I Miss Anthony Bourdain
You wouldn’t know Anthony Bourdain died in 2018 by reading the headlines in the culture pages of America’s newspapers and magazines. “Anthony Bourdain’s boeuf bourguignon offers the gift of time and patience,” reads a recent offering. “Why Veggies Always Taste Better At Restaurants, According To Anthony Bourdain,” reads another. And then there’s “Tony,” an upcoming biopic about the chef and media personality. Add into the mix the TV tributes, the how-to-dress-like-Bourdain listicles, and the tote bags, hats, buttons, T-shirts and lighters with his face slapped on. (I’m pretty sure Tony would be appalled at the previous sentence!) Nearly eight years after his death, the man is still as omnipresent as ever, and his near cult-like fan base hasn’t let him go. I proudly include myself in that fan base. Why? The most obvious answer is simply the fact of his death, a suicide at age 61. Grief—the gap in the world created by the u...