SOURCE: Beichman, Arnold. “Jolly Ex-Friends for Evermore.” Policy Review, no. 94 (April-May 1999): 82-8.

In the following review, Beichman applauds “Podhoretz's sensitively and beautifully composed autobiographical” narrative in Ex-Friends and nostalgically describes the atmosphere of the 1950s and 1960s when Podhoretz was a member of “The Family.” Beichman also comments that his perspective is potentially biased because he is “mentioned favorably three times in” Ex-Friends.

There are plenty of reasons why I should disqualify myself as a reviewer of Norman Podhoretz's sensitively and beautifully composed autobiographical chapter [Ex-Friends: Falling out with Allen Ginsberg, Lionel and Diana Trilling, Lillian Hellman, Hannah Arendt, and Norman Mailer]. I am mentioned favorably three times in this book. I've known the author for some four decades. During that time I have been friend, ex-friend and friend again. I knew him before and after he became editor of Commentary magazine. We became ex-friends because of his...