Michael VerMeulen
Encyclopedia
Michael VerMeulen was an American
magazine
editor
.
Born in [Lake Forest, Illinois], VerMeulen was a journalist and editor, who came into contact during his late adolescence with playwright David Mamet and the circle of actors surrounding him in Chicago at that time. He contributed regularly to a number of magazines including Vanity Fair
and Parade
before leaving for London where he worked initially for a financial publication, before joining British GQ
in 1988 as its founding features editor.
In the same year he became engaged to an Australian author named Antonella Gambotto-Burke
, who left him because of his drug addiction. VerMeulen was promoted within GQ to deputy editor in 1990 and to editor in 1992.
VerMeulen died of a drug overdose
on Sunday, 28 August, 1995, in his home in Islington, London
. A coroner's inquest found over two and a half times the lethal dose of cocaine
in his system. An account of his death written by Gambotto-Burke in the book entitled The Eclipse: A Memoir of Suicide claimed that his death was an indirect suicide. In the book, she writes of how he had often discussed suicide.
His funeral was held at St. George's, Hanover Square, London. David Mamet sent a special eulogy that was read during the service. Over 400 people, including editors and writers, were in attendance.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
.
Born in [Lake Forest, Illinois], VerMeulen was a journalist and editor, who came into contact during his late adolescence with playwright David Mamet and the circle of actors surrounding him in Chicago at that time. He contributed regularly to a number of magazines including Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
and Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
before leaving for London where he worked initially for a financial publication, before joining British GQ
GQ (magazine)
GQ is a monthly men's magazine focusing on fashion, style, and culture for men, through articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, travel, sports, technology, and books...
in 1988 as its founding features editor.
In the same year he became engaged to an Australian author named Antonella Gambotto-Burke
Antonella Gambotto-Burke
Antonella Gambotto-Burke is an Australian author and journalist.Gambotto-Burke has written one novel, The Pure Weight of the Heart, two anthologies, Lunch of Blood and An Instinct for the Kill, and a memoir, The Eclipse: A Memoir of Suicide, which has been published in four languages...
, who left him because of his drug addiction. VerMeulen was promoted within GQ to deputy editor in 1990 and to editor in 1992.
VerMeulen died of a drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
on Sunday, 28 August, 1995, in his home in Islington, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. A coroner's inquest found over two and a half times the lethal dose of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
in his system. An account of his death written by Gambotto-Burke in the book entitled The Eclipse: A Memoir of Suicide claimed that his death was an indirect suicide. In the book, she writes of how he had often discussed suicide.
His funeral was held at St. George's, Hanover Square, London. David Mamet sent a special eulogy that was read during the service. Over 400 people, including editors and writers, were in attendance.