To the Editor:
Re “Russell Baker, 1925-2019: ‘Observer’ With Pulitzer-Grade Wit and Whimsy” (front page, Jan. 23):
Having just finished reading one of Russell Baker’s columns mentioned in his obituary, I am happy — and not at all surprised — that I found them as wry and exquisitely observational as they were when I first read them decades ago (the image of Mr. Baker having to blot “with a paper towel to remove cat hairs” from the canned pear that had escaped his spoon made me laugh out loud).
Mr. Baker was a must-read, and his voice, particularly in the absurd time in which we now find ourselves, would have been invaluable. Rest in peace, sir.
Stephanie Nicholas Acquadro
Westfield, N.J.
To the Editor:
In the early 1980s, I was fresh out of college, working for an environmental nonprofit. Russell Baker had accepted an invitation to speak at a gala fund-raiser, and I had been assigned to guide him through the throngs and introduce him to the key players in the room. He arrived haltingly, looking dapper but somewhat discomfited by the tuxedo he had been expected to wear.
He was obviously pleased that a sympathetic someone would accompany him during the evening, and quickly made clear his gentle skepticism of the purported intent of the gathering. It was, like all galas, perhaps somewhat more about the attendees than the cause, and he communicated, at least to me, that he felt out of place among New York’s glitterati. Far sooner than either of us had expected, he was sheared from me, but not before expressing some dismay and, I like to think, disappointment at our separation.
Thus ended my brief acquaintance with the great man. I had grown up loving Mr. Baker’s columns for their gentle tone and reassuring good humor, and I was grateful to have the man himself confirm the image of him I had formed. I carry that moment with me as a reminder of true humility and humanity. I am saddened by his passing.
Samuel Huber
Montclair, N.J.
To the Editor:
My eyes teared up at the news of Russell Baker’s passing. We lost a great writer.
Mr. Baker’s writing spanned the serious to the humorous. It was just perfect. There was an unmistakable intelligence about him, and also humility. I wrote to him once and he politely wrote back. I doubt that he even dictated the letter, choosing instead to roll a piece of paper into his typewriter and type out what he had to say.
Read “Growing Up.” Get hold of a compilation and read his columns. It is what he has left behind for all of us and we should hold onto them.
It has been said that you can draw a direct line from Mark Twain to Russell Baker. Had Mr. Baker been born first, the line would have been drawn the other way.
Bruce Neuman
Water Mill, N.Y.
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Opinion | Recalling the Wry Humor and Humility of Russell Baker
Opinion | Recalling the Wry Humor and Humility of Russell Baker
To the Editor:
Re “Russell Baker, 1925-2019: ‘Observer’ With Pulitzer-Grade Wit and Whimsy” (front page, Jan. 23):
Having just finished reading one of Russell Baker’s columns mentioned in his obituary, I am happy — and not at all surprised — that I found them as wry and exquisitely observational as they were when I first read them decades ago (the image of Mr. Baker having to blot “with a paper towel to remove cat hairs” from the canned pear that had escaped his spoon made me laugh out loud).
Mr. Baker was a must-read, and his voice, particularly in the absurd time in which we now find ourselves, would have been invaluable. Rest in peace, sir.
Stephanie Nicholas Acquadro
Westfield, N.J.
To the Editor:
In the early 1980s, I was fresh out of college, working for an environmental nonprofit. Russell Baker had accepted an invitation to speak at a gala fund-raiser, and I had been assigned to guide him through the throngs and introduce him to the key players in the room. He arrived haltingly, looking dapper but somewhat discomfited by the tuxedo he had been expected to wear.
He was obviously pleased that a sympathetic someone would accompany him during the evening, and quickly made clear his gentle skepticism of the purported intent of the gathering. It was, like all galas, perhaps somewhat more about the attendees than the cause, and he communicated, at least to me, that he felt out of place among New York’s glitterati. Far sooner than either of us had expected, he was sheared from me, but not before expressing some dismay and, I like to think, disappointment at our separation.
Thus ended my brief acquaintance with the great man. I had grown up loving Mr. Baker’s columns for their gentle tone and reassuring good humor, and I was grateful to have the man himself confirm the image of him I had formed. I carry that moment with me as a reminder of true humility and humanity. I am saddened by his passing.
Samuel Huber
Montclair, N.J.
To the Editor:
My eyes teared up at the news of Russell Baker’s passing. We lost a great writer.
Mr. Baker’s writing spanned the serious to the humorous. It was just perfect. There was an unmistakable intelligence about him, and also humility. I wrote to him once and he politely wrote back. I doubt that he even dictated the letter, choosing instead to roll a piece of paper into his typewriter and type out what he had to say.
Read “Growing Up.” Get hold of a compilation and read his columns. It is what he has left behind for all of us and we should hold onto them.
It has been said that you can draw a direct line from Mark Twain to Russell Baker. Had Mr. Baker been born first, the line would have been drawn the other way.
Bruce Neuman
Water Mill, N.Y.
Source: Read Full Article