What Was the Relationship Between Smith and Buckley?

Sarah Weinman's new book—Scoundrel: How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved Him, the Conservative Establishment, and the Courts to Set Him Free—is a gripping true crime story, and perhaps the tale of an ill-fated love triangle.  It also is a story about William F. Buckley, Jr., who defied expectations to show mercy to a death-row prisoner, Edgar Smith, after finding out that he supposedly read National Review. In this episode, Weinman joins Matt and Sam to talk about this fascinating, half-forgotten episode from a key period in Buckley's life and career—how Smith and Buckley met; what Buckley did for him; the role played by Sophie Wilkins, Smith's editor at Knopf, in what happened; and the sad ending toward which it all careened.

Sources:

Sarah Weinman, Scoundrel: How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved Him, the Conservative Establishment, and the Courts to Set Him Free (Ecco Press, February 2022)

Sam Adler-Bell, "The Conservative and the Murderer," New Republic, March 7, 2022

Christopher Buckley, Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir (Twelve Books, May 2009)

Garry Wills, "Daredevil," Atlantic, July/August 2009

Sophie Wilkins, trans., The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil (1930, 2017)

Alexander Chee, "Mr. and Mrs. B," Apology Magazine, Winter 2014

...and don't forget to subscribe to Know Your Enemy on Patreon for access to all of our bonus episodes!