Thomas M. Disch RIP

[ellen_datlow]

I've just found out that Tom Disch committed suicide in his apartment on July 4th. He was found by a friend who lives a few blocks away.

I'm shocked, saddened, but not very surprised. Tom had been depressed for several years and was especially hit by the death of his longtime partner Charles Naylor. He also was very worried about being evicted from the rent controlled apartment he lived in for decades.

I last visited with him about a month ago, when I ran into him shopping at the Greenmarket across the street from where he lived (he rarely went out because he had trouble walking). He invited me up for cheese and bread which we bought together at the market and I visited for an hour or two. He seemed more optimistic about his work than he'd been for at least a year as he had three books/novellas coming out over the next year.

Tom wrote wonderful stories (I only read one or two of his novels but kept meaning to read more) and if you haven't ever read the collections Getting into Death or Fundamental Disch you need to find and read them.

Tom, as much as you were a bitter, sometimes mean curmudgeon--I'll miss you.


John Clute on Tom Disch

And possibly the best obituary by Elizabeth Hand on
Salon

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for posting this, Ellen, especially the part about having a friendly recent chat with him.

He was *such* a good writer. And, for all his unhappiness and curmudgeonlyness and even meanness, I've seen him go out of his way to do a good deed for someone he didn't even know.

Eileen

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I knew him to be a monster at times but he was always kind to me. In fact, I'll never forget when I visited once and had a horrible horrible cold and even though I had just eaten, he and Charlie (well, it was more Charlie) heated up a can of chicken soup and forced me to eat it!

[cinriter.livejournal.com]

Oh God. Just yesterday I glanced over at CAMP CONCENTRATION and thought, I'd like to reread that.

I'm so sorry I never met him. One of my favorites. Damn.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for posting this Ellen. I put some first thoughts here:

http://marclaidlaw.com/?p=193

A weird weekend just got weirder and much sadder.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Hi Marc,
Thanks for your tribute to Tom on your site.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear.
I've read everything of his I ever was able to find. I had the joy of getting his review of Whitley Streiber's first UFO book in The Nation; he didn't use a scalpel, he used a microtome.
And it was only a few months ago that I found out that he had an LJ, which I've followed completely since.

I wish I had something to say.

[moon-happy.livejournal.com]

I was so happy when I found his blog and I like to think he was glad of it, too. He's been a friend since Clarion of '76. I loved him for his irreverence and his good heart. His last post was on the 2nd. You said it was suicide; I hope he used gentle and painless means. How fortunate that you were able to see him and spend a good hour or two doing what writers do so well, cheese, bread and talk!

[kiaduran.livejournal.com]

Damn and double damn...he was one of the first writers whose works wowed me and made me want more. Gods, I shall miss him.

[deborahb.livejournal.com]

Poor guy. What a shame.

[(Anonymous)]

While I've never met him in person, I had the opportunity to exchange emails with him quite a few years past. It was one of the highlights of my life, really. He has always been one of my greatest heroes; one of those writers who has indelibly marked me, and to have the opportunity to discuss art and writing with him was a joy. I can't say how sad I am at this.

Gabe C.

Tom D

[(Anonymous)]

I still think this is a horrible joke, in spite of Tom's threats to kill himself since Charlie died. We were laughing and joking as usual a couple of weeks ago. He was working on a new novel he said he was definitely going to finish this time. A huge talent, unusually as good a poet as a novelist. He was one of my dearest friends. We made each other laugh from the beginning. He was a huge assett to New Worlds It's a bastard.

Re: Tom D

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Don't know which friend of Tom's you are but yes, he had threatened to kill himself since Charlie died.

But he seemed to come out of his funk every once in awhile. A few months ago he read me a series of Teddy Bear poems that were very funny. He would hold his bear (I'm blanking on his name) as they "read" the stories together.

[jacob-weisman.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this very sad news. Tom was fighting many things: poor health, eviction, and depression. I'd hoped that bringing Tom's recent work into print would help him turn a corner. At least for a while, I'd like to think that it did. Tom's prodigious poetry output can still be found on his livejournal and I hope that anybody who reads this series of posts will check out the fine work he's left behind on that site.

http://tomsdisch.livejournal.com/

Tom was a very dear friend of mine and I'll miss him very much.

Jacob Weisman

disch

[bernie-goodman.livejournal.com]

Incredibly sad. His Camp Concentration is one of the great, and greatly under-appreciated, novels: a brash idea that is impossible to pull off, and Tom nearly did it. Word Of God is laugh-out-loud funny and probably offensive; surely it will offend some, I just found it funny. & his story "The Squirrel Cage" is a knockout. I only met him once but he was gracious and signed more books than I should have handed him. I'm glad there are new books, but as readers we are poorer for his absence.

