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, <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/scoundrel-how-a-convicted-murderer-persuaded-the-women-who-loved-him-the-conservative-establishment-and-the-courts-to-set-him-9780062899767/9780062899767">Scoundrel: How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved Him, the Conservative Establishment, and the Courts to Set Him Free</a> (Ecco Press, February 2022)Sam Adler-Bell, "<a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/165580/scoundrel-book-review-buckley-edgar-smith-conservative-murderer">The Conservative and the Murderer</a>," New Republic, March 7, 2022Christopher Buckley, <a href="https://www.twelvebooks.com/titles/christopher-buckley/losing-mum-and-pup/9780446556644/">Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir</a> (Twelve Books, May 2009)Garry Wills, "<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/07/daredevil/307546/">Daredevil</a>," Atlantic, July/August 2009Sophie Wilkins, trans., <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/robert-musil/the-man-without-qualities/9781447289432">The Man Without Qualities</a> by Robert Musil (1930, 2017)Alexander Chee, "<a href="https://longreads.com/2015/06/18/mr-and-mrs-b/">Mr. and Mrs. B</a>," Apology Magazine, Winter 2014...and don't forget to subscribe to <a href="https://www.patreon.com/knowyourenemy">Know Your Enemy on Patreon</a> for access to all of our bonus episodes!

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The Conservative and the Convict (w/ Sarah Weinman)

Know Your Enemy