Christopher Hitchens, 1949-2011

WaPo relays from Vanity Fair that he has died of pneumonia, after a lengthy affliction with esophageal cancer.

I'll not attempt an obituary, nor a dissection of where I thought he was right or wrong. He was a hell of a writer. That's enough, and all that really needs to be said.

With his boots on

Yes, yes, I know I'm supposed to hate Christopher Hitchens because he supported the US invasion of Iraq, etc. I've never been able to work up a lot of venom toward him, though. He may be unequaled as a polemicist, and he's an all-around interesting guy.

Now I've found something else to like about him: His response to the news that he probably doesn't have very long to live.

Here's an interview he gave to The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg last week. Enjoy.