Anthony Bourdain, revered writer and host of CNN's Parts Unknown, is dead at the age of 61. CNN said in a statement early Friday that Bourdain died by suicide while working on a new episode of the Peabody-winning series in France.
"[Bourdain's] love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink, and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller," CNN said. "His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much."
Bourdain broke through in 1999 with his widely praised New Yorker article Don't Eat Before Reading This, which quickly inspired the full-length book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. The book's success led to the hit Food Network series A Cook's Tour, which was also the title of Bourdain's follow-up novel. In 2005, Bourdain took his unmatched storytelling prowess to the Travel Channel for No Reservations, before later leaving the network for the launch of his gorgeously shot and brilliantly narrated Parts Unknown.
Bourdain's writings also delved into fiction, most notably in the DC Comics release Get Jiro! with Joel Rose and his 2008 gangster thriller The Bobby Gold Stories.
"Once I tell people something, it's not the content that's embarrassing to me," Bourdain toldFirst We Feast in a delightfully candid interview last year. "If I write bad sentences, that's embarrassing to me. Bad sentences are mortifying. And there are plenty of examples. But look, I talk about everything. My dick has been on TMZ, so what's left?"
Rest in power, Anthony. Thanks for inviting us to see the world through your eyes for so many years. You were a rarity.
