A Further Fall of the House of Intellect?

Since death of Jane Jacobs on April 25 a total of 14 persons have entered condolences in a blog created in her memory. No doubt many more names have been entered in the Book of Condolence at Dooney’s Cafe in Toronto. And no doubt the media and many blogs took notice of the passing, nearly at the age of 90, of the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities and, most recently, Dark Age Ahead. But the small number of on-line condolences brings to the memory this passage in The House of Intellect:

Mencken, who was retired and stricken, received on his last birthday exactly thirty messages of congratulation. Comes the obituary — the ultimate news — and the account is closed. Next!