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

It occurs to me, that someone who is really qualified to write an obit/appreciation of Tom Disch is Greg Feeley. They talked constantly, I've been told, more than once a week.

Love, C.

[pm-again.livejournal.com]

I respect your decision...a dreadful decision for all of us to bear.

Paddington weeps.

And those who care.

Thoughts and prayers. Thoughts and prayers.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yes, Paddington. He's Tom's bear.

[kc-risenphoenix.livejournal.com]

I just found out because of Robin Bailey and I just can't beleive it!

I've been a fan since I was 19 and his book, On Wings of Song came out. It blew me away. What sad, sad news.

I am speechless...

(and I just found out you have a live journal and I hope you don't mind me friending you)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I reread a bunch of his older short stories when I was looking for classics for SCIFICTION...most of them still hold up and in fact are scarier for it.

I don't mind at all!

Tom Disch

[(Anonymous)]

Yet abother reminder of what a dangerously solitary field we work in. Thanks Tom, for all the works that went into the foundations of my own SF. Sean McMullen

Re: Tom Disch

[donovan-s-brain.livejournal.com]

Sean, I think Tom would appreciate that, and I hope he found the opportunity to read some of your interesting and lively books.

[benpeek.livejournal.com]

:(

Getting Into Death

[frostokovich.livejournal.com]

Wonderful stories indeed.
A magnificent writer, and like Scott, I've been reading him since about '67. I am very sad.

greg

Tom

[conjurwyf.livejournal.com]

I feel so sad that Tom was finally unhappy enough to kill himself. We just talked to him a week or so ago and he seemed to be doing better, was more cheerful, happy that his God book was coming out, etc. I put in my request that he go back to work on PEANUT & BUSTER (as I always did!)and he ignored me (as he always did!) I can honestly say I loved Tom. When together he & my husband were two of the funniest people on the planet. We always ended up laughing until we cried at least once a visit.

Charlie N asked us to take care of Tom after he was gone. Guess we failed him there.

Re: Tom

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Ah Linda,
Please don't blame yourselves. Tom went through hell since Charlie got sick. He DID seem more cheerful and seemed happy about the book coming out. If there's one thing I've learned it's that we have little control over other people, only ourselves. We can't MAKE someone happy. We can't MAKE them want to live. Why Tom chose now, I have no idea. But it was his choice and there's nothing you or anyone else could have done to stop him from making that decision eventually.

Thomas M.Disch RIP

[(Anonymous)]

He was one of my best and oldest friends and one of the two funniest people I knew. John Sladek was the other. In their company and latterly just in Tom's I had some of the best days of my life, relaxing and laughing. They came to England in the mid-60s at exactly the right moment for me and NW. Tom in particular became a pillar of the magazine, publishing some of the best fiction, poetry and features we ever ran. He also had the longest running relationship of all our circle (apart from those in open marriages) including three of mine, as he reminded me after Charlie Naylor died... He regularly positioned himself in opposition to pc attitudes until it became almost a habit. Often sweet and kind to younger writers, he could be wonderfully gracious. He was confrontational generally in the best and bravest ways and had the talent to risk what most people, writers or otherwise, can't even begin to imagine doing. He was one of my most valued and respected friends. I agree with Ellen that he DID seem more optimistic of late. It's an appalling event.
Mike Moorcock

[lagringa.livejournal.com]

Sad news. I didn't know him, nor did I ever have a chance to meet him but his books 334 and Camp Concentration completely changed the way I experienced genre writing forever.

My condolences to all of you who are grieving this weekend.

[peoppenheimer.livejournal.com]

His writing was brilliant and deeply disturbing - and wickedly hilarious at times. What a loss! Deepest condolences to all of you who had the privilege of friendship with him.

[crookedfeet.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I loved his work. My condolences to his friends and family.

Lost opportunity

[misseli.livejournal.com]

One of those writers that I've been meaning to read, but hadn't figured out where to start. Bad on me.

Thank you, ma'am, and I hope I won't be too late to get a copy of Fundamental Disch or Camp Concentration at the library tomorrow before work.

[labrysinthe.livejournal.com]

Disch's death is a tremendous loss. His work was a huge inspiration to me when I started writing speculative fiction. I wish his despair hadn't overtaken him -- may he rest in peace.

Tom Disch

[(Anonymous)]

I only just heard the news, and am shocked. I met Tom in Germany several years ago; he, Charles and I hung around a lot. We had a good time. And he was such a good writer.
Nancy Kress

Sad

[(Anonymous)]

I'm interested by any source that confirms this sad new, because there is nothing in any newspapers or anywhere.

Re: Sad

[(Anonymous)]

I am Tom's sister and it is true that Tom died -- on Friday, July 4.

Nancy Disch
Minneapolis, MN