Wilfred M. McClay, "The Equilibrist," National Review, October 19, 2009.

Excerpt:

LUNCH with Irving Kristol was an experience to remember. I had the pleasure only three times, always in the excellent dining room atop the American Enterprise Institute, but I recall each occasion distinctly and fondly. Our conversations ranged widely, and were always interrupted by friends dropping by the table, wanting Irving’s take on burning issues of the day, whatever they might have been. Yet he seemed to have the ability, common to skillful editors, of taking all such interruptions in stride, almost as if they were written into the script, directing and redirecting his attention at will without loss of focus. What we now call “multitasking” seemed to come naturally to him. He always had a lot of irons in the fire.

Online:
Jack Miller Center
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