you cant come up with a better argument to do so and that how she has a chance. Her husbands legacy is going to take a lot of straightening out. My feeling about that is he never spoke a memorable words or had a memorable flop into the circumstances i that wasnt a gd time for improvisation. Cspan this book, gratitude. Guest gratitude was prompted by my feeling that we take a lot for granted. Years ago i took out to write a book i didnt conclude, but i remembered the things i said, but fingerprints of the lack of any appreciation and that prompted me to write this book urging that there would be some expression. Hoping to teach children that are illiterate. Interestingly enough, the its the idea of helping the host material [inaudible] the idea that actually presented at the meeting of the trustees. They had another year of public service. If harvard did come everybody else would eventually. I very much encouraged that idea co gratitude. The notion that isnt backed by government power and is pretty persuasive is racist and. If mcgovern isnt behind it and it doesnt work, what do you then do which i replied this is what should have been. Cspan cspan breckenridge colorado, go ahead, please. Caller 1994, you wrote in the National Review guide to colleges and university. The oldest of my six children is preparing to apply for college this coming year and there has not been a new version of the te publishing they found it very helpful than that we are wondering if there is a new version or in addition that would be forthcoming or if mr. Buckley could recommend any other resources to help in the decision . Guest i dont know that there is one planned. But its sort of on the drawing board. The isi, the intercollegiate society of studies has the same criteria, so i would probably recommend that you would go there if we do not come out soon with our new version. Cspan minneapolis. Youre next. Caller thank you. I just want to say that since the end of the year there has been a void without firing line, so i hope this program will fill some of that. Two quick questions. One time, you quoted is someone who said that what he learned throughout his life could be expressed with a simple quote of jesus loves me this i know for the bible tells me so, and i thought that was profound but i cant remember who you were quoting and i wondered if you could tell me. Second, the best guest of the many that you have on the firing line unfortunately i havent seen anything about him recently. Its possible that hes died fighting fantasy and in obituary. Do you know how hes doing . Guest i do know that he is alive, and i know that hes not active which is inconceivable given his enormous energy. It must be that cspan is seems years ago when he was here he was 91, so hes got to be in his late 90s . Guest i think so. I think so. He wrote a book every year and he was a marvelous explicate. Cspan when he was here, hed written 45 i remember. Ive asked him what his favorite was and it was how to read a book. Guest yes, that was a bestseller indicate him both a name and kind of the financial independence, which at that time was very important. Cspan the quote . Guest yeah, i dont know. Cspan let lets go to califora next for publicly. Caller please explain the introduction to your novel the red hunter. You give intellectual apology for the politics, but you dont mention the irreparable damage he did to americans. Im conservative. Amazingly, last evening, i admire you greatly. Guest its extraordinary what sentence can do to you. The question of how many people mccarthy damaged they came to the conclusion the people they named a [inaudible] it is exactlis exactly what he y the committee. The people mccarthy hurt most is people like me in the community. The damage he did to the anticommunist movement was enormous. Even today, if anybody makes any criticism of somebodys record [inaudible] that is mccarthy reasoning. I dont think there are all that many people. In the sense that they didnt deserve so. But, if several years later i was running for office and they asked, you would see me completely reformed. The fact that its sad about my background these are hollywood guys that defended joe stalin and the trials into seven or eight years later were confronted with it, they might have been completely liberated from that kind of temptation. But they didnt. Caller i think, mr. Buckley, thank you overlook the trickle down to the level that the 22. People who might have subscribed to a left magazine could have ended it, by the way i am i aware of personally lost their jobs. These are not people who endorsed stalin. These were people who were in college, your age almost come and loved credibility. His endowment was to really hurt many people. Many innocent intellectuals, i might add, who were not thinking conservatively, that has young people were thinking more liberally. Guest if what youre saying is that the consequences of the consequences of defying the position can be [inaudible] i completely agree with you. This was a preposterous consequence, but the effort to suggest that this was reflected i remember one saying that mccarthy i the effort [inaudib] if somewhere down the line you find it professor from a the university that didnt get promoted as a trustee of, that could happen just as if somebody is accused of prejudice because he voted against a civil rights code. To reach back and seek to discredit a movement that gave correct perspectives the big struggle in political history was to reconcile the enthusiasm for our partner, Joseph Stalin into the acknowledgment. The politics of 1948 was very much influenced by people who said youve got to recognize that youre working out its own way towards socialism. [inaudible] with the loss of china, becoming a fellow traveler wasnt as a way to go as it had been. But mccarthy screwed things up by going so far as to discredit those necessary