RIP James D. Hornfischer

[ztejas 43,418]

Had no idea until my parents texted me they were at his funeral this morning. I know quite a few of you on here enjoy his work - Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Ship of Ghosts especially. 

He was a long time Austinite and held 2 degrees from UT. Would have been 56 in November.

Unsure of cause of death - didn't want to pry. But he was a close family friend and my dad's agent and has a son a few years behind me that I knew grewing up.

Sad sad sad.

Step-mom tells me it was brain cancer. He really was a great person - not just as an author but as a mentor and publisher to other writers. This is from his obituary - the letter in question was from my dad: 

...one of the highest compliments Jim ever received was conveyed in a recent letter, “you changed my life,” it said, “and your editing has served as a master class I would not have received any other way." 

Edited June 10, 2021 by ztejas

[pantone159 719]

RIP. I have read and enjoyed two of his books, and have another on the shelf that I have not got to yet. A really good writer.

 

[TwiceHorn 31,451]

That's young.  A shame.  I enjoyed Tin Can Sailors.

RIP.

Obituary.

Edited June 10, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[DonkeyCigars 144]

10 hours ago, ztejas said:

Had no idea until my parents texted me they were at his funeral this morning. I know quite a few of you on here enjoy his work - Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Ship of Ghosts especially. 

He was a long time Austinite and held 2 degrees from UT. Would have been 56 in November.

Unsure of cause of death - didn't want to pry. But he was a close family friend and my dad's agent and has a son a few years behind me that I knew grewing up.

Sad sad sad.

Step-mom tells me it was brain cancer. He really was a great person - not just as an author but as a mentor and publisher to other writers. This is from his obituary - the letter in question was from my dad: 

...one of the highest compliments Jim ever received was conveyed in a recent letter, “you changed my life,” it said, “and your editing has served as a master class I would not have received any other way." 

your dad is a writer?

[ztejas 43,418]

2 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

your dad is a writer?

He was a hobbyist college football writer for awhile and Jim helped him get his memoir published as his agent (met through church). So it "changed his life" in the sense that getting a book published was a big goal of his. Had he never met someone like Jim it may never have happened. It's not his career or anything and never was (maybe had it sold more than 10,000 copies).

Bigger point being that Hornfischer represented and helped get published dozens of other writers (and by the way - getting a book published is really fucking hard) on top of being a very successful author himself.

Not trying to make this about myself (although really none of it is about me) - just wanted to share that he was a close family friend and really an amazing person by all accounts. 

[Macanudo 12,976]

Didn't see this thread until late last night.   Sorry to see that he had passed.   I recommend Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors to anyone interested in WWII when it comes up.   

[Pato del Muerto 52,489]

16 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

Didn't see this thread until late last night.   Sorry to see that he had passed.   I recommend Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors to anyone interested in WWII when it comes up.   

You rec’d it not long ago and I bought the audible version for my move back to austin. 16 hours covered the majority of the trip, and it was a great listen that made the time fly by.