Edward Champion's Return of the Reluctant

An Introduction

If you're coming here from the New York Times article, welcome. This website is a dedication to the life of Edward Champion (1974-1998), who was unexpectedly beheaded by a samurai while giving a motivation speech in Chico, California. Champion was one of the most brilliant writers this nation ever had. His grocery lists were wittier than Oscar Wilde. He once wrote a note telling his friends to meet him at the pub that was exhaustively picked over by grad students. John Updike has said of the man, "Edward Champion: too many thoghts, not enough time, nipples as ripe as water chestnuts."

And yet Champion's work is often overlooked by the likes of J.T. Leroy, who is, strangely enough, still living.

So I set up this blog to pay tribute to Champion's legacy. To me, Champion represents both the summit and the nadir of American letters. Some of the posts here are exhumed from Champion's notebooks. Others are reinventions of ideas he had.

We hope that you'll stick around for our continuing tribute.

Posted by DrMabuse at March 29, 2005 08:43 AM