**Renowned Author Edmund White Passes Away at 85**

Edmund White, a towering figure in gay literature and a stalwart of New York's literary scene, passed away on Tuesday at his Manhattan residence. He was 85. His husband, Michael Carroll, confirmed his death, attributing it to a collapse brought on by a severe stomach illness. The exact cause of death remains undetermined. White had been living with HIV since the 1980s and had previously survived two major strokes and a heart attack.

White's prolific writing career spanned over five decades, during which he explored his own life experiences in more than 30 books of fiction and nonfiction, along with numerous articles and essays. His literary achievements earned him acclaim, with many of his works being both critical successes and bestsellers.

His debut novel, "Forgetting Elena" (1973), was lauded by The New York Times as "an astonishing first novel" that intricately depicted the gay lifestyle on a fictionalized Fire Island. This early success set the stage for a distinguished career. His second novel, "Nocturnes for the King of Naples" (1978), continued to delve into the complexities of gay relationships through the format of letters from a young man to his deceased lover.

Among his notable semi-autobiographical works is "The Farewell Symphony" (1997), which charts the journey of an unnamed protagonist through adulthood and the AIDS crisis. The Chicago Tribune fittingly dubbed White "the godfather of queer lit," a testament to his influence and pioneering contributions to LGBTQ literature.