At first this sad event was a distant ripple, Thomas M. Disch died on the 4th of July. He was an author of science-fiction and poet of both tender and scathing work and attitude. I purposefully make that distinction rather than 'science fiction author' as it is often said that way in book-stores as something to scoff at.
Well the world has had it's cruel laugh now. After the slow death of his lover, Disch was facing starvation and eviction. According to reports he was under threat of being evicted from his rent-controlled apartment as the lease was in his lover's name.
I saw his name six months ago, picked up a copy of 'Camp Concentration' and immediately thought "bloody hell I'll have to read this". Now I'm saddened to say that the author no longer walks this world, casting a defiant suicide in the land of the free on the fourth of July.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_M._Disch
http://barista.media2.org/?p=3490
http://tomsdisch.livejournal.com/
http://www.speakeasy.org/~rubel/disch/
http://www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=53
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010413.html
1 comment:
Hi Simon, thanks for sharing. I'm truly saddened by the passing of someone with a voice. Though perhaps he knew he might even find a further audience in his death - as you said, it was 'defiant'. What is the book like? It definitely looks like something I would read. Reading his last entry on LiveJournal is really upsetting.
Cheers again,
LM
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