distinctions. Cspan about two more hours. This is the third in a series of programs i in depth. In this case, mr. Buckley has written 45 bucks. We have our winds up in. Next month will be joan didion, last month was richard throws in the first initial program was john lucas. We got next to missouri. Caller hello, and thank you for the program. It is a good chance to get knowledge of the authors that you have and i appreciate the program. As i heard you talk many times, i hope you will forgive me, and nearer, my god, and i never looked on it as an appositive. I always looked on it as something to differentiate myself between my greatgrandfather, grandfather and my father and myself. I never thought about putting a comma, ever. The other thing is you talked about your book on christianity, and if nearer, my god. I also am a catholic and have been writing Different Things on that subject. Basically more on christianity. One of the things ive written that isnt published yet but is called the 12 gifts of christmas. A lot of people dont know what that is but basically it is a small printer for christianity or cataclysm if you will. I appreciate the honor of being able to talk with you directly. Guest think you. Cspan with this one about . Guest in 1992, in a lot of allegations were strewn about. He was charged foa discharge fot buchanan the review was an antisemitic. I thought it was a good idea to explore those things. [inaudible] important to distinguish his position against one in the foreignpolicy. It is important with antisemitism to make those distinctions that a lot of this is the eighth. Antisemitism was pretty much in practice. When i was a freshman at yale [inaudible] the position was an effort that i used and if they stew those points. Cspan georgia. Caller i wanted to call today i was a student at Northwestern University in the 1960s and your book on liberalism remains to this day the most important books ive ever read, and it was just a fabulous thing. I bought the commemorative edition and i read it again just recently. My wife also was familiar with your family because she has taken your brothers course at the school in camden. Shes taken it twice in fact. One of the times i accompanied her because it is close and had the opportunity to meet him and as your for your big buckley fans. Cspan let me ask you what is it that youve got that stayed with you for so long . Guest the program took the tenets of liberalism and held them up to the glare of the factual realities and then asked the question why not raise ourselves up from this thing that has been proven over and over again and continues to be proven over and over again but the basic tenets of liberalism are wrong. Cspan im going to show an ad in this weeks National Review. The school of written expression presents a threeday workshop, technically and return, featuring john buckley and priscilla, and also Christopher Buckley on style, wit and humor, your son, presided over by a reid buckley. Who are all these folks . [laughter] guest my niece and john buckley was in washington and played a prominent role in the president ial elections. Cspan Christopher Buckley is how old . Guest 47. Only child. Cspan im sorry, go ahead. Caller my question is this. It seems to me from watching television, which i do every day that the major networks, abc, cbs and cnn especially seem to be increasingly liberal in their slant on the news and sometimes just annoying stories like that of the privacy act that are harmful to their side. My question is do you see this and if you do, what do you think about it . Guest [inaudible] [inaudible] the people engaged in televisi television. When i was at yale, a professor disclosed professors in the departmendepartment of politica, there were 23 fm degree or truman, 23 for dewey, trimming, none. By and large the academic [inaudible] caller go ahead, santa barbara. Caller thank you. Two questions, mr. Buckley. [inaudible] and did you ever engage in discussions . Guest and imported philosophical analyst. Her most conspicuous work i think probably was her cover to the eichmann trial which formulated the phrase. And a lot of people wanted her to stress the singularity of the [inaudible] one more expression. I never did run in to her. I have not read the exchange. Cspan oklahoma city, you are next. Caller youve been a longterm member. Frederick hayek and some other freemarket intellectuals. And it seems to me that there are probably two or three individuals who were really critical in securing the liberty and civilization that we know of into the 21st century. One of them would be hayek, in my opinion. And i know that youve written some essays on hayek. I would like to know just how important you believe the contribution is it especially to the young people who are coming into the 21st century. Caller what is the name of the society that hes talking about . Guest [inaudible] it is that alpine peak [inaudible] hayek was perhaps its founding president. He was very influential also as a journalist. His book the road to serfdom was serialized, then 20 or 30 [inaudible] important philosophical case made. He got the nobel prize not for these accomplishments, but some technical competence that he had done, had undertaken when they talk in london. He went on to the university of chicago where he became an american and they wouldnt give him a tenured seat. Cspan he never got tenure in chicago . Guest i remember getting a speech at his 70th and 75th birthday. Friedman lived forever. Cspan who would you put in that category rising in this century that have an impact . Guest he had an enormous impact. I dont think that he had a phd, but he was hailed by the exhibition of the freemarket idea. Cspan california, youre on with william buckley. Caller i was wondering if mr. Buckley had any comment on gore for the given their famouss argument on Television Many years ago. Guest published