Philip Roth Dies at 85: James Gunn, Marc Maron, and More Remember the Iconic American Novelist
Zack Sharf
Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Roth has died at age 85. The novelist was best known for writing the books “American Pastoral,” “The Human Stain,” and “Goodbye, Columbus.” Celebrities such as “The Wire” creator David Simon and “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn took to social media following confirmation of Roth’s passing to honor the iconic author.
“This one hurts, both me and all of literature,” Gunn wrote on Twitter. “He taught me when I was at Columbia and was a huge influence, impressing upon me the importance of writing through the hard times. I have many favorite books by Roth, but [‘The Counterlife’] is one of them.”
Other celebrities honoring Roth are Marc Maron, Lena Dunham, and St. Vincent. Simon wrote on Twitter that he met Roth just a few months ago to discuss an adaptation of “Plot Against America.”
“At 85, he was more precise and insightful, more intellectually adept and downright witty than most any person of any age,” Simon remembered. “What a marvelous, rigorous mind.”
You can read more Roth remembrances below.
Goodbye, Philip Roth. One of the best ever. RIP
— marc maron (@marcmaron) May 23, 2018
Improbably, I had the honor of meeting Philip Roth just a few months ago to discuss an adaptation of Plot Against America. At 85, he was more precise and insightful, more intellectually adept and downright witty than most any person of any age. What a marvelous, rigorous mind.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) May 23, 2018
Memory: My only meeting with Philip Roth came a day after Kazuo Ishiguro had won the Nobel. I felt the need to make a joke:
“So what’s that other fella doing with your prize?”
“It isn’t like they gave it to Peter, Paul and Mary.”
Dylan had won in 2016. Hey, he said it smiling.— David Simon (@AoDespair) May 23, 2018
Haven’t grasped the words yet to explain Roth’s influence, which I feel everywhere from my writing to my dating, and we are so lucky for the stack of books he left us with. Rest In Peace, sweet prince of Newark 🙏
— 💎 Lena Dunham 💎 (@lenadunham) May 23, 2018
RIP, great American author and inspiration, Philip Roth.
— St. Vincent (@st_vincent) May 23, 2018
RIP Philip Roth. This one hurts, both me and all of literature. He taught me when I was at Columbia and was a huge influence, impressing upon me the importance of writing through the hard times. I have many favorite books by Roth, but this is one of them. pic.twitter.com/KbbvA7XR3w
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 23, 2018
