The life of often controversial writer and cultural critic Christopher Hitchens, who died Thursday after a long battle against cancer of the esophagus, as told in some of today's headlines:

-- "Christopher Hitchens, Author and Contrarian, Dies at 62." (The Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog)

-- "Christopher Hitchens Dies At 62; Engaging, Enraging Author And Essayist." (Los Angeles Times)

-- "Atheist Intellectual Christopher Hitchens Dead At 62." (Reuters)

-- "Christopher Hitchens, 62; Writer's Ideas Enlivened Books, Magazines, Web." (Boston Globe)

-- "RIP Christopher Hitchens, The Cicero Of The Saloon Bar." (The Telegraph)

-- "Polemicist Who Slashed All, Freely, With Wit." (The New York Times)

Vanity Fair, where Hitchens was a contributing editor, has an extensive look at his life here.

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Source: NPR