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Author and Activist Susan Sontag Dies 3 minutes ago Top Stories - AP By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer NEW YORK - Susan Sontag, the author, activist and self-defined "zealot of seriousness" whose voracious mind and provocative prose made her a leading intellectual of the past half century, died Tuesday. She was 71. Sontag died Tuesday morning, officials at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center said. She had been treated for breast cancer in the 1970s. Sontag called herself a "besotted aesthete," an "obsessed moralist" and a "zealot of seriousness." She wrote a best-selling historical novel, "The Volcano Lover," and in 2000 won the National Book Award for the historical novel "In America." But her greatest literary impact was as an essayist. The 1964 piece "Notes on Camp," which established her as a major new writer, popularized the "so bad it's good" attitude toward popular culture, applicable to everything from "Swan Lake" to feather boas. In "Against Interpretation," this most analytical of writers worried that critical analysis interfered with art's "incantatory, magical" power. She also wrote such influential works as "Illness as Metaphor," in which she examined how disease had been alternately romanticized and demonized, and "On Photography," in which she argued pictures sometimes distance viewers from the subject matter. "On Photography" received a National Book Critics Circle award in 1978. "Regarding the Pain of Others," a partial refutation of "On Photography," was an NBCC finalist in 2004. She read authors from all over the world and is credited with introducing such European intellectuals as Roland Barthes and Elias Canetti to American readers. "I know of no other intellectual who is so clear-minded with a capacity to link, to connect, to relate," Carlos Fuentes, the Mexican novelist, once said. "She is unique." Unlike many American writers, she was deeply involved in politics, even after the 1960s. From 1987-89, Sontag served as president of American chapter of the writers organization PEN. When the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for Salman Rushdie's death because of the alleged blasphemy of "The Satanic Verses," she helped lead protests in the literary community. Sontag campaigned relentlessly for human rights and throughout the 1990s traveled to the region of Yugoslavia, calling for international action against the growing civil war. In 1993, she visited Sarajevo and staged a production of "Waiting for Godot."

Probably not famous enough but Robert Earl Jones is 94 years old, the father of James Earl Jones and he has acted in several movies.

This is the place to discuss Stanley Kunitz

Wikipedia's page for the world's oldest person, Marie Esther de Capovilla reports that she has died today, Aug. 27, 2006, at age 116 and 347 days. Normally I would dismiss it as vandalism, but it has been added in detail to her page, also to the recent deaths page, and on the bottom of the page the world's oldest person succession box has been edited to show her successor. In addition, the person who put this info on the page has a history of creating many articles about longevity and seems to be dedicated to the subject, so surely he can't be just yanking our chain? But no articles whatsoever come up on googleNews or any other website. Strange...

A billionaire businessman who last year headed Scotland's rich list has just a few weeks to live because of terminal cancer, it has emerged. Oil and gas magnate Paul van Vlissingen has returned home to his native Netherlands to die

Queen Susan Barbra Cullen-Ward (Queen of Albania) born 1941 in Waverly, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She married King Leka of Albania and had one son also called Leka. She died July 2004, it wasn't very well reported and no1 on here has mentioned her, i have heared of her but didn't know that she had died, has anyone else heard of her? I did find a very small Wiki link on her though. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Cullen-Ward

Bit surprised to see in a search, that he's barely mentioned anywhere, apart from me moaning that he hasn't died yet. Well, it looks like he might just soon: Stroessner in "fragile" condition, in intensive care. Stroessner in "critical condition" This thread may be a relatively short one if he dies soon, but if he somehow comes out of this, then he's a worthy candidate for DL next year. But OOO needs DDP points (especially if Sharon dies soon) & with Stroessner being a right bastard anyway, OOO would be most pleased with Stroessner's passing.

Terribly sad news in Billboard today. The frontman of psych-proto-punkers Love, Arthur Lee, is apparently suffering from leukemia. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/articl...t_id=1002313682 Awful shame, seeing as it's only 5 years since the old chap got out of jail, after a very harsh three strikes and you're out judgement. One for next year, perhaps? West coast whimsy's loss is deathlist's gain?

He turned 87 this week. Anyone got any info on his health?

The english cricketing legend Freddie Trueman is seriously ill with cancer and is undergoing emergency treatment.Doesnt look too good Im afraid .Hes 75

Former humungous afro sporting 70s soul singer and keyboard player, Billy Preston is apparently in a bad way following an infection of the heart early in the year. An alcoholic and cocaine addict, he had a kidney transplant in 2002 following kidney failure. The new kidney subsequently failed and he now relies on dialysis 3 times a week to survive. More info here, this is the latest I could find. Sounds quite promising for 2007 if not before, though not of course for Billy.

