The American Spectator : James Jackson Kilpatrick, RIP

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James Jackson Kilpatrick, RIP

By Jed Babbin on 8.17.10 @ 6:08AM

America has lost its greatest wordsmith.

America has lost its greatest wordsmith: James J. Kilpatrick has passed away at the age of 89. To those of us in the writing business, the loss is incalculable. I feel it personally because I was privileged to know Kilpatrick and have experienced his warmth, great intellect, and generosity.

From the moment several decades ago that I first read the greatest book about writing ever written -- his The Writer's Art -- I have felt a friendship with Jack about which more in a moment.

Born November 1, 1920, in Oklahoma City, Kilpatrick began his newspaper career in 1941 with the Richmond News Leader, where he stayed for twenty-six years, rising from reporter to chief editorial writer to editor, and began his syndicated column -- on writing, of course -- calling it "The Writer's Art."

Jack's column -- which continued until 2008 -- was his personality in full, as well as instruction to us all on the proper use of American English. His instruction was even directed, occasionally, at his very close friend and fellow master wordsmith, William F. Buckley, Jr.

Patrician Buckley had an enormous vocabulary, which he used effectively throughout his career. But when WFB got carried away with a word such as "decoctable," "anfractuosity" or "endogamous," Kilpo would take him to task.

But why? This wasn't a matter of rivalry, and there was no hint of enmity or anger. But our language, and its usage, was a matter of metaphysical import to Jack.

Because, as Kilpo wrote, journalists' first duty is to communicate clearly: "if your aim is chiefly to be clear, keep this in mind: Short words are ordinarily better than long words. Short sentences generally are better than long sentences."

From the chapter of The Writer's Art titled, "Faith, Hope and Clarity":

Another time, I was writing a column about the remarkable increase in the number of political action committees. In 1972 these committees numbered 113; ten years later they numbered 3,149. I wanted a word to describe the proliferation. Now, proliferation in itself is about a two-dollar word, but that was not enough. The devil was in me.

At precisely that moment, a word wandered by. These things are like knowing sin. Sitting at their typewriters, all writers know the experience. The word is seductive. It slithers along, wet-lipped, scented with exotic perfume; it gazes at the writer with a come-hither glance. "Take me," says this gorgeous creature. "I dare you." Thus we are led into temptation.

The word was mitotically. I could not resist.

But he usually did, and so -- as a direct result of his teaching -- American writing now is clearer and more compelling. There are too many other examples from his book and column to catalogue here. In his column, Jack often convened his "Court of Peeves, Irks and Crotchets" in which he'd rehearse a few "horrid examples" of abuse of our beautiful language and lay out the Rule that should govern forever more.

Kilpatrick took the national stage, for a few years, on the CBS Sunday show 60 Minutes in its "Point–Counterpoint" segment. There, Jack debated liberal Shana Alexander for about five minutes each week. Though most people who remember that at all only remember the Saturday Night Live parody of it with Dan Aykroyd playing Kilpatrick, it was, in fact, a seminal feature. Much of what we see on cable television "news" shows today is an evolution of the "Jack and Shana show."

Long after the 60 Minutes segment passed into television history, my encounter with Kilpo began entirely by accident.

Graduating from law school after having barely scraped through engineering school, I entered the practice of law as an Air Force judge advocate. I was a truly awful writer, but at least I knew it.

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About the Author

Jed Babbin served as a Deputy Undersecretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush. He is the author of several bestselling books including Inside the Asylum and In the Words of Our Enemies.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (27) | Leave a comment

Jeff| 8.17.10 @ 6:49AM

I am very sorry to hear that we have lost James J. Kilpatrick. I well remember his point-counterpoint on Sixty Minutes. He spoke at my college and after the talk, I was one of the lucky students to have lunch with him. He was a real gentleman and a great role model for the profession. We need more people like him.

Alan Brooks| 8.17.10 @ 9:15AM

"America has lost its greatest wordsmith."

To you he was our greatest wordsmith; but I think your statement just might be a hyperbolic one. It's always the "greatest" this", the "greatest" that.
In high school someone used to say "Clapton is the greatest guitarist"; someone replied, "nah, Jimmy Page is the greatest--Clapton can't hold Jimmy Page's jockstrap."

"Emmet Tyrrell is the greatest publisher.'

John II| 8.17.10 @ 6:28PM

I suppose the more accurate expression would be something like "among America's best-known wordsmiths and perhaps the best before his death."

But Mr. Kilpatrick would probably reject the expression as wordy and overqualified. He might also reject the term "overqualified" as ambiguous.

My guess is, "America's greatest wordsmith" today is probably some retired prep school teacher known only to the 6,584 students he (probably not she) terrified over a period of 44 years in a second-year English class.

Ditto, mutatis mutandis, for America's greatest auto mechanic, America's greatest character actor, America's greatest drill sergeant, America's greatest short-order cook, America's greatest traffic cop, America's greatest . . .

NEGRO X| 8.17.10 @ 9:22PM

I think we can all agree on that alan brooks is the greatest liberal moron to post on AS.

