I only met Bill Buckley a couple of times, and briefly, but I have saved the nice complimentary little notes he sent me every time he published one of my articles.  After the New York Times fired me in early 1979 for my foolish insistence that the Soviet Union would soon invade Afghanistan and the Afghans would resist, only National Review took my predictions seriously and published them — uncut, unaltered, and without caveats. I had never read the magazine and turned to it in desperation — and found respect, welcome. And intellectual sustenance ever since.

Coming from the Midwest, I'm sure that I'm only one of a multitude who were not political thinkers, just were basic American conservatives — but didn't know it, or understand why, until Bill Buckley cheerfully, and with a glint of mischief, made us aware of it.

My condolences to Christopher, whom I also knew slightly long ago; to Priscilla Buckley, who was so helpful to me;  and to the National Review staff to whom I can only say, urgently, "Carry on." 
Rosanne Klass

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