A `Mightier Pen' for a Master Wordsmith

0 Comments | Insight on the News, May 14, 2001 | by John Elvin

Some say words have lost their magic in the electronic era. What's to be expected when tens of millions of us shovel heaps of words like cheap coal into the furnace of the Internet and call ourselves writers? It is hard to imagine that a superb writer even would be noticed in the resulting smoke and fumes. But Mark Helprin is noticed.

Helprin's magic touch produces lines such as these: "Perhaps passing through the gates of death is like passing quietly through the gate in a pasture fence. On the other side, you keep walking without the need to look back. No shock, no drama, just the lifting of a plank or two in a simple wooden gate in a clearing. Neither pain, nor floods of light, nor great voices, but just the silent crossing of a meadow."

Though much of Helprin's work arguably is ethereal and will no doubt last, some is more ephemeral commentary on events of the day. An example is the following political assessment, subject of a long stream of admiring comment in chat rooms and on bulletin boards on the Internet: "Trent Lott, who dwells behind the baseboards, ears cocked and fingers to the wind, surrounded by squadrons of ever-trembling mice."

Helprin's creative flair is tempered by intelligence, wisdom and experience. Fortunately, he has not hidden his talent away in books where but a few lucky readers might find it; he is a contributing editor for the Wall Street Journal, and his work has appeared in numerous other national and international newspapers and magazines. He also is the author of nine books.

Frank Gaffney Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Center for Security Policy, calls Helprin "one of the most important writers at work today." Gaffney made the comment to this column when asked about the center's decision to present its "Mightier Pen" award to Helprin.

Here's a parting thought from the award winner, perhaps intriguing enough to entice a few more readers into his books: "As long as you have life and breath, believe. Believe for those who cannot. Believe even if you have stopped believing. Believe for the sake of the dead, for love, to keep your heart beating; believe. Never give up, never despair, let no mystery confound you into the conclusion that mystery cannot be yours." That's from Helprin's book, A Soldier of the Great War.

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