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05/31/2005 Archived Entry: "Bill Bradford Update"

Update on Bill Bradford's condition. Today I received the standard monthly "Liberty edit memo" which read...

The July LIBERTY. . . went to press last Wednesday, no thanks to me.

Here is the "From the Publisher" that I wrote in lieu of my customary "From the Editor" for that issue:

Alert readers will note a change in the title of this column and several changes in this issues masthead. The column is titled From the Publisher rather than From the Editor because for the first time in LIBERTY's history, I did not play the primary role in editing an issue. That responsibility was taken by Kathy Bradford, my wife. She has always played a critical (and much underappreciated role) in the editorial process. For this issue she stepped in and assumed my own editorial responsibility during an illness that, for the past month, has prevented my doing more than a token amount of work.

Four days after the June LIBERTY went to press, I was stricken with a pain in my abdomen that turned out to be symptomatic of a tumor attached to my left kidney. Both were removed a few days later. My recovery has had complications, most of which are past, though I remain tired and weak. My physician suspects that I may still harbor some cancer, though of a relatively benign and curable sort.

Kathys support has been more than heroic. While my gratitude for her care of me is infinite, it is also very private. I hope that those of you who care for this magazine as I do and who have an opportunity to thank her for her help this past month and during LIBERTY's entire life will extend your thanks to her as well...

Others also deserve special thanks. You'll note that Andrew Ferguson is listed on the masthead as Managing Editor, a position that he has earned by keeping the editorial process going when I have been too ill and Kathy has been too busy caring for me. LIBERTY's other full-time staffer, Mark Rand, also performed splendidly. Although hes been here only about two months, a length of time that finds most staffers still learning the ropes, he mastered major responsibilities at a difficult moment. Senior editors Steve Cox and Bruce Ramsey also stepped up and provided editorial help beyond the norm, help for which I am extremely grateful. I also owe special thanks to the editors and contributors who responded with articles and reviews to the single email I managed to send out reporting my illness and asking for their help. I had feared for this issue, since we had originally intended to include two fairly lengthy pieces of my own, an article and a review that Id been working on for some time. Had these individuals not responded, the issue would have been very thin or very late. My thanks goes out to everyone who helped with this issue.