Evan Wright , a writer and journalist whose 2004 book on the Iraq War, Generation Kill , was adapted into an HBO miniseries, died July 12 in Los Angeles by suicide, his family confirmed. Born in Ohio, Wright earned a degree from Vassar College before entering journalism. In the mid-‘90s, Wright worked for Hustler, serving as entertainment editor and reviewer.
He later wrote for Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone , developing a knack for immersion journalism, spending long periods with people or a subculture to gather information. Related Stories News Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2024: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Documentary Rob Reiner Gives Update On ‘Spinal Tap’ Mockumentary Sequel As He Celebrates Emmy Nominations For Real Doc On Albert Brooks Wright covered neo-Nazis, organized crime figures and others, but his best-known work came as a result of his military reporting. Embedded with the U.
S. Marines during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, his accounts of the war for Rolling Stone earned him a National Magazine Award for Reporting. It also led to his book, Generation Kill , a chronicle of a small group of soldiers’ experience in the invasion.
The book was adapted into an HBO miniseries written by David Simon and Ed Burns, creators of The Wire , and was nominated for seven Emmys, winning three. Wright’s other works included Hella Nation, which explored many subcultures throughout the U.S.
, and American Desperado , about drug smuggler Jon Roberts, which was later adapted into t.