Timothy McSweeney RIP

You probably all know that I simply adore McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, the innovative literary journal that combines fresh young talent with great authors and groundbreaking graphics, edited by Dave Eggers. The eccentric and unknown letter-writer who gave his name to this quarterly has sadly died aged 67.

Dave Eggers’ mother's maiden name was McSweeney and when Eggers was eight he started getting strange mail addressed to both him and his mother. They were usually notes written on pamphlets and other sorts of mail that required no postage. The messages were confusing and illustrated, but generally seemed to be written by a man named Timothy McSweeney, who thought he was related to Eggers' mother. Although they made no sense, Dave was intrigued and kept them all.

He didn't know if Timothy was real but in any case the name Timothy McSweeney came to hold an aura of mystery. He was an enigma, a man looking for a home, producing writing that was cryptic and full of longing. Manny years later, when Eggers was conceiving a name for his literary journal, the name Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern occurred to him.

A few years after the quarterly began an intern named Ross McSweeney joined them, he turned out to be the nephew of Timothy McSweeney. Coincidence or fate?

The real Timothy was adopted and a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Art. Sadly, mental illness overtook him and he also struggled with alcoholism. He was institutionalized and began to look for his family. In 2000 Eggers and Ross discovered the melancholy truth behind this mysterious character. Given Timothy's background as an artist and his search for connection and meaning through the written word, they decided to dedicate all issues to the real Timothy who unknowingly inspired a literary revolution.