Acclaimed openly gay essayist and This American Life contributor David Rakoff died last week at age 47. Rakoff had long struggled with cancer following a diagnosis of lymphoma at 22 years old. Born in Montreal and raised in Toronto, Rakoff studied at Columbia University in New York City, where he spent much of his life. His works were featured in The New York Times, GQ, Details, Salon, Slate and published in collections, including “Half Empty” (2010) and “Fraud” (2001). Following correspondence with fellow openly gay writer David Sedaris, Rakoff began a radio career and went on to write the screen adaptation for, and star in, the Academy Award winning short film, “The New Tenants.”
Rackoff is survived by his father, Vivian Rakoff, his mother, Gina Shochat-Rakoff, his brother, Simon, and his sister, Ruth Rakoff. GLAAD mourns the loss of David Rakoff and offers deepest sympathies to his friends, family, and loved ones.