Christopher Hitchens: 1949-2011

Christopher Hitchens, a British author and journalist who wrote for The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate and The Nation has died at 62 after developing cancer of the esophagus, the Wall Street Journal reported. Hitchens died last night from complications from pneumonia at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Hitchens — the author of 2007’s manifesto for atheists titled God is Not Great — was vocal about his struggle with cancer, which he wrote about in an August 2010 essay for Vanity Fair.

“I love the imagery of struggle,” Hitchens said in the essay. “I sometimes wish I were suffering in a good cause, or risking my life for the good of others, instead of just being a gravely endangered patient.”

The author was known for his polarizing stances on the Iraq war, his writings on Henry Kissinger and his critiques of Mother Teresa, whose order is apparently praying for Hitchens. The author was also known for his love of drink and cigarettes, which Jon Stewart commented on: “You’ve lived it. You haven’t taken it easy on this model body. But you don’t look like shit and you should.”

You can watch a few clips of Hitchens below where he talks about reading his own death notice and flips Bill Maher’s audience the bird.

Hitchens Vs. Bill Maher

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