According to news reports Al-Zarqawi may be dead. This is probably just a combination of media speculation and wishful thinking on the US forces part. Even if he hasn't yet been killed, surely he can't evade death for much longer. After all he is operating in Iraq unlike Bin Laden who is most likely hiding out in Pakistan's North Western frontier. Being in the midst of the insurgency, his luck must run out soon.

Wild Man Fischer isn't doing too well. Was really saddened last night watching the documentary movie, 'Derailroaded' about his life. A paranoid schitzo who's been a legend of outsider music for years, despite averaging well under 1000 record sales a year since 1968. He went into supported living at the end of 2004 but his diet, mental state and general health are more fragile than they should be for a 60 year old.

I'm afraid I have no health report on this legend of British film. But anyone who acted as a scriptwriter for Will Hay and also The Crazy Gang, must surely merit inclusion for next year? He will be 94 this December.

Link to the story. Fatal heart attack at 64, his last big hit was the floor. But seriously folks: a pioneer who made his music more widely known, gigging up to a fortnight ago.

Another sportsman suffering from a brain tumour is Richard Burns, the 2001 World Rally Champion. http://www.richardburns.com/news.cfm?flag=2&id=349 He is going through some treatment at the moment, so worth keeping an eye on him to see how he fares. DWB

Looked well short of match fit doddering into the soap awards this week. b. 1932, can't find anything specific online about serious illness but someone out there might have an inside track on the information.

Eric Forth, tory MP with a safe seat, lost to cancer today. Got me thinking about the habit of MP's dying in the job. If we rule out the unfortunates - like the auto-erotic mishap of Steven Millican, dead with an eccentric collection of skimpy clothing and a satsuma up his safe seat - there's still a tendecy for MP's to die whilst still technically at work. Does anyone amongst us know whether they work through terminal illess to death because: i - The job attracts driven people in states of denial about their health. ii - The conditions of service mean there are financial advantages in the pension or lump sum dept to their next of kin if they die in the job. iii - Both of the above.

This really belongs in the Dead Losses thread, and I'll merge it later, but this is too good to bury. Punsters, do your worst! Uzi Hitman Singer, songwriter and composer Uzi Hitman dies at 52 By Haaretz Service and AP The Israeli singer and songwriter Uzi Hitman, who composed the song "Adon Olam," died of a heart attack Saturday night, at the age of 52. Hitman, who was one of the most popular songwriters and performers in Israel in the 1980s and 1990s, began his career at the 1976 Hasidic Song Festival, where he performed "Adon Olam," a traditional Jewish prayer for which he had composed music. His famous songs include "Noladati Lashalom" (I was born for peace), "Ratziti Sheteda" (I wanted you to know) and "Kan" (Here), which was performed by Orna and Moshe Datz and reached the third place at the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest. Hitman later dedicated "Noladati Lashalom," to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, the first Arab leader to sign a peace agreement with Israel. The birth of Hitman's eldest son, Ido, in 1978 also inspired the song, Ido Hitman told Army Radio on Sunday. After Hitman received a guitar from his parents at age 11, he went on to sing during his military service in the Israel Defense Forces. "Dad was married to the State of Israel," his son told Army Radio. "More than my mother, more than his children, he loved the country... He simply loved the state, he loved the land." In the early 1980s, Hitman appeared in the children's television program "Parpar Nehmad," and later in "Hopa Hei," another popular children's program. Igal Bashon, who sang with Hitman in Hopa Hei, said he was known for his sense of humor. "He was the king of the country," Bashon told Army Radio. "Uzi possessed great magic and the talent he was born with was rare." In 2001, Hitman was presented with the ACUM Prize (Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers of Music in Israel) for lifetime achievement. He was laid to rest at the Yarkon Cemetery, near Tel Aviv, on Sunday afternoon. Education Minister Limor Livnat was among the eulogizers.

Link Sad news.

What is it with celebrities that choose to withhold information regarding their health? He has withheld the fact that he has cancer for the last 3 years. According to yesterday's News of the World, his days are nubmered. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_page.../showbiz5.shtml

This is the place to discuss John Kenneth Galbraith

Possibly only of interest to those who have worked in record shops, and huge Beach Boys fans. But Eugene Landy, 'psychiatrist' to Brian Wilson, has made himself comfortable and laid down on the couch for the last time. Landy notoriously cashed in his vulnerable celebrity client's fame wrote Wilson's money spinning biography http://xrrf.blogspot.com/2006/04/psychobit-eugene-landy.html

Gene Pitney 24 hours from nowhere

Denis Donaldson, the former Sinn Fein leader cum British spy, found shot dead in Co. Donegal The Secret Agent Considering the circumstances, this was inevitable...