"Hi, I'm Art Buchwald and I died." 1925–2007DIVINE PROVIDENCE? December 14 · The Residence of Ambassador and Madame Levitte of France BY JANET DONOVAN PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON At this point, it's hard to know if Art Buchwald has been playing tricks on us or if life has been playing tricks on him; either way, the outcome works. It's been nearly a year since "Artie" checked into hospice and almost that long since he checked out. Somewhere in between, he's been having the time of his life. Such was the case at the residence of French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte and his wife Marie-Cecile, who bestowed upon him the coveted Commandeur des Arts et Lettres at a book party in his honor for Too Soon to Say Goodbye. "It strikes me now since you are here, that you became famous for your love of France," Amb. Levitte emphasized. The well-founded consensus among guests as to Art's popularity was pure and simple: He's FUN. "I've known Art forever and he's never changed," said Ethel Kennedy. "He's always been great fun." "When I played tennis with him early on he was a wonderful player and always very amusing," chimed in long-time friend and arts patron Olga Hirshhorn. "His columns get better and better." "I just love him - that's all," said Ben Bradlee. The Washington Post, of course, is Buchwald's home paper. "This town sits at the feet of presidents, but presidents come and go. Buchwald goes on forever," Sam Donaldson said. Whether luck, fl uke, providence or medical miracle – it doesn't matter. Ambassador Levitte said it best: "We hope that your plane remains grounded for a long, long time." Sadly, it took off on January 17, 2007.
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