Critic John Leonard Dies

Literary And Cultural Critic Was Also A Commentator For CBS Sunday Morning

(AP)  Literary and cultural critic John Leonard, an early champion of Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and many other authors, and so consumed and informed by books that Kurt Vonnegut once praised him as "the smartest man who ever lived," has died at age 69, his stepdaughter said Thursday.

Leonard died at Mount Sinai Hospital Wednesday night from complications from lung cancer, stepdaughter Jen Nessel said.

A former union activist and community organizer, Leonard was an emphatic liberal whose career began in the 1960s at the conservative National Review and continued at countless other publications, including The New York Times, The New Republic, The Nation and The Atlantic Monthly. He was also a TV critic for New York magazine, a columnist for Newsday and a commentator for "CBS Sunday Morning."

Leonard had the critic's most fortunate knack of being ahead of his time. He was the first major reviewer to assess Morrison's fiction and the first major American critic to write about Marquez. As the literary director for radio station KPFA in Berkeley, Calif., Leonard featured the commentary of Pauline Kael, before she became famous as a film critic for The New Yorker. Leonard was also an early advocate of Mary Gordon, Maxine Hong Kingston and other women writers.

"He really put a lot of us on the map," said Gordon, who eventually became friends with Leonard. "He was generous, warm, funny, and he didn't make the mistakes that other men make with women writers. There was no discomfort or condescension with him, no feeling that he was the great man from on high. He was like a very tender big brother."

His good work was appreciated. When Morrison traveled to Stockholm in 1993 to collect her Nobel Prize, she brought Leonard along, "one of the most incredible experiences of his life," Leonard's stepdaughter said. Studs Terkel, who died Oct. 31, once called him "a literary critic in the noblest sense of the word, where you didn't determine whether a book was `good or bad' but wrote with a point of view of how you should read the book."

Said Leonard's good friend, Kurt Vonnegut: "When I start to read John Leonard, it is as though I, while simply looking for the men's room, blundered into a lecture by the smartest man who ever lived."

Leonard treated his subjects like lovers - to be protected, assailed, embraced. Literature was sweet madness. In 2007, accepting an honorary prize from his peers at the National Book Critics Circle, Leonard observed that "for almost 50 years, I have received narrative, witness, companionship, sanctuary, shock, and steely strangeness; good advice, bad news, deep chords, hurtful discrepancy, and amazing grace.

"At an average of five books a week ... I will read 13,000. Then I'm dead. Thirteen thousand in a lifetime, about as many as there are new ones published every MONTH in this country."

Leonard's own books included "Black Conceit," "This Pen for Hire" and "Lonesome Rangers: Homeless Minds, Promised Lands, Fugitive Cultures."

Raised by a single mother, Leonard was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Washington, New York City and Long Beach, Calif. He dropped out of Harvard University, moved to New York and was taken on by William F. Buckley at the National Review after Buckley spotted a magazine article written by Leonard that scorned Greenwich Village.

"At one point, his job was monitoring the left-wing press," Leonard's stepdaughter said with a laugh.

Garry Wills, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Lincoln at Gettysburg" and also a former National Review writer, remembered Leonard as a "terrific stylist" and an obvious talent at the magazine, where Buckley prized quality as much as politics.

"He was extraordinarily knowledgeable about literature. He always knew everything," Wills said Thursday, adding that he regretted Leonard stopped writing fiction after such early novels as "Wyke Regis" and "The Naked Martini."

"I thought he had a lot of promise, but John thought he was better off writing criticism."

Although gravely ill near the end, Leonard did make sure to vote Tuesday, for Barack Obama, needing a chair as he waited at his polling place on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

"That was very important to him," Nessel said.

Leonard is survived by his second wife, Sue Leonard; two children; one stepchild; and three grandchildren. A public memorial is planned for February.

[vixster51]

it was truly a sad moment to learn that Mr. Leonard had departed our midst. An incomparable wordsmith, Mr. Leonard highlighted my Sunday mornings with his insightful and occasional deceptively slicing comments. Admittedly, I wept at the news of his passing and sincerely hope that he and Mr. Kurault are again enjoying each other''s banter and company. Wordsmiths like them are few and, unfortunately, very far between.

[grinchwitch]

I do not walway get to watch Sunday morning but since I was a small child I can remember with excitement the ritual my father and I had watch and then going into Face the Nation and then Football... My father dreamed of me becoming a journalist... I would have wanted to if I could have done half the job John Leonard did... tow of my favorite spots now gone forever stories by Charles Kurault and John Leonard will never be a part of my great nieces fond rememberance''s...

RIP Mr. Leonard you will truly be missed!

[laurelv]

I am really hoping that CBS posts the video of today''s tribute to John Leonard on this website. I had my DVR set to record the show as always this morning, but for some reason it didn''t, and I didn''t notice until the show was almost over. I was looking forward to hearing the piece. I always enjoyed hearing Mr. Leonard''s commentaries and reviews.

[laurelv]

I am really hoping that CBS posts the video of today''s tribute to John Leonard on this website. I had my DVR set to record the show as always this morning, but for some reason it didn''t, and I didn''t notice until the show was almost over. I was looking forward to hearing the piece. I always enjoyed hearing Mr. Leonard''s commentaries and reviews.

[quetico94]

Dittos to the kudos paid to Mr. Leonard. I think his words on todays program, made after our infamous 9-ll experience, should be re-played here and on-air. With his usual to-the-point style, he gave us his view of terrorism; it is one we should all be encouraged to remember. He calls us all to diligence.