in esquire that is all that i would have to say about him. Cspan do you ever see him any more . New york. Caller good morning mr. Buckley. I may 23yearold College Student. I spent a few years abroad and read your post i picked it up at a local library. I was wondering if you could give me your impression of the destiny of the campus conservative at ivy league institutions, and particularly at yale. I was reading denesh and it sounds like the tierney on campus has also heightened to a fever pitch and i was wondering if you could give me your impressions on that. What the community tends to gravitate in the direction those that say as liberal or leftist. Cspan looking at page 111 and there is a letter in here 1949 any relation to Roger Milliken . I didnt have time to look at all up. Go ahead. Lamesa california. You do a lot for the proliferation of knowledge. And with those philosophical wisdom to set up the republican form of government because they knew that man could be good that highly distrusted them. And then with the baby boomers and then the sixties we strayed from the republic into a democracy. And then from the course that we were on. I tend to think that tends to surrender subject to usage. And then with that republican democracy. And then with baton rouge. Cspan according to our producer a list says 19 of your books are still in print. Twentyone outofprint only one available only as audio. What is your sense of is a book is outofprint can they still get it . Sure. Now people asked me for something i have. Cspan where will the William F Buckley papers be kept . With yale . You have reconciled after all these years . You dont have to reconcile with the repository. [laughter] you dont have to take an oath of allegiance to handle your papers and the university library. Good afternoon mr. Buckley. Caller. And with that description . And with the administration. And with the attempt to reconcile. And it would be capitalism and fascism and socialism and then to build up the German Economy with 20 billion or more. And with the of hundred thousand and the United States led the conservatives and the dixiecrats with this insane cold war. Cspan are you responsible for the stalin and hitler packed . We are because of the bolsheviks against the red army. What do they have a hitler did not have . What did stalin have that hitler did not have . No doubt about it. With that Foreign Policy in the soviet union and with that annunciation the stalin in 1956 and not everything but enough to justify. But with khrushchev to denounce stalin and the flights that eisenhower had and then for him to apologize but instead he didnt apologize so the cold war continued. Every chance there was but if we go back a little ways with the communique he brought back to the congress the population of the dixiecrats. We pretty much told the russians that us capitalist will agree to anything even if you agree to everything because we have the bomb and then we can accelerate the russians and the japanese. We could isolate them. There are 289 bombs accumulated. I simply find this a fallacy and regret that you are on that. And one of my collections. Cspan is there anything in here you remember of note . [laughter] cspan de forget . Sure. [laughter] cspan this is from montana go ahead. Caller yes mr. Buckley and brian my pleasure. I am on my second reading of the road to serfdom. And he was affected by his associations with people who are involved in austrian economic theory so with your own writings that austrian theory followed by von mises has a relationship to what you publish . It is not a learning with an enormous amount of attention because it is a factual list. The wealth from understanding is the Austrian School is more pragmatic and by contrast with the british in the Chicago School tend to take data and on the basis that that actually happens. So it is enormous but i think that of hayek exceeds von mises because he is not a very good economist that he is a man who has reason for market types and i was just planning what to do. How many languages . A little spanish and a Little French. Cspan when did you teach spanish . As a sophomore for four years they were short span is teachers at yale and went university in mexico so i kept it up a little bit. Cspan you showed a hymnal and you read some of the setasides. Dear sir your the most acceptable and unpleasant faces of capitalism i have ever seen. You write back have never seen the face of Ulysses S Grant . My dearest mr. Buckley where would you be today if you claim to baldwin . Your answer is probably administering propaganda in the governor carless Romero Barcelo my classmate at yale. [laughter] that is amusing journalistically. I dont know if it survives. Cspan published 1975 and on the back he certainly deserves his reputation as the wittiest political satire is writing today who was still is that the same stephen . It must be. Cspan alabama go ahead. Caller greetings it is fortuitous to speak with both of you at the same time because you both have done so much for the edification of american dialogue. So when did you first believe those allegations did you meet algebra this . What was your impression. And just following up of the comment of the jesus loves me quote i think it was attributed to the late professor bart. I havent met alger his and i thought he was correct the moment the charges were made in part because i thought there was authenticity in his language and in part it was a horrible all plausibility he knew there were spies. He didnt know who they were until later and it struck me as inconceivable to come up and make a charge that preposterous. Cspan bakersfield california. Caller i enjoy your show very much. Will study the 64 president ial race talk about goldwater not being a conservative what is your opinion of him . And what about your opinion of clinton and history is a president. I never