To Mark Steyn!
Two journalists whose writings do not try to march in lockstep with the mainstream media last night were presented with the Eric Breindel Award for Excellence in Opinion Journalism.
Mark Steyn, a syndicated columnist whose work – on topics ranging from politics to diplomacy to popular culture – appears in National Review, The New Criterion and The Atlantic Monthly, among many other publications, won the eighth annual award, and a check for $20,000, following a reception at the New-York Historical Society.
And Matt Mireles, a junior at Columbia University and contributor to the Daily Spectator, took home the first annual award for excellence in college journalism, which includes a $10,000 check and a summer internship at the Fox News Channel.
This award honors The Post’s late editorial-page editor, who died in 1998 at age 42. It is bestowed by the Eric Breindel Memorial Foundation and endowed by News Corp., The Post’s parent company.
Each year, the prize recognizes the work of a columnist, editorialist or writer whose work best reflects love of this country and its democratic institutions. Steyn, though a native of Canada, clearly reflects these virtues, as a reading of one of his prize-winning columns, “Be Glad the Flag Is Worth Burning,” demonstrates: “One of the big lessons of these last four years is that many, many beneficiaries of Western civilization loathe that civilization,” he wrote, “and the media are generally inclined to blur the extent of that loathing.”
Good for him; he is always magnificent. Clear, honest, sharp, and a marvellous writer.
Agreed, Steyn is always on my must read lists.
He’s one of the very best, in a league with the late, lamented Michael Kelly.
“A summer internship at the Fox News Channel.”
The mind boggles.
I’ve enjoyed Mark Steyn for years. He’s undoubtedly the best in his field on a global basis, that the Canadian MSM doesn’t contract him speaks volumes about our MSM (the Western Standard does contract him)
What we often lose sight of is Steyn’s sense of humour. Conservatives are a pretty serious lot, humour helps.
One of the best and scariest columns that I ever read of Steyn’s is the one on Demographics …
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007760
One of his many money quotes:
“In a globalized economy, the environmentalists want us to worry about First World capitalism imposing its ways on bucolic, pastoral, primitive Third World backwaters. Yet, insofar as “globalization” is a threat, the real danger is precisely the opposite …. the way to look at Islamism: We fret about McDonald’s and Disney, but the big globalization success story is the way the Saudis have taken what was 80 years ago a severe but obscure and unimportant strain of Islam practiced by Bedouins of no fixed abode and successfully exported it to the heart of Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Manchester, Buffalo . . .”
Yea, Mark! Way to go!!
Whenever I’m on the verge of despair *** you know, living in Canada, being a Canadian *** I take heart because Mark Steyn is a Canadian and look what he’s writing. He proves that it IS possible to be Canadian and not have become a total mental case: which can also be said about this blog. He always pricks the Librano/Dipper/Red Tory/Secular Humanist/MSM nutbar balloon, and with such brio.
‘So glad he is being recognized. Even without such recognition, the guy stands nine feet tall, head and shoulders above most journalists.
dawg, I suspect this young man’s career achievements already exceed anything you’ve ever done. Just a guess.
Islam Incompatible with Europe, Say Dutch
This poll may be more pleasing to M. Steyn than any well deserved journalism reward. It’s vindication and that’s got to be real sweet.
What was once labelled extreme is now mainstream-
in the Netherlands any way.
Does anyone nail it like Steyn? He is the Mozart of political commentary. A virtuoso.
I too have been a big fan of Mr. Steyn since my charter-subscriber first-edition of the National Post. Though we have lost him there, fortunately we still have his unsurpassed work at the Western Standard, and, believe it or not, at MacLeans, (since Ken White, the original NP editor, is now at the helm there (have I that correct?)).
And then of course, there’s Mr. Steyn’s web site, http://www.marksteyn.com , where interestingly enough I, your humble correspondent Vitruvius, was honoured to receive his letter-of-the-week commendation on February 24, 2004. In honour thereof, Mr. Steyn graciously sent me a copy of his book, “The Face of the Tiger”, autographed: “Congratulations. A Great Letter.” If you’re interested, my letter’s available here: http://sagaciousiconoclast.blogspot.com/2006/06/guns-fraud-and-big-numbers-in-canada.html
Raise many Steyns. Frum truth to…
God I hate that cliché.
