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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
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
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But his living situation was dire --fucking NYU has been trying to evict him for a couple of years. His second home in the country was destroyed by flooding then mold. His health declining. Things have not been good for him.
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Just told Michael Swanwick
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Re: Just told Michael Swanwick
I don't think he actually would have been evicted because even if NYU had cause it would be a pr disaster for them to have evicted a 68 year old, infirm man who had no place else to go.
They were accusing him of not using his apt has a primary residence, which it was and always was, even when the house in the country was functional.
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Re: Just told Michael Swanwick
Perhaps in this case, an ombudsman, someone who could help untangle issues.
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Re: Just told Michael Swanwick
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Re: Just told Michael Swanwick
From: (Anonymous)
Re: Just told Michael Swanwick
From: (Anonymous)
It wasn't NYU
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Re: It wasn't NYU
From: (Anonymous)
Not NYU, just fyi
From: (Anonymous)
Re: Not NYU, just fyi
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Re: Not NYU, just fyi