It was with sadness but not surprise that I learned that Christopher Hitchens had died of pneumonia, a complication of esophageal cancer, Thursday night at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston at the age of 62.
The author/journalist/raconteur/commentator had an amazing career. Before he was diagnosed with cancer in June of 2010, he was a regular contributor for years to Vanity Fair, the Atlantic and Slate, and still continued to write for all three publications even while he struggled with his disease.
He also wrote a slew of books, including his memoir, Hitch-22, which was published right before he was diagnosed.
I only had a couple of encounters with the man, but both were memorable, and one was particularly painful.
This article appears in Dec 15-21, 2011.