News Update: Roger Ebert has Passed Away on April 4th At the Age of 70
Revered film critic Roger Ebert has announced that he will be taking a "leave of presence" to continue his battle with cancer.
Writing on the Chicago Sun-Times blog, Ebert stated that the "painful fracture" that he suffered in December turned out to be cancer and will limit his ability to attend film screenings. Ebert previously lost his jaw and voice after suffering from salivary and thyroid cancer.
"I may write about what it's like to cope with health challenges and the limitations they can force upon you. It really stinks that the cancer has returned and that I have spent too many days in the hospital. So on bad days I may write about the vulnerability that accompanies illness. On good days, I may wax ecstatic about a movie so good it transports me beyond illness," he explained.
Ebert asserted that he will not stop writing reviews, but will have to slow down from his usual 200-per year pace. He defined this diminished output as a "leave of presence."
"What in the world is a leave of presence? It means I am not going away. My intent is to continue to write selected reviews but to leave the rest to a talented team of writers handpicked and greatly admired by me," he noted. "What's more, I'll be able at last to do what I've always fantasized about doing: reviewing only the movies I want to review."
Ebert also indicated that he has a number of other projects including the "re-launching the new and improved Rogerebert.com and taking ownership of the site under a separate entity, Ebert Digital, run by me, my beloved wife, Chaz, and our brilliant friend, Josh Golden of Table XI."
He will also continue working on a documentary about his life which includes cooperation from Steve James, Steve Zaillian, and Martin Scorsese. "I am humbled that anyone would even think to do it, but I am also grateful," Ebert wrote.
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