From Wednesday morning’s New York World-Telegram and crack investigative journalist Clyde Kane Jr.
Shock waves roiled the literary world yesterday when new evidence surfaced that finally could prove that “Blogging” sensation Will Leitch is not a person . Instead of a former male hooker from a small midwestern town, he is apparently a woodchuck.
Leitch, who has cultivated celebrity and publishing industry friendships with the likes of Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman and Warren St. John, appears to have pulled off the greatest literary hoax in a generation.
Since 2003, Leitch has been gaining fame for his depictions of a an uninteresting human lured into a life of self-obsession. His first book, “Live As A Loser,” was shelved in bookstores under “4 for a dollar” but was marketed as semi-autobiographical. The author’s life story was key to the failure of the book.
Over the past five months as Leitch’s readership grew, his shyness became part of the legend. On the rare occasions when he would appear in public, Leitch wore
an unconvincing wig and sometimes a mask (above).
Confronted with the photographic evidence above, some denizens of the “blogosphere” rose to Leitch’s defense “I will say that, from people I respect who know him, that Will Leitch is apparently a very nice guy” commented David Roth of New York City.
Others were less forgiving. “Fuck Will Leitch“ he™s an asshole who™s gotten in over his head, and anyone who apologizes for him is a fucking moron” insisted a man who only identified himself as “Brushback” on a particularly mean-spirited internet message board.
Interesting stuff, as always from Kane Jr., but in my own humble opinion, the species-identity issues and star-fucking tidbits are ultimately irrelevant if readers are genuinely moved by the man/woodchuck’s work.