May 27--The death of Esquire food writer Josh Ozersky in May was ruled as a drowning as a result of a seizure.
Ozersky, 47, was found dead at the Conrad Chicago hotel in River North on the morning of May 4. He had been in town for the James Beard Foundation Awards, for which he served on the awards committee.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office released the cause and manner of death Wednesday: Ozersky had drowned in the hotel shower during a seizure. The longtime food writer, who has had bylines in Time, Wall Street Journal and most recently at Esquire, was known to have a history of epilepsy.
Ozersky was a singular voice in the world of food writing. Grandiose and unapologetic, he wrote passionately on subjects from meats to spirits, and seemed to revel in feuds with chefs and fellow food writers. But often he turned that pen on himself, writing with lyrical prose and brutal honesty. His death, news of which came out during the night of the Beard Awards gala at the Civic Opera House, cast a pall over an otherwise celebratory evening.
"He bared his soul through writing about food and set a standard for that sort of writing," said John T. Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, on the night of the Beard Awards. "Everything he did was overwrought and purposefully so. He didn't apologize for that. He wore his emotion and love of food on his sleeve."
kpang@tribpub.com
Twitter @pang
