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Dominick Dunne : Death in New York City : In Memoriam
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by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | August 26, 2009 at 04:47 pm
685 views | 3 Recommendations | 7 comments
From the Washington Post, Aug. 26, 8:05 p.m.:
NEW YORK -- Author Dominick Dunne, who told stories of shocking crimes among the rich and famous through his magazine articles and best-selling books including "Another City, Not My Own," about O.J. Simpson's murder trial, died Wednesday in his home at age 83.Dunne's son, Griffin Dunne, said in a statement released by Vanity Fair magazine that his father had been battling bladder cancer. But the cancer had not prevented Dunne from working and socializing, his twin passions.
In September 2008, against his doctor's orders and his family's wishes, Dunne flew to Las Vegas to attend Simpson's kidnap-robbery trial, a postscript to his coverage of the football great's 1995 murder trial, which spiked Dunne's considerable fame.
I recall reading his moving essay about his daughter, Dominique, being murdered by her ex-lover in 1981. It was a poignant litany; part father, part journalist. Very moving but not sentimental: Sober. I also liked his coverage of the Menendez brothers trial in Los Angeles. He did some narration on true crime documentaries, but he seemed to have gotten a bit peevish with age. Of course, it was his writing for Vanity Fair, and his coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder trial for which he will be remembered. Some of his essays were compiled into books. He was one of the true "chrnoniclers of the age" : The rich and the famous and their closeted skeletons were held under Dunne's scrutiny, and his sharp words transformed them to fodder for avid crime readers. Rest in peace, resurgem. SMK
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (7)
at 17:50 on August 26th, 2009
He was an excellent writer, a true wordsmith. I'm sad about his death.
at 18:05 on August 26th, 2009
Yes, "wordsmith" is a very apt word; he will be missed.
at 05:23 on August 27th, 2009
Dunne was a great writer. Loved his books, his Vanity Fair articles and his spirit.
at 06:28 on August 27th, 2009
Yes, he was a superb addition to Vanity Fair.
at 18:57 on August 28th, 2009
The news of Dominick's death is very sad. He was a very smart and clever writer. I always looked forward to his show, "Power, Privilege" or any articles he would write. He will be sorely missed.
at 19:12 on August 28th, 2009
Yes, 'Power and Privilege" and all of his commentary were one of a kind.
at 20:35 on August 28th, 2009
The legacy of Dominick Dunne will loom large after his recent passing. Dominick Dunne had been battling bladder cancer since September of 2008, and recently succumbed to the disease. He was a titan of investigative journalism, and covered high profile trials largely of the rich and famous, covering the trials of OJ Simpson (the first and second), Claus von Bulow, and the Menendez brothers. He had three children, Alexander Dunne, actor Griffin Dunne, and Dominique Dunne, who was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend, John Michael Sweeney. His brother was John Michael Dunne, a great author and journalist in his own right. It would take some serious Dominick Dunne to replace a talent like Dominick Dunne – may he rest in peace.