Famous writer Edmund White died at the age of 85: 5 facts about his life
4 june 2025 в 19:37
Edmund White, a highly esteemed author and influential figure in gay literature in America, passed away at the age of 85 on June 4, 2025, decades after being diagnosed with HIV, which did not progress to AIDS.
Hollywood Life magazine has compiled five facts about Edmund below.
Originally from Ohio, he wrote over 30 literary works throughout his life, including fiction and non-fiction books. Some of his most well-known works included «Forgetting Elena», - «A Boy’s Own Story», - «The Joy of Gay Sex», - «States of Desire», - «A Boy’s Own Story», - and «The Farewell Symphony», - the latter of which was published just a few months before Edmund’s death.
From the early 1990s to the 2010s, Edmund was in a relationship with his husband, Michael Carroll. During an interview with The Nation in 2014, the writer revealed that they got married in November of the same year.
«I got married in November to my friend Michael Carroll, with whom we have been together for 19 years. At least we didn’t rush», - Edmund joked at the time.
When the writer passed away in 2025, Michael referred to his late husband as «wise enough to be almost always kind» in a public statement received by The Guardian. He added that Edmund «was mostly beyond irritation and was generous. I constantly think of things to tell him before remembering».
Instead of attending Harvard University, where he was accepted, Edmund chose to study Chinese language at the University of Michigan.
In 1984, Edmund learned that he was HIV-positive, although he was a «non-progressor», - a rare case of a person who does not develop AIDS. Nevertheless, the diagnosis made him «gloomy», - as the late author told The Guardian at the end of 2024.
«I sort of crawled under the covers and thought, 'Oh my god, I’m going to die in a year or two,'» Edmund told the publication. «I had a few complications, such as shingles, but it turned out I was slowly progressing».
According to the publication, Edmund’s T-cells, which fight infections, were declining. However, their decrease was not as rapid as in other people living with HIV, «and when they became dangerously low, new medications appeared, and I survived. But I didn’t think I would survive», - he added.
On June 3, 2025, Edmund passed away from a «severe stomach virus», - as reported by Michael, according to The New York Times. The exact cause of his death is still unclear, and it is unknown if his death is related to his HIV-positive status. Earlier, Edmund had survived two strokes in 2012, followed by a heart attack two years later
Hollywood Life magazine has compiled five facts about Edmund below.
Originally from Ohio, he wrote over 30 literary works throughout his life, including fiction and non-fiction books. Some of his most well-known works included «Forgetting Elena», - «A Boy’s Own Story», - «The Joy of Gay Sex», - «States of Desire», - «A Boy’s Own Story», - and «The Farewell Symphony», - the latter of which was published just a few months before Edmund’s death.
From the early 1990s to the 2010s, Edmund was in a relationship with his husband, Michael Carroll. During an interview with The Nation in 2014, the writer revealed that they got married in November of the same year.
«I got married in November to my friend Michael Carroll, with whom we have been together for 19 years. At least we didn’t rush», - Edmund joked at the time.
When the writer passed away in 2025, Michael referred to his late husband as «wise enough to be almost always kind» in a public statement received by The Guardian. He added that Edmund «was mostly beyond irritation and was generous. I constantly think of things to tell him before remembering».
Instead of attending Harvard University, where he was accepted, Edmund chose to study Chinese language at the University of Michigan.
In 1984, Edmund learned that he was HIV-positive, although he was a «non-progressor», - a rare case of a person who does not develop AIDS. Nevertheless, the diagnosis made him «gloomy», - as the late author told The Guardian at the end of 2024.
«I sort of crawled under the covers and thought, 'Oh my god, I’m going to die in a year or two,'» Edmund told the publication. «I had a few complications, such as shingles, but it turned out I was slowly progressing».
According to the publication, Edmund’s T-cells, which fight infections, were declining. However, their decrease was not as rapid as in other people living with HIV, «and when they became dangerously low, new medications appeared, and I survived. But I didn’t think I would survive», - he added.
On June 3, 2025, Edmund passed away from a «severe stomach virus», - as reported by Michael, according to The New York Times. The exact cause of his death is still unclear, and it is unknown if his death is related to his HIV-positive status. Earlier, Edmund had survived two strokes in 2012, followed by a heart attack two years later
© Smirnova Olga
