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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIn Memoriam: William Rivers Pitt (1971-2022)
And today is Will's birthday.
https://truthout.org/articles/in-memoriam-of-william-rivers-pitt-1971-2022/
In Memoriam: William Rivers Pitt (1971-2022)
By Truthout Staff, Truthout
Published November 9, 2022
Illustrated portrait of author William Rivers Pitt with autumn trees behind him, wearing red shirt, grey cap, and rose tinted glasses.
William Rivers Pitt (1971-2022)
Ayo Walker / Truthout
William Rivers Pitt was Truthouts lead columnist and senior editor. He died on September 26, 2022, at the age of 50. In his two decades at Truthout, Will chronicled and analyzed the political issues of the day, from George W. Bushs administration and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the rise and fall of Donald Trump, to the dangers of the ongoing pandemic. (Click here to visit an archive of all of Wills columns.)
Will was a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of three books: War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesnt Want You to Know, The Greatest Sedition Is Silence and House of Ill Repute: Reflections on War, Lies, and Americas Ravaged Reputation. His fourth book is The Mass Destruction of Iraq: Why It Is Happening, and Who Is Responsible, co-written with Dahr Jamail.
More than just a colleague, Will was also a friend to many here at Truthout, both current and past staff members. Truthout Board President and Editor-at-Large Maya Schenwar notes that Will reminded us that the fate of the world is not decided we cant predict the future: We have to do the future. Dahr Jamail, a Truthout contributing writer, Board of Advisers member and former staff reporter, offered this reflection on his personal friendship and professional relationship with Will. Mark Karlin (retired), recalls that Will had a powerful voice that acknowledged the obstacles facing us as advocates of social justice, while at the same time urging fierce resistance despite those obstacles. Beloved by readers, as well as his family and friends, Will is memorialized in a public Facebook group. You can support a fund for his daughter Lola here.
In honor of William Rivers Pitt, Truthout is establishing a new fellowship to nurture the work of emerging opinion writers. This paid position will see the hiring of a 20-hour-per-week column writing fellow whose work will focus on political commentary. We hope youll read and enjoy this fellows articles for years to come as part of our way of honoring Wills legacy.
If youd like to make a financial contribution to help us fund this fellowship you can donate any amount here.
Bayard
(22,011 posts)davsand
(13,421 posts)Elessar Zappa
(13,911 posts)Thanks for posting this.
oldtime dfl_er
(6,930 posts)I met him once and he was very thoughtful. I'll try to find some funds to donate to the fellowship.
Sky Jewels
(7,019 posts)Pachamama
(16,884 posts)
bearded and grey doesnt even look like the man as I remember him.
But thats because I hadnt seen him in over a decade.
But its a really nice picture. Love the glasses.
Carlitos Brigante
(26,496 posts)joshcryer
(62,269 posts)RIP.
cstanleytech
(26,243 posts)DinahMoeHum
(21,774 posts)Gawd, he looked so much younger then.
Will, here's hoping you're looking down on what we've done so far and liking what you see.
CountAllVotes
(20,867 posts)N/T
Recursion
(56,582 posts)What a weird two decades it's been
Joinfortmill
(14,395 posts)JoanofArgh
(14,971 posts)Democracy Now claims that he died of a heart attack. Damn. Too young.
https://www.democracynow.org/2022/9/29/headlines/truthout_columnist_and_antiwar_activist_william_rivers_pitt_dies_at_51
YoshidaYui
(41,818 posts)DU
He wrote here too right?
FoxNewsSucks
(10,423 posts)Unfortunately, certain people ran him off a few years ago. I generally liked his posts
Nixie
(16,950 posts)Its not like people cant look up his posts and see the truth.
HB Will Pitt.
crickets
(25,952 posts)FoxNewsSucks
(10,423 posts)I really miss his posts
MiHale
(9,664 posts)flying_wahini
(6,578 posts)RIP Will.
Tommymac
(7,263 posts)Raine
(30,540 posts)GoneOffShore
(17,337 posts)Roisin Ni Fiachra
(2,574 posts)One of the best posters on DU ever, and his work at Truthout was outstanding.
RIP Will, wish you were here to write about the Red Tinkle Midterms of 2022. I can only imagine.