said he was not a conservative in the last eight or ten years of his life he adjusted his position in such a way if the Supreme Court says so then i do wrong so its a different position with the book on conservativism. And it has been said this was affected his wife who died and then he remarried. Was to be given the second to mrs. Goldwater and we sat down together and said if you are your heroes . I said your husband her said minor adeline stephenson. So i thought a case could be made for that but its odd to be hearing from the wife so what im simply saying is when hes about goldwater in those last few years as a conservative and those positions that first of all to his belief whenever questions about gays in the military and bush and so on. Cspan las vegas. Caller good morning. First of all is it true that santana house will be your biographer . Yes it is. Caller i enjoyed his book Don Whittaker chambers certainly. Also on gratitude the plan that you outlined part of the National Service plan and then i will get off, do you contrast that to what mr. Clinton has had with the Americorps Program and the different focus or liberal ideology paying them 20000 to quote volunteer . You put your finger on it. Its not that i have nine like i owe you this but it is a marketbased transaction the government keeps inching up at they are willing to pay in return. It is imagination with reciprocity by the Young American women or man. Cspan when is your book coming out . I dont know. How have you related to him during this period . I dont think he has even started writing it. It could take six or seven years he worked on ulysses for a couple of years he has access to my papers at yale and is subject to my right to prohibit the publication. Theres always the proviso that i must be shown whats to be published. For instance the life that of james was just completed with 20 or 30 communications between him and me. Many of which i would veto but but then that could outweigh the scalawag. Caller mr. Buckley, i will tell you had it not been for at least 15 years i thought it was outrageous i wont go into that. Also i would like to see your colleague is a man who made my brain think and work and had that program he changed my mind on so many issues. That was a terrific program. Caller hes a terrific man. Anyway when you were talking about mcgovern you didnt call him a communist. Of course not that would be ridiculous. Being a communist means you never have to say youre sorry. Now there are tours. They never go around saying how sorry they were because they are not sorry. Democrats have actually destroyed the Education System to destroy the Neighborhood School having a union of teachers who only care about union issues so the idea of a striking teacher to me growing up nobody would even have said that you never have to say youre sorry for all the things you do that is so destructive and horrible and yet, if you are a conservative you always have to apologize for things. When you were talking about pat buchanan that he had tendencies towards fascism. I did not say that. I said i examined what he said and that some of those were anti somatic on antisemitic and then set i dont think he is that he is intrigued. So you have entire europe edging right toward communism and chuckles of ikea and other states and at least socialist in every single state. Now this man is not even elected, his party has some power so now this man has to resign from the party the European Union says we will boycott. Caller he resigned as head of the party and even in this clinton this criminal in the white house was making statements we will not have too much to do with austria. This is absolutely outrageous. These are the people that talk about democracy which is the real religion of america because of something you have to believe in and take it on faith. In these people that wrote 37 percent. Hold on. In the first place we havent had currently in this country very bad people making good points democratically. If you add that communist election they were the majority. And there is no obligation to say and then to be enthusiastic and in the case of austria and those that we tried to frighten ourselves and at the same time austria is where hitler came from. And then to be understandable. And the publisher of of National Review. In san francisco. He is 77. Carson city nevada. Good morning mr. Lamb and mr. Buckley. It looks like you to enjoy one another. Two peas in a pod. [laughter] i was going to ask mr. Buckle mr. Buckley, what constitutes treason . When you look back at the jewish couple the rosenbergs . They gave the secret to russia and promptly executed. Now we see the white house and who knows how many secrets of Missile Technology they gave away and they walk the earth free. I was hoping one morning you would be prompted or inspired. Formally defined in the constitution giving aid to the enemy. But it was a capital offense and with that nuclear combination to anybody. Treason is most often used metaphorically that was very treasonable to leave those ideas and of misleading the use and there is a whole literature that focuses given that socrates was given a capital sentence in of course as he explained was telling the use the incorrect things. And with those protocols so anyway to answer your question. Cspan some notice you always have a red pen in your hand. [laughter] one only rights in red ink. There is a reason for that. You have a lot of editing in a newspaper as was the case with National Review you dont want to worry about whose markings you are looking at so i always use read another uses green there other it is on dash idiosyncrasies. Cspan what time when you want your Peanut Butter . For breakfast between 6 00 a. M. And 8 00 a. M. It must come with toast. It could be an english muffin. With a little honey and also be bettered. Every day. Yes. Cspan what started it . My natural