Giancarlo Veazey DiTrapano (January 30, 1974 – March 30, 2021) was an American independent publisher of contemporary literature through his publishing house Tyrant Books.

Giancarlo DiTrapano
BornJanuary 30, 1974
Charleston, West Virginia
DiedMarch 30, 2021(2021-03-30) (aged 47)
New York City
EducationLoyola University (BA)
Occupations
  • Publisher
  • Editor
  • Journalist

Early life and education

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DiTrapano was born in Charleston, West Virginia, to an Italian-American family.[1] One of five children, his brother Lidano Albert died in a car crash when he was nine.[2] He studied philosophy at Loyola University New Orleans and later moved to New York City in 2001, where he began his career in literature.[1]

Career

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DiTrapano interned at Farrar, Straus & Giroux. He also attended the writing workshops of the editor Gordon Lish, the father of the future Tyrant author Atticus Lish.[1] In 2006, DiTrapano founded New York Tyrant Magazine, a literary journal that showcased new writers.[3] In 2017, Mors Tua Vita Mea workshop came to be founded, with the writer Chelsea Hodson being the co-founder.[4] Before his death, he had been planning to launch a new press, DiTrapano Books.[5]

Personal life

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DiTrapano dated American fashion and costume designer Chris March. In 2015, he met Giuseppe Avallone, a set and costume designer from Salerno, Italy. They later married and lived together in Naples.[5] From the age of 16, DiTrapano suffered with cluster headaches. He treated them effectively with psilocybin and 5-MeO-DALT.[6]

Death

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DiTrapano died on March 30, 2021, at the age of 47, while visiting New York City. The news of his sudden death was announced by Tyrant Books on April 2 via Twitter. The cause of death was not disclosed.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Vadukul, Alex (April 15, 2021). "Giancarlo DiTrapano, Defiantly Independent Book Publisher, Dies at 47". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  2. ^ Imbrogno, Douglas (October 19, 2013). "Checking in on the 'bad boy of publishing' from W.Va". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Maher |, John. "Giancarlo DiTrapano, Tyrant Books Founder, Dies at 47". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Stewart |, Sophia. "Author Chelsea Hodson Founds a New Press, Rose Books". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Review, The Paris (April 7, 2021). "Four Memories of Giancarlo DiTrapano". The Paris Review. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  6. ^ DITRAPANO, GIANCARLO (November 18, 2016). "How Psychedelics Helped Me Deal with Excruciating Cluster Headaches". Vice. Retrieved August 25, 2023.