How groundbreaking gay author Edmund White paved the way for other writers
June 6, 2025
Edmund White, a pioneer of contemporary gay literature, died this week at age 85. He left behind such widely read works as “A Boy’s Own Story” and “The Beautiful Room Is Empty” and a priceless gift to countless younger writers. Validation of their lives, the discovery of themselves through the stories of others. Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer says “Ed invented so many of us.” A National Book Award finalist and other authors speak of White’s work as more than just an influence, but as a rite of passage to read.