attraction my natural attraction planters, thats the best. Then a company would put on the label it simply the best. You have to find it because there was a delicacy since. Host cspan next call for william buckley. Caller i would like to know what about you in the novels and why things what do you think the legacy may be in general and in particular to the philosophy . When Atlas Shrugged was published they gave an absolutely scathing review and as a result of that, never consented to be in the same ro room. The division is of Course Material the notion of all true wisdom and she does a very good story. I very much regret the influence. Italy is something before that is funny. When that review was published, a lot of people wrote in as a result of that terrible review i want you to cancel my subscription. Caller next is arizona, go ahead, please. Caller good afternoon mr. Buckley. I read airborne in 1976. Ive enjoyed your books and its an honor to speak with you i thought since they gave away the panama canal, the concept would be a real estate boom and we could call it the canal. Please give that some thought. Guest you want me to start with a . Cspan doesnt matter just want people to understand what the books are about. Guest across that one specific vendor from lisbon to barbados. The question was when that debate took place i was convinced after the trip there were enough safeguards written into the treaty to authorize any situation around. Then they sort of bizarre ideas where does he go now i have to be reminded. I dont remember if there was an alternative at the time. And the genital globalizatio n and enough traffic if they wanted to close up we could do so overnight and the right to do so in the entire commerce. Thank you gentlemen. Its a wonderful opportunity to speak with both of you. Ive thoroughly enjoyed the book that youve written. Any comment on them and how they came about. Guest i havent read the last one unfortunately. If cspan without them have you liked . Guest ive been in a similar business and find it unrealistic and superb and im wondering how mr. Buckley got to writing these books. Thank you so much. Guest there are by the way ten of them. Cspan we have all of them here. Who publishes them now . Guest [inaudible] cspan when did you start writing these novels . Guest what happened was my editor and two associates why dont you write a spy novel. The next day they struck a deal then they could say enough is enough and terminate or they could say go ahead. It worked. It was on the bestseller list prepublication. The protagonist goes from episode to episode and the last one lets go to El Paso Texas next. Caller good afternoon. I am not much older than your son and back when i was a liberal its a good thing you were so charming and used language so beautifully because i listened to you for that reason and fortunately stuck around long enough to notice. I am now as my children have grown going back to college to get a firsttime degree and expect volunteer work in the community and expect to be out there working and contributing something. And im interested to know what you think the political and social implications for other people in my age group as we get older. Perhaps others. What do you see . Cspan she isnt on the line any longer so we will have to guess. Guest to understand what the contentions are and try to ask the primary question is this something done by the government or i could be done by the private sector and if it is by the government if it is by the federal government or by a smaller unit, they discuss the federal program doing something about literacy and wondered what on earth has washington, d. C. Got but they cant figure out for themselves this is something that social issues arrive. Cspan how many speeches of year do you give . Guest about 20, 25. Cspan do you write about . Guest sometimes and sometimes not. Brianna what size and audiences the best for you . Guest i like a smaller audience, 800 i prefer college campus. Cspan why . Guest by and large, they want to hear for whatever reason it by contrast they have to go because they have subscribed to the series. Caller it is a pleasure to talk with you. Channel surfing i saw this and thought and test it. My views are conservative and what i would like to as were some other books i could read to get the idea and learn more about the debates say any books by liberals which i could understand their views and see. Guest the whole subject of the public scene philosophically and politically, constitutionally. It published an article also from time to time acknowledges important folks. That is the way i would go to read the magazine and cspan without other books would you find the most useful . Guest hell could i do that . What is the philosophy . Guest thursday heavy dose of enormous infusion of philosophy by which you are governed in making this decisi decision. What about this book right here. That is autobiographical. It is a book about all week of my life, what lectures did i give. Cspan and its dedicated to gertrude . Guest she is living and in any event that would be of primary interest to people with a biographical interest in the subject. Would you please if you would comment on the writings of Malachi Martin and in particular his novel i understood in an interview i heard with him the key stated that that novel was 70 factual. Thank you. Guest i thought he went a little over. They tended to involve plots and this is one of those i simply do not know but i think of him at a certain point as a critic. Cspan or signature series we started about four months ago and this is the first sunday of every month. Austin texas. Ive enjoyed these books programs. I know that only in your writings that ive enjoyed them tremendously. I have seen you on the firing line. Ive only read nonfiction and i loved it. Im not sure that i can sit down and read the fiction