2008 Woodie Awards
"Hi, I'm Art Buchwald, and I just died."
Sat Paul Goyal
Issue date: 1/29/07 Section: Voices
- Page 1 of 1
Often called "The Wit of Washington" or "The Mark Twain of our time," Art Buchwald died of kidney failure on January 17. He was a brilliant observer and author of 30 books and numerous columns full of political satire and humor.
Doctors told him his kidneys were failing. Refusing dialysis and expecting to die within weeks, Buchwald checked into a hospice. Soon a parade of celebrities and well-wishers came by to say farewell. He gave interviews and enjoyed ordering McDonald burgers and milkshakes without any guilt.
"Nobody has been able to really explain what's going on because I'm not taking dialysis. I have to thank my kidneys," Buchwald told his well-wishers.
Surprisingly, he lived to return home and even write a book, "Too Soon to Say Goodbye," about his experiences in the hospice.
"I'm having a swell of time…the best time of my life.
"I just don't want to die the same day Castro dies," Buchwald added.
Since he didn't die as quickly as doctors had predicted, Buchwald wrote that he had to scrap his funeral plans, rewrite his will, buy a new cell phone, and get on his improbable life. "I also had to start worrying about Bush again," he quipped.
Nothing can be wittier than: "If you attack the establishment long enough and hard enough, they will make you a member of it."
Buchwald's writing took off in Paris where he began a column called Europe's Lighter Side for the European edition of The New York Herald Tribune.
He returned to America in 1961 and brought his humor with him.
At one point his syndicated columns appeared in more than 500 newspapers worldwide.
In a memoir Buchwald wrote that humor was his salvation. "I did discover early in life I could make people laugh."
"Hi, I'm Art Buchwald, and I just died," he says, introducing the video obituary on the New York Times website.
His memoirs-"Leaving Home" and "I'll Always Have Paris!"- tell the story of his journey from a lonely and impoverished childhood lived largely in foster homes to the salons of the famous and powerful.
In 1974, Buchwald told graduates at Holy Cross College, "As a humor columnist, I need President Nixon more than he needs me. I worship the quicksand he walks on."
Throughout his success, Buchwald fought depression. He had an extraordinary capacity to endure pain. When asked about his legacy, he said with laughter, "Joy! That's what I'm going to leave behind."
Buchwald was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Outstanding Commentary (1982), elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1986), and was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (France) in 2006.
Buchwald was a brilliant satirist and a loving man. He was certainly one of the giants of wit and humor as were Pope and Swift in their era. His principal genius had a unique philosophical streak which brought him closer to Shakespeare and Bertrand Russell in enlivening his satire with humor and delicate grace. His insightful and often hilarious columns will be missed.
Doctors told him his kidneys were failing. Refusing dialysis and expecting to die within weeks, Buchwald checked into a hospice. Soon a parade of celebrities and well-wishers came by to say farewell. He gave interviews and enjoyed ordering McDonald burgers and milkshakes without any guilt.
"Nobody has been able to really explain what's going on because I'm not taking dialysis. I have to thank my kidneys," Buchwald told his well-wishers.
Surprisingly, he lived to return home and even write a book, "Too Soon to Say Goodbye," about his experiences in the hospice.
"I'm having a swell of time…the best time of my life.
"I just don't want to die the same day Castro dies," Buchwald added.
Since he didn't die as quickly as doctors had predicted, Buchwald wrote that he had to scrap his funeral plans, rewrite his will, buy a new cell phone, and get on his improbable life. "I also had to start worrying about Bush again," he quipped.
Nothing can be wittier than: "If you attack the establishment long enough and hard enough, they will make you a member of it."
Buchwald's writing took off in Paris where he began a column called Europe's Lighter Side for the European edition of The New York Herald Tribune.
He returned to America in 1961 and brought his humor with him.
At one point his syndicated columns appeared in more than 500 newspapers worldwide.
In a memoir Buchwald wrote that humor was his salvation. "I did discover early in life I could make people laugh."
"Hi, I'm Art Buchwald, and I just died," he says, introducing the video obituary on the New York Times website.
His memoirs-"Leaving Home" and "I'll Always Have Paris!"- tell the story of his journey from a lonely and impoverished childhood lived largely in foster homes to the salons of the famous and powerful.
In 1974, Buchwald told graduates at Holy Cross College, "As a humor columnist, I need President Nixon more than he needs me. I worship the quicksand he walks on."
Throughout his success, Buchwald fought depression. He had an extraordinary capacity to endure pain. When asked about his legacy, he said with laughter, "Joy! That's what I'm going to leave behind."
Buchwald was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Outstanding Commentary (1982), elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1986), and was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (France) in 2006.
Buchwald was a brilliant satirist and a loving man. He was certainly one of the giants of wit and humor as were Pope and Swift in their era. His principal genius had a unique philosophical streak which brought him closer to Shakespeare and Bertrand Russell in enlivening his satire with humor and delicate grace. His insightful and often hilarious columns will be missed.
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