Evan Wright, the former Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair journalist whose book Generation Kill was adapted into the acclaimed HBO miniseries of the same name, has died at the age of 59.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office, Wright died on Friday, July 12th by suicide.
In 2003, Wright was embedded on assignment for Rolling Stone with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the early stages of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He chronicled his experiences in a series of articles published in Rolling Stone, and later in the 2004 book Generation Kill.
In 2008, HBO adapted Generation Kill into an eight-episode miniseries, with Lee Tergesen playing the role of Wright. The show’s ensemble cast also included Alexander Skarsgård, James Ransone, and Michael Kelly, among others. It subsequently received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special.
Wright’s other published works included Hella Nation, which explored different American subcultures, and American Desperado, co-written with drug smuggler Jon Roberts.
Most recently, Wright served as a co-executive producer on Teen Torture Inc, a Max docuseries about the controversial youth residential programs aimed at struggling teenagers.
For his work, Wright was a two-time National Magazine Award winner and also won the PEN USA Literary Award.