A Boy’s Own Story author Edmund White’s death has shocked many. Widely recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to gay fiction and memoirs, White was a major figure in LGBTQ+ literature for decades. His death has led to an outpouring of tributes from fans and the literary world.
Here are more details about Edmund White’s death.
Edmund White’s cause of death explained
Edmund White, the acclaimed American author who helped redefine gay literature, has died at the age of 85. According to his agent Bill Clegg, White passed away on Tuesday evening while waiting for an ambulance after suffering symptoms related to a stomach illness.
White became a leading voice in LGBTQ+ literature beginning in the 1970s. He was best known for his 1982 novel A Boy’s Own Story, which reflected his own experience growing up gay in mid-20th-century America. It was the first in a semi-autobiographical trilogy that also includes The Beautiful Room Is Empty and The Farewell Symphony.
Born in Ohio in 1940 and raised in Illinois, White initially planned to attend Harvard but chose the University of Michigan so he could stay close to a therapist who claimed he could “cure” homosexuality. He went on to live in New York and San Francisco, building a career in freelance journalism and magazine editing before publishing his debut novel, Forgetting Elena, in 1973. (via The Guardian)
Over the years, White published more than 30 works. These include memoirs, essays, and biographies of literary figures like Jean Genet and Marcel Proust. His final memoir, The Loves of My Life, was released in 2025.
White’s husband, Michael Carroll, remembered him as kind, generous, and wise. He said, “He was wise enough to be kind nearly always. He was generally beyond exasperation and was generous. I keep thinking of something to tell him before I remember.”
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on ComingSoon.