Alan Brooks| 8.17.10 @ 11:40PM

Does that mean the best of the liberal morons, or the worst? But the question arises: what are you, Negro X? the greatest Uncle Tom?

bluecollarbytes| 8.18.10 @ 12:00AM

there is a 'greatness' ...er...or at least an obsessive consistency to it...

Howard| 8.17.10 @ 7:18AM

I remember Mr. Kilpatrick as part of the Agronsky & Co. team from the 1970's. He was a true Southern gentlemen and a fine advocate of conservative principles.

Stourley Kracklite| 8.17.10 @ 7:46AM

When criticized by an annoyed segregationist for apologizing for “your former views regarding racial integration,” Kilpatrick hastened to set the “record straight”: “I did not say I was sorry for my former views on racial integration. I said, very carefully, that I was sorry I ever defended the practice of State-sanctioned segregation. There is a world of difference. Neither did I ‘belatedly come to the conclusion that I was wrong about my former stand on equality of the races.’ As I tried to make clear, I belatedly came to the conclusion that I was wrong about my former stand on the rightness of State-sanctioned discrimination.”

Alan Brooks| 8.17.10 @ 9:20AM

Sounds devious. If an Ex-Commie said "I did not say I was sorry for my former views on Communism. I said, very carefully, that I was sorry I ever defended the practice of State-sanctioned communism. There is a world of difference."

Weasel words.

Sheila| 8.17.10 @ 11:20AM

Kilpatrick took care to parse his words and unambiguously elucidate his meaning. This is the definition of true clarity, not "weasel words." Kilpatrick obviously came to oppose "State-sanctioned discrimination" - this would include both Jim Crow laws and affirmative action. While his opinion regarding the "equality of the races" may not be today's liberal holy writ, it is increasingly supported by well-documented studies that are quickly suppressed by their authors or denounced by the true weasels. The natural corollary to his comment is that non-State sanctioned discrimination" - i.e. that practiced in the form of free speech and free association by free people, is supported by those of us who believe the Civil Rights Act violates those tenets and thus the Constitution. Of course, these are merely "weasel" words on my part, Mr. Brooks, not genuinely held and well-thought out convictions, because I'm a RACIST, having long outgrown my knee-jerk liberal upbringing. Tribalism + democracy + stupidity = racist idiocracy. Decline and fall.

Jon| 8.17.10 @ 12:31PM

Well said!

Alan Brooks| 8.17.10 @ 4:42PM

"his would include both Jim Crow laws and affirmative action."

Most groups don't deserve affirmative action, but blacks do-- as they have suffered the most. I don't merely mean slavery or Jim Crow, but also their being drafted into the Vietnam War. Why should blacks be conscripted?; btw, since you're a woman, Sheila, you can't talk about the Draft..

Sheila| 8.17.10 @ 8:49PM

Approximately 275,000 blacks served in Vietnam. Black combat deaths totaled 5,681. Total U.S. "battle deaths" were 47,356 (there were an additional 10,795 noncombat fatalities). This means approximately 2 percent of all blacks who served in Vietnam died in battle, and about 12 percent of all battle deaths were black - this roughly corresponds to the black percentage of the U.S. population. As an "ex-liberal" Mr. Brooks, you certainly have maintained your belief in standard liberal myths. Their casualty percentage was in line with their percentage of combat troops and no way did they "suffer the most." Since military service is now voluntary (and since most blacks choose to/only qualify for a noncombat MOS), approximately 85 percent of our combat casualties today are white. As far as my gender rendering me "unfit" to comment on the draft, I had/have family members serving this country since WWI. Just another liberal myth/slander (chickenhawk) from a typical, slogan-spouting progressive who flies a false flag and claims conservative values.

Alan Brooks| 8.17.10 @ 4:52PM

"Kilpatrick took care to parse his words and unambiguously elucidate his meaning."

As an ex-liberal, if I wrote "I did not say I was sorry for my former views on liberalism. I said, very carefully, that I was sorry I ever defended the practice of State-sanctioned liberalism. There is a world of difference.", it would mean the opposite. Kirkpatrick WAS sorry, or why would he have to be defensive about it?

Sheila| 8.17.10 @ 8:55PM

Since my carefully-worded comment has proven beyond your reading and reasoning abilities, Mr. Brooks, I'll repeat it. Kirkpatrick was in no way defensive about his position; he was careful to specify that he regretted defending "state-sponsored" discrimination. He said nothing about private discrimination (as I indicated, this is the exercise of free speech and free association by free people which is theoretically protected by the Constitution) and this omission was obviously deliberate. As far as saying one thing and meaning the opposite, I believe your claim to be an ex-liberal is exactly that. I'm done playing pattycake; I usually avoid responding to ignorant individuals but your blatant fallacies and fatuousness irked me. Tribalism + democracy + stupidity = Brooks and racist idiocracy. Decline and fall.

Alan Brooks| 8.17.10 @ 11:53PM

"I usually avoid responding to ignorant individuals but your blatant fallacies and fatuousness irked me."