guest you should try it. Guest caller i guess i wanted to ask i was born in 43 so i could take a picture except the films they show the congressional hearings and im going to read that because the people that criticize you on writing that book are the same ones that defended alger hiss into this they defend him as a wonderful fellow that was misunderstood yet they will not give even guest the overwhelming majority dont defend him any more. Its not quite right to say that they are the same people. Caller thats the impression you get when you hear people say buckley is writing this book about this no good. I think it was wonderful where they explained it to people who only got the historical snippets here and there. I like to hear finally when history is somewhat result and we get a better picture of it. I am not in all of this Political Correctness. Guest overdrive was about a week in my life, 1980. Brian macklin is the picture from . Guest do you recognize any of those people . Guest my driver is there and my late it was a scene of my movements anyplace in new york and that comes with writing a column. Caller thank you so much for sharing today. You have written so beautifully in your experiences. My question is have your acquired lesson infected you as the concerns of risktaking enterprise and conservatism . Guest its a good question. Including a couple adventures. They extend to which the experience comes in handy isnt uninteresting and i think it is probably true that it is extremely useful in showing the flip side of life if you are going to stay up all night. To the extent o that the person asks is it useful the answer is yes it is. How long was your yacht . Guest 60 feet. Cspan how many people would be onboard . Guest ten. Cspan with was the longest period of time you were out at sea . Guest 14 days. Cspan did you ever think you were not going to make it . Guest no. One time we ran into a hurricane yet that was a heavy experience. It would have been a rough situation. Cspan how are you in those moments . Guest very interesting question. A lot of that has to do with animal fatigue. We survived the first when there were six members on board and all of a sudden the mother storm came around and nobody would e eat. If [inaudible] and revise things, but youve got to know that going in that direction if everybody is demoralized simultaneously, then any past bit of ingenuity tends to dissipate. Cspan is angeles, go ahead you are on there. Caller i am a fan for a long time and very interested in the 4,000 books youve already written but im thinking of the future and one thing that the free speech being taken away. We cant say this or that and i am a reader of history and pretty loud and boisterous. Now we dont have that anymore and so thats all i want to say. Cspan there are a lot of complaints of Political Correctness there are certain impulses making it kind of risky to take an unorthodox position. Whether that amounts to a serious enrichment of the freedom of expression at this point. Cspan new york city, youre on. Caller im calling from new york city and im interested in whether you have read hitlers pope and what you think of his major thesis and also on the 12th position during the second world war. Guest there iguest co. Thern accumulation of power in the doctrinal but theres a business of what he didnt do and it is a vexing question. The author is in stamford and took references to the pope between 1929 and 1938. What he relies on is hard to say. Caller chattanooga. In the late 70s and early 80s, you responded in the wall street journal with a brief letter of a reporter and you stated you said attorneys were handling that you couldnt comment. The last sentence was in case you are interested in the news over here, you describe a woman and you said i know how she feels. Amazing. [laughter] what i am curious about is perhaps youve cut people down to proper sized similarly in some of your books. I would love to hear some accounts of that. Caller i dont memorize. If you have a good article to contend with, plus legal restraints, ive engaged in so many exchanges. In the 34 years there was one exception. Nobody complained about how he or she had been treated. Some people do this one particular professor who did complain to he was mad that i didnt shut up the other guy was taking a position on the. So i dont think that i have this reputation of being short or conclusory in an unfair way. Its a of my a collections. Cspan in this particular one . 1965 . My friend that died of cancer. Caller good afternoon. I want to say uk gas you are the best. And dave you defended the anticommunist activities last week the Academy Awards and then the liberal a poor giving the award because he had the courage to oppose communism and then this year that same a cat or one academy gives it to the polish director for opposing the same communism so why is it one your all the liberals got so upset someone got an award and he oppose communism but then nobody this year said a peep about the actual victim of communism was given the award by jane fonda. If memory serves. They were mad at him for testifying to the russian committee. And then finally they gave him innovation when they gave him the award. Cspan of your books which have sold the most . And then the selections of the book club. Cspan could you have made a living only on writing books . Yes. Heavens yes. Cspan the same lifestyle . If you didnt have the column or National Review . Not really, not that well. Cspan you are next color. Caller. And how and that i am to you and National Review. And then you get a name and look up the writings but what about that publication and those ideas that will change. In terms of the latter question to have that the communication that the internet would turn people on it is so easy and tempting so i ran for mayor and then to outlaw drugs but that a change that position