[hartleyp1]

I enthusiastically second the comments of those who have deeply missed Mr. Leonard on CBS Sunday Morning. It''s still the best TV news program on the air, but his loss is deeply felt. To be honest, I haven''t taken seriously any other so-called "cultural commentator" on television since Mr. Leonard left the show; he was simply the best there ever was. He was the most informative, the most entertaining and by far the most intelligent. (Not to mention, always correct in his observations.)I have missed him terribly since leaving the program; now, like everyone else, I deeply mourn his passing. I have a favor to ask of those writing or viewing this site. A power failure kept me from recording today''s "CBS Sunday Morning." If there was a tribute to Mr. Leonard--and there should have been a great one--I missed it! If someone did record the program, please contact me at [e-mail]. I would be happy to pay for any tape or DVD (or dub thereof) of the program.

[hartleyp1]

I enthusiastically second the comments of those who have deeply missed Mr. Leonard on CBS Sunday Morning. It''s still the best TV news program on the air, but his loss is deeply felt. To be honest, I haven''t taken seriously any other so-called "cultural commentator" on television since Mr. Leonard left the show; he was simply the best there ever was. He was the most informative, the most entertaining and by far the most intelligent. (Not to mention, always correct in his observations.)I have missed him terribly since leaving the program; now, like everyone else, I deeply mourn his passing. I have a favor to ask of those writing or viewing this site. A power failure kept me from recording today''s "CBS Sunday Morning." If there was a tribute to Mr. Leonard--and there should have been a great one--I missed it! If someone did record the program, please contact me at [e-mail]. I would be happy to pay for any tape or DVD (or dub thereof) of the program.

[hartleyp1]

I enthusiastically second the comments of those who have deeply missed Mr. Leonard on CBS Sunday Morning. It''s still the best TV news program on the air, but his loss is deeply felt. To be honest, I haven''t taken seriously any other so-called "cultural commentator" on television since Mr. Leonard left the show; he was simply the best there ever was. He was the most informative, the most entertaining and by far the most intelligent. (Not to mention, always correct in his observations.)I have missed him terribly since leaving the program; now, like everyone else, I deeply mourn his passing. I have a favor to ask of those writing or viewing this site. A power failure kept me from recording today''s "CBS Sunday Morning." If there was a tribute to Mr. Leonard--and there should have been a great one--I missed it! If someone did record the program, please contact me at [e-mail]. I would be happy to pay for any tape or DVD (or dub thereof) of the program.

[hartleyp1]

I enthusiastically second the comments of those who have deeply missed Mr. Leonard on CBS Sunday Morning. It''s still the best TV news program on the air, but his loss is deeply felt. To be honest, I haven''t taken seriously any other so-called "cultural commentator" on television since Mr. Leonard left the show; he was simply the best there ever was. He was the most informative, the most entertaining and by far the most intelligent. (Not to mention, always correct in his observations.)I have missed him terribly since leaving the program; now, like everyone else, I deeply mourn his passing. I have a favor to ask of those writing or viewing this site. A power failure kept me from recording today''s "CBS Sunday Morning." If there was a tribute to Mr. Leonard--and there should have been a great one--I missed it! If someone did record the program, please contact me at [e-mail]. I would be happy to pay for any tape or DVD (or dub thereof) of the program.

[hartleyp1]

I enthusiastically second the comments of those who have deeply missed Mr. Leonard on CBS Sunday Morning. It''s still the best TV news program on the air, but his loss is deeply felt. To be honest, I haven''t taken seriously any other so-called "cultural commentator" on television since Mr. Leonard left the show; he was simply the best there ever was. He was the most informative, the most entertaining and by far the most intelligent. (Not to mention, always correct in his observations.)I have missed him terribly since leaving the program; now, like everyone else, I deeply mourn his passing. I have a favor to ask of those writing or viewing this site. A power failure kept me from recording today''s "CBS Sunday Morning." If there was a tribute to Mr. Leonard--and there should have been a great one--I missed it! If someone did record the program, please contact me at [e-mail]. I would be happy to pay for any tape or DVD (or dub thereof) of the program.

[koala_bear1]

I was saddened to learn of John''s passing. A brilliant reviewer with a sharp insightful mind and the ability to convey complex ideas in well-edited sound bite style crossing multiple generations in a single bound. I hope he didn''t suffer long with that terrible disease, and my thoughts are with his family and friends. He will be remembered fondly by many whose lives he inspired and never knew he touched.

[vanessa729]

I''ve always run to the television whenever John Leonard was on. Sometimes, I soaked in every word. Others I replayed in my mind. Every twist and turn,tumble and tryst,until every nuance was sighted.
God Bless your family. Long live John Leonard, Mister Thesaurus, man of millions of beautiful words.

[pzack1]

I can''t even imagine another reviewer as witty and as smart as John Leonard. He will be sorely missed. Kurt Vonnegut was right, His was the review to savor because he was the smartest man in the room.

[dalabam]

In addition to his insightful commentary, John Leonard was the bravest man on live television. I will always recall the Sunday morning he wrestled with the treacherous tongue twister, "Pogo-sticking to a pop apocalypse". Although he fell of the pogo-stick, he continued bravely to the end.

[oryssman]

I too have missed Mr. Leonard''s commentary for some time, being a devoted CBS Sunday Morning watcher for years. Erudite, thoughtful, and incisive are just a few adjectives that describe John Leonard. The best thing of all? At first, when I started listening to him I did not know his politics; after I learned his were opposite mine I like him all that much more, admiring the skill with which he brought to his craft.

And that he was alive to be apart of and indeed participate in the historic event of this week must have been satisfying. My condolences to his family and friends.

[micklest-2009]

I have been missing him on CBS Sunday Morning for quite some time now. If you''re going to eulogize him, it better be good. Can''t imagine how you would top anything he himself might have said or written in eulogy of others. John Leonard, you are sorely missed.