Edmund White’s Final Hours—His Cause of Death Revealed

Edmund White, a trailblazing writer often hailed as the “father of modern queer literature,” died on June 3 at his Manhattan home. He was 85.

White wrote more than 30 books during his career. His collection includes the celebrated autobiographical trilogy “A Boy’s Own Story,” “The Beautiful Room Is Empty,” and “The Farewell Symphony.”

He also co-authored the influential handbook “The Joy of Gay Sex” and penned powerful memoirs and essay collections like “My Lives and City Boy.” His nonfiction work included acclaimed biographies of Jean Genet and Marcel Proust — most notably Genet, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and became a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

As fans and those close to White pay tribute to the literary genius, questions have emerged about his cause of death. Here is everything we know about White’s final moments.

Edmund White’s cause of death has been revealed.

White’s longtime agent, Bill Clegg, confirmed White’s death, initially attributing it to “natural causes.” NPR reports that White had collapsed on Tuesday evening with a severe stomach illness and died while awaiting an ambulance. White had lived with HIV since 1985 and survived a heart attack and strokes in later years.

“Ed was a groundbreaking writer whose candid depictions of gay life reshaped American literature. As a novelist, critic, memoirist, and biographer, he expanded the boundaries of identity and desire on the page and in the culture,” Clegg shared. “He was also a wickedly funny, deeply generous, brilliant man who was beloved by many. He will be much missed.”

White’s husband, Michael Carroll, paid tribute to the author in a statement following his death. “He was wise enough to be kind nearly always. He was generally beyond exasperation and was generous,” Carroll told The Guardian. “I keep thinking of something to tell him before I remember.”

Edmund White was a fierce advocate for LGBTQIA+ stories.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by i-D (@i_d)

White co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in 1982, stepping directly into the fight against the AIDS epidemic. After his own HIV diagnosis in 1984, he hit a brief low, but bounced back and kept creating like nothing could stop him. His lived experience — blockbuster books, raw personal stories, and public advocacy — lit the way forward for LGBTQIA+ communities across the world.

“I wasn’t surprised, but I was very gloomy,” he told the Guardian. “I kind of pulled the covers over my head and thought: ‘Oh gee, I’ll be dead in a year or two’ … it turned out that I was a slow progressor.”

White went on to become a mentor to young writers and a professor. During his decades-long career, he taught at Brown University and Princeton University. He continued writing until months before his death. His last piece, “The Loves of My Life: A Sex Memoir,” was released in January.

White built an impressive literary legacy as a novelist, critic, memoirist, and activist, transforming how literature portrays the gay experience. He transformed the literary scene and LGBTQIA+ culture from margins to center. White’s legacy is spoken in readers who saw themselves for the first time, and in writers who could finally tell their stories.

What was the first Edmund White book you read? Comment below!

The post Edmund White’s Final Hours—His Cause of Death Revealed appeared first on LBS.