not because i have an enthusiasm for drugs but simply because its not working in the casualties. And not for those reasons. Cspan the book is called what . Why did you write that . I felt the need and 71 to write those questions that would be widely discussed education and crime. And welfare and taxation. There is nothing in a that embarrasses me at this point. And he agreed with half of it. And in light of his response a few moments ago and what he thinks of the Libertarian Movement and has he read a book called the perfect storm . Yes. And terrifying. With the extraordinary capacity into a storm is memorable but. Cspan im sorry i cannot remember his first question color go ahead. Caller. Can you elaborate on divine intervention have you thought about writing books on that . The book my god is the subject is raised. And theres a reason to expect miracles. We mustnt expect to come back but also to realize that it cant happen so divine intervention is and attribute i would not deny what they want to do but i would expect them to do so. What is disputed before the Supreme Court. Cspan why . I have been there once before and then to be exposed to people have hope. And then to actually withstand that scrutiny it is that atmosphere. Nobody leaves feeling better. Cspan how long did you stay there . Three days. Caller it is a pleasure mr. Buckley. It was a book written by carol quigley. I have heard of the author have not read it. Caller. Cspan the Georgetown Professor . Caller correct. I find it interesting because some of the information historically that points to more conservative issues in my opinion than liberal issues and that was my question if you care to expand i just picked up the book. Im sorry i cant. Cspan we have an email sent in today professor of Political Science at the university of florida. Comment on the memoir of john lucas in particular his criticisms of conservativisms with the critical faculties during the reagan years and distancing from the National Review and in short in lightness about the philosophical differences between you. I have not read that particular book but i am aware of the criticism. He tends to have an opposition to what he considers to be anticommunist conventions. Cspan fort collins you are next. Caller how did you know lowenstein even though not politically can how he became your confidant . I knew him when he was at yale and i was teaching spanish. He was very active in the federalist movement. I didnt get to experience them until 1968 in fact he was elected and so appealing with such a marvelous sense of humor i actually urged his election. Cspan and then to be fascinated but then with the Human Rights Committee in geneva towards the end and then a terrible teacher that was deranged and then was given instructions. But the grief was so palpable. Cspan in 1980. We have our last half hour with our guest bill buckley. Only a half hour . [laughter] cspan will you make it . Fort myers go ahead. Caller this is an honor mr. Buckley this is an honor. You are one of my heroes. But if i could mention back to the gentle man talking about that most people have not written back about the insults they dont recognize them because of your eloquence when they are given and those that could recollect with the debate that i thank you had the actor mcleod. Dennis weaver. Everybody seems to use these terms of a conservative it seems that has to be put into a context or socialist at the other end of the spectrum with the american constitutionalist it was given a definition in and of itself to avoid for many context. Its a wonderful question. Is a little line in the New York Times used 35 years ago. And conservative communist and then to be used actively even though it is distracting. The conservative socialist in that particular conclave came out against the proposal against mr. Harrison. With a moderate republican. But and as a professor of english in chicago a very shy guy. He kept saying you cant do it but conservativism is a paradig paradigm. Go ahead. Hello. Brian lamb and William F Buckley good morning. Ive had an expression about my favorite ghost Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill but still be have you think god. Now this is my concern. I was able to read before preschool at five years old. Would you consider my advanced ability of natural intelligent father who encouraged me to read . So please comment on a person state of affairs in the United States of america how do our students get to grades five and six and high school with the ability to read . We published an important piece in National Review in 1950 by isabel patterson. And had an important reputation and then you lose the possibility and then i have a terrible memory if i was six or seven before i could read . I dont know. I think its true that the other ideas are fleeting. Not the literacy. Cspan the lexicon the cornucopia of words for the inquisitive word lover. Massachusetts go ahead. Caller its a pleasure to talk to you mr. Buckley. I heard you describe as a juror just. But i havent heard you promote other theories and why that is the case. Mostly because i am beatendown by my right wing friends. There was when something wrong and then to increase capital the effect is as if you have a parking lot the attacks and then to encourage and then and one and then to be applicable. Plus also zero income tax. Cspan im fascinated by this book can you remember how to pronounce the word Peanut Butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. His name is jesse the first of i met and we are both members of a Televised Panel Discussion on words the moderator asked be at the time of the word i smelt smug i had a definition then he had a complete paragraph from the account on economist. Cspan did you write out these definitions . It was taken from my text. What is the fear of having Peanut Butter stuck to the roof of your mouth . [inaudible] but you had to learn that after eating breakfast with Peanut Butter four years ago. [laughter]. Its a pleasure to talk to you. I read a lot of your fiction and nonfiction and it seems and overdrive and to make mention of the fact with the issue what is your definitive position and very much influenced of those who also wrote a book. And then he died in 2007 and then romeo and then he appeared and then to be eased out. That then oxford did write i am interrupting you. Cspan know. There are so many cameras. It is million f buckley 1972. And with those that he put that a few months ago. Caller but those female writers but from those National Review. And then she classifies herself. But then to see that as a punishment. And then the life that is because i think it with that tenacity. Your editor was on the program asked if you would ask Lawrence King to come down to do one of these programs. He did ask and she sent me a letter said obsolete under no circumstances what i ever eve are be considered on your program. [laughter] absolutely. Im not sure i would my fascination and devotion. Do you know her . No but we Exchange Emails now. She signs hers love. Cspan have you ever seen a picture of her . Yes on our books. Cspan concorde california. Caller. Its a pleasure to speak three individuals you would prefer to have dinner with and second if you can send it to me at my address and to get a toast for my wedding thank you very much. Cspan i will put you on hold just in case well get your address. Send me the address i will be glad to write a toast. If you have the internet they give you the zip code. Cspan what about the three people . Thank you for your constancy seeing a nation drift away and then drift back toward your philosophy. Have a question of higher education. What quality schools that is less prone with revisionism and that they suffer some. The guide to 100 good colleges but any college at any university is always they can learn and in that college and then to be teaching in france but it was how he was teaching. But with classic economics than has much more scholarship and then days seek it out. And to recall the process of discrimination. Cspan and in the year 2050 so with the current president and administration would you want them to remember about the last seven and a half years . At any given moment. But then churchill insist. Cspan we have eight minutes for our guest minneapolis go ahead. Caller i just finished your book for the first time. After reading it i also read von mises work and that liberalism has shifted. We now talk about a 19th century liberalism which is the inverse of todays meaning of liberalism and you discussed the fact you dont know exactly where modern liberalism draws its heritage but its clear von mises and others see a Rich Heritage in 1h century liberalism. You are quite right. And liberalism was defined in the history of mans efforts and that is the definition of the liberals and 30 or 40 years. Pretty much now exhausted in the original sense and we have to keep that in mind using it. And talk about use of the english language. And then with 1000 birds by the definition. Good afternoon. Thank you for mr. On for 30 years of wonderful entertainmen entertainment. To figures one im sure that you knew the other i dont know that you did the first is Edward Teller one of the others most underrated and the tower of strength and the figure from the New York Times. Cspan california your next. Caller its a pleasure. What about your vocabulary how did you obtain it . And fan out after three years that could be conceivably thought about. And looking at updike there were 26 words i never laid eyes on now its safe to say the words that you dont know and i dont know each person has a stack of words that were appropriate. And what is true as people tucked them into their collection and use them so frequently. Cspan what is the idea here . So lets do something and i had a commission to write them. It is a fun book and taps into magic words. I was told by the publisher Childrens Book has to have suspense, narrative and has to be narrow. Thats what i was given. Cspan springfield massachusetts. Caller mr. Buckley, i want to make a statement and then a question. As a College Student and raised Irish Catholic democrat i read your book up from liberalism and at the same time to see mccarthys book so looking at the conservative challenge so you want after weighing those know i then progressively more conservative. I wanted you to know that. And also you are declining the invitation to the st. Patricks day a few years ago i was hoping it was a previous commitment not that we are heavily democratic area. Can you comment . When i ran for Mayor Committee universal Statement People shouldnt identify with any particular ethnic or social group rather unions or management or italians and that was a battle of exposure. I think ended up going to that parade anyway. Sorry. Cspan with William F Buckley junior it all started with this book god and man at yale. 1951. Anything you like to accomplish the rest of your life on the tip of your tongue . Go to the bathroom. [laughter] cspan we wish everybody a happy day. Spirit that concludes another look into our archives close to 40 appearances on book tv and cspan are available to watch online. Go to the website and type his name in the search box at the top of the page. If you read what was said about Thomas Jefferson and an infidel and pagan of the french government it sounds a little reminiscent the things that were said about lincoln and dan fdr to be a dictator. But in trumps case in the modern political era , postworld war ii ive never seen anything like it we will spend some time with late author and columnist part of the day and watch series he founded the National Review magazine in hopes the political Debate Program firing line for several years and also the author of over 50