One of America's most controversial public intellectuals died last night in a Houston hospital of pneumonia brought on by esophageal cancer. He was 62 years old. Christopher Hitchens was a British-born, naturalized American and public intellectual. Targets of his slashing attacks included Henry Kissinger, the British monarchy and Mother Theresa. His recent books included the best-selling God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Jacob Weisberg, now editor in chief of the Slate Group and author of The Bush Tragedy, was befriended by Hitchens early in his journalistic career.
KCRW
