Statement on the Death of Willie Morris

Hillary and I were greatly saddened to learn of the death of our good friend Willie Morris. When I was a senior in college, I was captivated by his wonderful memoir, "North Toward Home." I had the opportunity to visit New York City and meet him, then the remarkably young editor of Harper's magazine, who had started out in a small Southern town not unlike my own and who never lost his fascination with the human condition. In the 1980's, we became reacquainted, and I have enjoyed his wit, warmth, and wisdom ever since. Willie Morris was not only my friend, he was a national treasure. He had enormous pride in and love for the South, but he also had a passion to right the wrongs of our racial history. He will take his place beside Faulkner and Welty in the pantheon of the South's greatest writers. Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife Joanne, his son David, and his family and friends.