William F. Buckley Jr. dies at 82

Douglas Martin in the New York Times:
William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind to elevate conservatism to the center of American political discourse, died Wednesday at his home in Stamford, Conn. Mr Buckley, 82, suffered from diabetes and emphysema, his son Christopher said, although the exact cause of death was not immediately known. He was found at his desk in the study of his home, his son said. “He might have been working on a column,” Mr. Buckley said. | Read more...

Related:

• Jon Meacham, reviewing Buckley's latest collection of autobiographical stories in 2004, wrote: "Born in 1925, Buckley grew up at Great Elm, a huge house in Sharon, Conn., learned repartee at the family dinner table, was educated privately, went to Yale, served briefly in the Central Intelligence Agency and became one of the most celebrated -- deep breath here -- authors / editors / columnists / pundits / political activists / novelists / Catholic apologists / bons vivants of the American century."