First Drafts - The Prospect magazine blog

The American journalist and writer William F Buckley died yesterday at the age of 82. Buckley founded the influential conservative magazine National Review in 1955. He published over 50 books (including one about his interactions with National Review readers called Cancel Your Own Goddam Subscription) and hosted the political TV talk show Firing Line for over 30 years. Buckley famously supported segregation, opposed women’s liberation and advocated the compulsory tattooing of HIV-positive people (but favoured legalising marijuana). In Prospect’s January 2006 issue, James P Pinkerton assessed Buckley’s legacy on the occasion of his 80th birthday.