Mark
Ottawa
A great hoorah for Mark Steyn. I note that the award was given to a writer who showed his love for the US through his great skill in skewering the wooly headed Americans, on the right and the left .
Mark’s a younger, with a wider circulation, Ted Byfield. They’re my straightforward, knowledgeable, courageous, laid back, funny, tell-it-like-it-is media HEROES: Sighhh!
Mark, or mini Ted: What a guy! Everything he writes is bristling with verve and vitality. There doesn’t seem to be a passive bone in his body. His mind’s pretty active too. And how about that wicked sense of humour? He REALLY is the “One-man global content provider”! Isn’t it amazing that he’s always r/Right! (Ted too.)
The pleasure, support, information, and resolve they’ve provided to so many of us are of incalcuable worth.
I love Ted Byfield and Mark Steyn: They’re very alike. Each one is such a gift to this deluded country (world) of ours.
And they show us all, BIG TIME, how to kick butt. Right on!
Vitruvius: I went to your site and read the letter — AND remembered it. Damn good.
I often print out the entire mailbox and am usually very impressed by the quality of the readers’ letters, and his occassional killer replies! It was indeed an honour to have your letter selected for letter of the week.
I’ve never sent a letter, but did have a request answered: a reprint of his piece on the singer Tom Jones from the very early days of the National Post. I still can’t over the sheer physical delight of lauughing through the whole thing and wondering who the hell IS this guy?!?
Popped down to Beverley Hills in December to attend the Claremont Institute’s Annual Churchill Dinner where Steyn was the keynote speaker. Before the dinner was very surprised to see the great man standing alone in the middle of the room. Introduced myself as a denizen of the “diseased dominion” and eventually a small group gathered. As you would expect, he held forth most amusingly. But I was surprised at how shy and self-effacing the guy was, and shocked he had an English accent. He delivered a brilliant speech with standing ovation.
I find myself thinking of Steyn as the new HL Mencken but without the nastiness.
dawg, I suspect this young man’s career achievements already exceed anything you’ve ever done. Just a guess.
Don’t be too sure I suspect Dawg Baglow to be a shoo-in for “Most Pretentious Pseudo-Intellectual NDP Gasbag” at next years Blog Awards.
Alain Dupuis: I suspect Mr Steyns’s abilities are far beyond those of we mere bloggers. Dr.Dawg is a sincere Marxist and willing to engage in intelligent discussion, should one care to do so.
We all use one-line shots for effect.
Mark
Ottawaq
I said earlier:
He is the Mozart of political commentary
And now: Dr Dawg is Antonio Salieri?
Hey guys, forgive the braggadocio. Letters of mine were published three times in a row in his Mail Box, with one getting a reply from “the great man.” I’m not saying what month or year, as I might give my identity away, but it made my day, all three times!!
No “letter of the week,” though, Me No Dhimmi: congrats.
An English accent? Hmm. Mark is really a mystery. Brought up in Montreal? Now lives in Vermont? Lived for a time in England? Wow. If you want to talk about someone who’s “multicultural,” he da man. But he’d HATE anyone to call him “multicultural,” so let’s just call him cosmopolitan (without the attitude that often goes with it) and definitely not provincial.
My husband and I also first learned about him when we became subscribers to the National Post at its inception, and eventually tired of the NP when Izzy (RIP) axed Steyn, Frum, Byfied (right on, lookout: Steyn and Byfield are giants: nine feet tall) and company. Nothing much left there, and when they massacred a letter I’d written to the editor *** like totalled it, by misrespresenting what I’d written *** that did it for me. Kaputski. ‘Great way to enlarge your circulation, NP, and drive me into the arms of the blogosphere.
Pride goeth before a fall***
Whoops, sorry, Vitruvius: congrats to YOU on the Mark’s Mailbox Letter of the Week. ‘Misread Me No Dhimmi’s post.
Great letter, Vitruvius. 7,500 years: that sounds about right. Get them off the streets for a little while, at least.
Me No Dhimmi: Mozart and Salieri: LOL.
