14 DAY TRIAL // Ned Vizzini, an author known for his young adult novels, died after committing suicide on Thursday, December 19, in New York. His death was confirmed by the New York city Medical examiner.
People Magazine says that, according to Vizzini's brother, Daniel, the author jumped off the roof of his parents' home in Brooklyn on Thursday.
The young author was mainly known for his novels “It's Kind of a Funny Story” and “The Other Normals.” The first book was a quasi-autobiographical story about his depression and suicidal thoughts which came out in 2006 and was later adapted into a movie starring Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis and Emma Roberts in 2010.
Vizzini was a native of Brooklyn and started writing professionally for New York magazines in the early 90s. After he gained notoriety with his books, he moved to Los Angeles where he also did some work for television, co-writing two episodes of MTV's Teen Wolf, as well as serving as a story editor on Shawn Ryan's ABC drama “Last Resort.”
When “It's Kind of a Funny Story” came out, Vizzini talked about the importance of seeking help in the case of people with suicidal tendencies. “What I would like young adults to take away from It’s Kind of a Funny Story is that if you’re feeling suicidal, call a hotline,” he said in an interview.
Many of the people who were working or had worked with Ned have expressed their sympathy on the matter of his sudden death and have also praised his writing talents and his insight as a writer of young adult novels.
Ned Vizzini, 32 at the time of his death, is survived by his wife Sambra Embury, a book critic for The L Magazine, and their 2-year-old son.