A Visit with Art Buchwald

Humor columnist Art Buchwald, a summertime resident of Martha's Vineyard, was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award from his fellow newspaper columnists. The award comes at a trying time for Buchwald. He is living in a hospice, after refusing kidney dialysis, and has written his final column to appear the day after his death. Columnist Suzette Martinez Standring is the president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. It was her task to deliver the award to Buchwald at the hospice in Washington DC. She ended up spending two days there, and has these thoughts.

Suzette Martinez Standring can be reached at suzmar@comcast.net