An outrage, I say. Village Voice lays off the great Nat Hentoff

The Village Voice gives columnist Nat Hentoff his walking papers. Hentoff, the most honest liberal in the Western world, wrote for the Voice since 1958 mostly on civil liberties and often on jazz. We look forward to his book on jazz due next year.

Mr. Hentoff said he learned the news in a phone call with Mr. Ortega on Tuesday morning. “I’m 83 and a half. You’d think they’d have let me go silently,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve never been more productive.”

Mr. Hentoff plans to continue to write a weekly column for the United Media syndicate and contribute pieces to The Wall Street Journal. His book “At the Jazz Band Ball: 60 Years on the Jazz Scene,” is expected next year.

“With all due immodesty, I think it doesn’t help to lose me because people have told me they read The Voice not only for me, but certainly for me,” he said.

I certainly did. The Voice is now officially fish wrap material.