Robert Rex Raphael Murphy was a great Canadian. His profound erudition could have led to a career in academia, but, fortunately for us, Rex chose journalism because he hated footnotes. In voice and print, Rex communicated his point of view with a coruscating flare unanimously agreed upon as unique amongst Canadian polemicists. His vast mental archive of poetry, essays and famous speeches, casually dipped into here and there to embellish his theme, made other writers (including me) gnash our teeth in awe and envy.