RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Tom Wolfe, renowned author, journalist and Richmond native, has died at the age of 88.
Wolfe grew up in Richmond’s Sherwood Park neighborhood in a home owned by local Linda White.
8News met up with White and spoke with her about Wolfe’s impact on Richmond.
“Very cool for our neighborhood, Sherwood Park, that we had this historical figure, literary figure that grew up in this neighborhood,” White told 8News.
White has lived in Wolfe’s old home for the past 17 years.
“Mr. Wolfe was kind enough to write this very detailed letter talking about what it was like to grow up here in Richmond. And what the area was like back in the 30’s and 40’s,” White said.
Wolfe mentions in the letter that his father built this Richmond house shortly after he was born in 1930.
“We were lucky enough to get a copy of the letter,” White explained.
Wolfe attended Ginter Park Elementary and graduated from St. Christopher’s School. He was the co-editor of the school’s newspaper before heading to Washington and Lee for college.
“He’s a very prolific writer and very well known and what a shame for the literary community,” White said.
Wolfe was also a leading figure in new journalism, insisting that the only way to tell a great story was to go out and report it.
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