Guilt. You know we had no genuine right to draft any black boys to send them to 'Nam. None-- no matter how "low"(5,681 is enough to fill a town).
Kirkpatrick was defensive in having to answer the "charges" (he was in no danger) at all-- a truly great person knows: never argue, never explain. He was a good person: leave it at that, he wasn't a great writer and thinker such as Madison.

P.Smith| 8.17.10 @ 9:22AM

I bought an abridged version the book R.E. Lee written by Douglass Southall Freeman about twenty years ago, and inserted in the book was a short pamphlet written by James J. Kilpatrick about his tutelage under Freeman at the Richmond News Leader. It was an excellent short read and gave me insights into Freeman’s character as a true southern gentleman that led to me to appreciate the book he had written even more. I have since purchased the full four volume set, and have not read it yet, but it looks nice on my bookshelf.

ncatty| 8.17.10 @ 9:30AM

The four volume set is a good read. Freeman was capable of amazing production. His multi-volume works were written while holding down a full time job as editor.

Steve| 8.17.10 @ 9:53AM

Mr Babbin: Thank you for your wonderful article about Mr Kilpatrick. I was so sorry when he stopped writing his column and am even sadder to learn of his death. Please permit this small peeve. irk, or crotchet. "Writing was suddenly easier for me, and as I re-read Kilpatrick's book and continued to write it only got easier, and better. " I don't believe that Mr Kilpatrick would approve of the placement of "only" in your sentence. ;)

Paul from Sa| 8.17.10 @ 10:46AM

Thanks Jed for a great article.

Mark Shepler- Jupiter FL| 8.17.10 @ 1:15PM

I read Kilpatrick for some 20 years. He was not only one of the two Master Wordsmiths of American print, a sort of Obi-Wan Kinobe to Buckley's Yoda (or vice-versa, take your pick) for wanna-be writers but an authoritative, elder statesman of conservatism. I'm not sure how either would appreciate the analogy but it's what comes to mind to a contemporary mind polluted with contemporary culture and makes the loss of them rise all the more in esteem. One read Kilpatrick as much for his views as how he wrote them. It's reassuring and entirely befitting and consistent that the two recognized authorities on English usage and writing over the last 30 years were Conservatives, no? The only man of the left who comes to my mind who is even close is Christopher Hitchens although he makes no practice of instructing in it. He just gets on with the writing of it beautifully. It's a shame he's devoted his talent so much to the undermining of what is good, just and beautiful. Still he sees clearly and writes courageously about the encroaching dark ages of islamism. Let us hope he comes around regarding God in his time of supreme trial. I suppose this must be because the Left deliberately misuses language to obfuscate, confuse and deceive others as to their meaning and intentions. They misappropriate, misapply and misconstrue words to convince others they mean something different or the opposite of the word's true meaning to further along their agenda. Thus, Orwell's warning of perverted language "war is peace, slavery is freedom" and Obama's sincerely delivered "stimulus, job creation and investments, etc.". God Speed and God Bless, Mr. Kilpatrick. May you join that hallowed club of uniquely American writers and men of letters, Mark Twain, William Faulkner, H.L. Mencken, William Buckley and many others who so graced our written word.

Carolyn Larson| 8.23.10 @ 5:53PM

Mr. Shepler, your last sentence was as gracious as Mr. Kilpatrick. He would have been quite pleased. Thank you.

Petronius| 8.17.10 @ 3:19PM

I always admired Jack for his virtuoso dissections and dismissals of the fatuous rants of Nicholas von Hoffman as well as Shana and her silliness. And we need his invective all the more now that mass ignorance and emotion trump truth. Our adversaries will delight in his passing because Jack was one of the few who would tell them to both their faces that reality cannot be defeated by denying it. The nihilists go merrily on doing so. But unlike them, James J Kilpatrick has only one face.
I look at the other names mentioned in this thread and would that I could spend 1 hour kibitzing at their table. May the Almighty commission a new Host of Angels; The Philologiam. And may they Command that a plague of confusion be inflicted upon all who substitute the semi-vulgar term "thunk" for Thought.

Hillman Phillips| 8.17.10 @ 6:55PM

Great piece, but are you sure that Mr. Kilpatrick was married to Marianne Means. I'm not sure, but I thought he was married to Georgianne Geyer.

Mark| 8.18.10 @ 7:42AM

I confess I have never read "The Writer's Art." Now I most certainly will. Surprised to see no mention here of the late William Safire, whose observations about language and usage I also used to enjoy.

S. Ruger| 8.18.10 @ 8:45AM

Though I appreciate his contributions to the discourse on language, I always thought Kilpatrick's writing was jerky and disfluent. His prose didn't flow the way good conversation or an interesting speech does. He seemed to write with a limp.

Christopher Pierson| 8.18.10 @ 11:00AM

In the early 70's I was with the Washington Star Syndicate and we syndicated both Kilpatrick and Buckley. Kilpatrick used the word opsimath in a column and Buckley was tickled and called him and asked where he got the word. Kilpo would not tell him and they joked about that for a long time.