Author Tom Wolfe dies at 88

Tom Wolfe, famous for pioneering “New Journalism” as a reporter, author, and satirist, died from an infection on Monday in a New York City hospital, according to his literary agent. He was 88. Wolfe began his journalism career as a reporter at the Springfield (Mass.) Union in 1957. He later worked for The Washington Post, the New York Herald-Tribune, and Esquire magazine, and wrote a number of acclaimed novels, including The Bonfire of the Vanities and A Man in Full. Wolfe was known for his trademark white suit and hyperbolic writing, full of exclamation points, italics, and rule-breaking words. He was also known for shoe-leather reporting and an obsessive attention to detail. A member of the so-called Manhattan intelligentsia, he wasn’t afraid to cross swords with the liberal elite, including supporting President George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. He is survived by his wife, Sheila Berger, and their two children, Alexandra and Tommy.