Literary obituaries: November 24, 2025

Here are the literary deaths that either occurred recently or popped into the news recently, starting with the most distant and all coming from The New York Times.

• Linguist Stephen R. Anderson, who argued that animals don't communicate through language as humans do in his book Doctor Dolittle’s Delusion, died October 13 at age eighty-two.

• Terry Martin Hekker, who wrote first a memoir singing the praises of being a housewife and stay-at-home mother, then one detailing the fallout of receiving divorce papers on her fortieth anniversary, died October 20 at age ninety-two.

• David Bellos, a renowned French-English translator whose work ranged from Man Booker International Prize winners to crime thrillers, died October 26 at age eighty. 

• Richard Lamparski, who found great success in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with the book series “Whatever Became Of …?”, died November 8 at age ninety-three.