RIP RM Vaughan
We at Coach House are heartbroken at the news of the passing of RM Vaughan. We knew Richard as the author of several Coach House books – Camera, Woman; The Monster Trilogy; Troubled; Bright-Eyed: Insomnia and its Cultures. Richard had the gift of a tremendous range in his writing, from poetry to art criticism, and he wrote with enviable precision, flair, and heart. More importantly, maybe, we knew him as a good friend, a supporter, a whip-smart critic, and a trailblazer for LGBTQ rights. It’s no exaggeration to call him a gay icon. He came out at a time when coming out was dangerous – read his brilliant essay on the subject. And then he wore his gayness as proudly as he wore his beautiful scarves.Richard never visited without a gift, never failed to send a thank you card. He sent cute animal photos if he thought you needed a lift, and he would provide the perfect catty comment (about someone else) when you needed to hear it. He offered mentorship to young queer artists, and was an indefatigable presence in the Canadian literary and visual art worlds. The incredible range and depth of his friendships is evident in the tremendous outpouring of love happening right now on the internet; we wish we could be in a room, a giant room it would have to be, with all those who loved Richard – the warmth of that collective love would melt gold.We miss you already, Richard. We thought we had a lot more years and books with you. Thank for you for the all the art and literature you’ve made, and for the love and generosity you spread.
