Patton Oswalt's Lovely Celebration of His Late Wife's Book Publication Will Make You Cry
It's been nearly two years since the sudden death of Michelle McNamara, a true crime writer and the wife of comedian Patton Oswalt. Oswalt has kept his late spouse's memory alive since her passing, and with the assistance of her close collaborators, has helped oversee the completion of the book she was working on when she died. Today, as that tome finally hits shelves, Oswalt revealed the perfect celebration of McNamara and her work.
In an emotional post on Twitter, the comedian shared a photo of McNamara's grave, whose inscription alone will probably make you misty. The plaque reads: Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother, Crimefighter, Writer, Poet, Perfect. Excuse us while we grab some tissues.
You did it, baby. The book is excellent, the writing brilliant. You tried to bring kindness to chaos, which was your way. #IllBeGoneInTheDark#MichelleMcNamarapic.twitter.com/xUKgEXOmR7
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) February 27, 2018
On top of the grave, Oswalt placed a copy of McNamara's book, "I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer." In his photo caption, the comedian praised his late wife's wonderful work.
"You did it, baby," Oswalt wrote. "The book is excellent, the writing brilliant. You tried to bring kindness to chaos, which was your way."
"I'll Be Gone in the Dark" tells the story of the Golden State Killer, a serial killer and rapist who terrorized California for ten years in the '70s and '80s before suddenly vanishing without a trace. While his identity had eluded law enforcement officials for decades, McNamara took a special interest in the case, and believed she was on the cusp of cracking it when she died in her sleep on April 21, 2016, the result of mixing medications with an undiagnosed medical condition. She was 46.
Vulture has a fascinating piece examining McNamara's work, which is worth a read if you'd like to know more about the writer (as well as the chilling Golden State Killer case). It seems like she was an incredible talent, and it's a shame that she never got to see the final result of her tireless labors. Thankfully, with the help of Oswalt, McNamara won't be forgotten anytime soon.
"I'll Be Gone in the Dark," featuring a foreword by "Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn and an afterword by Oswalt, is on sale now.
[via: Patton Oswalt/Twitter, Vulture]