The wheels of my interest in Christopher Hitchens fell off when 9/11 changed his political outlook so drastically. And I’m a little ashamed to admit, I’ve become interested in what he has had to say since he announced he was battling esophageal cancer. OK, honestly the interest returned when I found out he’d written a memoir, Hitch 22, but the cancer announcement came soon after, so consider it a morbid tie.

The video above is an extended web version of an interview conducted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper that partially aired on August 5 (a transcript of the edited version can be found here). I’ve never thought of Cooper as much as an interviewer. This video proves me wrong. It’s insightful and fortunately does not focus solely upon Hitchens’ mortality and cancer (but understandably it’s the main focus).

It’s painful to see how physically diminished Hitchens is. But, despite his disbelief in my faith, I am praying for him to beat this thing. He states that he appreciates the sentiments behind the prayers, but he clearly believes it will do no good. I love how he wards off the possibility of a deathbed faith conversion in this interview, conceding he might convert if addled by the cancer or drugs. Hitchens clearly has examined about every damn angle. Good luck to him. I hope he’s around ticking me off for a very long time.