I join Yuval in offering my condolences to the friends and family of Amy Kass, a lady rich in mind and heart, who died last night of cancer. I wish I had the chance to know her as well as so many conservative colleagues did. I did join Yuval for two summers’ worth of attendance at a wonderful movie-discussion series at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, hosted and organized by James Bowman, at which Amy and Leon Kass were James’ other regular discussion leaders. One summer the theme was movie heroes, and how the very concept of a hero had changed over time. Another summer dealt with how the concept of romance had changed in movies throughout the years. It was great stuff — and made even better by the insights Amy offered, full of wisdom and a deep understanding of human nature, with flashes of delightful wit.
I wish I had an audio recording of the discussions, so I could hear Amy’s comments again. What sticks in the memory, alas, is not any one particular bit of substance, but rather the overall impression of a lady with a mind fine-tuned, and sensibilities refined, so that she was a joy to converse with. May the Lord grant comfort to Amy and to all who loved her.