On @JVLast& #39;s podcast, he & @JayNordlinger were discussing the ephemeral nature of modern writing. It reminded me of Mark Helpring& #39;s old WSJ column, "Written on Water." And then, sure enough Jay mentioned him! So I just had to dig it out.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010728054352/http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/mhelprin/?id=35000014">https://web.archive.org/web/20010...

+ I& #39;ve gone back to Helprin& #39;s old column from time to time over the years. He was right, and it& #39;s all the more painfully obvious 20 years later.

+ By the way, "Opinion Journal" — Robert Bartley& #39;s @WSJOpinion section, on the early world wide web — was such a wonderful site. I read it every day in law school. The WSJ editorials and columns, plus online-only columns from Helprin, @PeggyNoonanNYC, and others.