You can hear The Master’s Voice. He’s on the Hugh Hewitt radio show every Thursday I think. Recently I heard the latest clip which I believe was linked on Steyn’s site. Don’t recall seeing it there before. Always interesting, especially the number of times Hewitt says Mark Steyn — before nearly every question. Perhaps it’s one of the Steynman’s contractual requirements?
Mark Collins: if Dr Dawg is a “sincere Marxist” he should find something true and correct to become sincere about. Marx had a great intellect but he was a no-good bum, a phony, racked with envy and resentment, and an out and out liar: he knew his “labour theory of value” (exploitation theory) was wrong which is why he left Engels to publish the last 2 volumes of his “magnum opus”. Being a great intellect he knew he was wrong but went with it anyway. Sadly 100 million people died from Marxism last century. The only thing to be sincere about Marx is: sincerely sorry!
I thoroughly enjoyed the book forwarded by Mark Stein. ‘Saving Canada’s Right.’ The Authors are Tasha Kheiriddon and Adam Daifallah. Thank you for
your imput Mark.
Steyn is a very gifted opinion writer and polemicist. But a journalist? He’s as much a journalist as Michael Moore.
I love Mark Steyn because he proves my point that a journalism degree is worthless. The guy never went to college. He’s the epitome of the talent and integrity that can’t be learned in a classroom.
Too bad he doesn’t have a larger newspaper syndication, but we all know why, don’t we.
remember, stephen harper is evil:
http://seanhblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/this-is-why-i-voted-for-harper.html
Mark Steyn has been a voice of sanity for those of us who have been wondering what is wrong with the way we think (always freaking out at TVs and newspapers because we hate what they say!) – for years. He never fails to amaze me with his insight, his wisdom and his wit. I am so glad he won this award – Steyn and Kate speak to me and for me as the MSM writters never have. Good choice. It is wonderful when an award is given to someone who actually deserves the honor.
The Imams from the Al-Jazeara North aka Castrating Broadcorping Castication have issued a fatwa, a termination order, a severance, to Brian Williams.
Who is safe? The Friendly Giant was beheaded; Rusty the Giraffe’s neck was severed; Don Cherry is in the pits (sour grapes); Don Newman was thrown off Seinfeld; George is next on the hit list.
G-G was terminated previously by Paul Who? who seduced Jean into jumping to his pirate radio station at Rideau Hall, Ottawa.
Peter Mousebridge: a turtleneck sweater will not protect your neck. Beware the CBC Imams, Peter. ..
CBC fires Brian Williams just days after announcing his move to CTV
He was a star at the CBC for more than 20 years, but Brian Williams was fired Thursday, just days after informing the network on Monday he would be leaving for rival CTV at the end of the year.
via nealenews
HIS MASTER VOICE:
http://www.steynonline.com/index.cfm
Click on Adieu, Abu, takes you to Radio Blogger.
There’s a MP3 clip of Thursday’s Hugh Hewitt appearance. Yesterday when I went there the script was there, but not the MP3, so maybe best to wait til Friday if you want to hear. Always good fun.
Vis a vis Brian Williams’ firing: The CBC has never been known for its graciousness.
A thumbs up & a hearty congradulations to Mark Steyn . One of the most illuminating essayists of the new century.
A well deserved tribute to honest reporting.Informed opinion. Plus his witty reviews on film & art generaly.
Steyn on Hugh Hewitt: Re: Zarqawi and the non-celebrating left.
http://www.steynonline.com/index.cfm
Click on Adieu, Abu.
Takes you to Radio Blogger.
Click on MP3 link for latest appearance on Hugh Hewitt.
I went there yesterday but there was the script only. So it seems if you want to HEAR Steyn, maybe visit on Friday.
“labour theory of value” (exploitation theory)
Uh…two different things. But thanks for your input.
The label “Marxist” is far too small a box to contain me, in any case, but thanks for the compliment, Mark.
I see Anonalogue has a new sockie.
“labour theory of value” (exploitation theory)
Umm…two different things, but thanks for playing.
The term “Marxist” is too small a box to contain me, but thanks for the compliment, Mark.
And I see that Anonalogue has a new sockie. Whether Core or Hambone or Dupuis, you can tell the lion by his paw.