I was half asleep at around 8 am this morning when I received a text message from a friend. It said: “Shot of Black Label in his honour is in order.” I guessed instantly what the radio confirmed minutes later. Christopher Hitchens, author, contrarian, provocateur extraordinaire had died. I consider myself fortunate to have twice heard him speak live and to have shook his hand. I even told him a bad joke at which he graciously smiled as though he hadn’t heard it before. Hitch was best known for his God-bashing best seller God is Not Great. I’ve read it cover to cover more than once, but on that issue he was preaching to the choir in my case. I had no need of further argumentation on those matters.

For me, it was Christopher’s dedication to and passion for literature that stirred something which had gone dormant in me. I was an avid reader as a youngster, but somehow in my early adulthood I started to neglect my relationship with books and ideas. It was one of those breakups that occur over a protracted period of time rather than in one, sharp moment, but within a few years of having left university to join the army (due to a lack of funds) I could no longer really call myself a “book guy”. 

In 2005 or 2006 my roommate suggested that I check out a Hitchens debate online. I thought Christopher was simply extraordinary and so I bought a copy of a collection of his essays called Love, Poverty and War. It turns out that that decision brought all my love of books rushing back. On page after page, Hitchens opened or re-opened my mind to authors, historical figures and ideas that I’d not bothered to seriously consider. I began to build a reading list based on Christopher’s book and so he will always be my hero for introducing me to Joyce, Kipling, Kingsley and Martin Amis, Dostoevsky, and others. What’s more, I wouldn’t be working with great Canadian literature today if it hadn’t been for Hitch’s influence.

And so today, I plan on raising a glass or two of Christopher’s favourite whisky (Johnnie Walker, Black Label if you were wondering) while revisiting some of the essays that led to the re-ignition of my love affair with literature.

Thanks and goodbye Christopher,

Scott

Toronto, Northern & Southwestern Ontario rep