Jim Knipfel: key obituary facts
Is Jim Knipfel dead? Yes. Jim Knipfel died on October 7, 2026, at age 61.
Cause of death: Jim Knipfel's cause of death was reported as Cancer.
What was Jim Knipfel known for?
He was an American journalist.
More about Jim Knipfel
Born: 2 June 1965.
Place of birth: Grand Forks.
Gender: male.
Occupation: journalist, writer.
Nationality: United States.
Education: University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Occupations: Novelist, journalist.
Jim Knipfel, an American novelist, autobiographer and journalist, died of cancer on October 7, 2026, aged 61.
Born June 2, 1965, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, he studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His books included three memoirs—Slackjaw, Quitting the Nairobi Trio and Ruining It for Everybody—and two novels, The Buzzing and Noogie’s Time to Shine.
Knipfel’s newspaper career included reporting, criticism and a recurring personal column. The first Slackjaw column appeared October 25, 1987, in the Welcomat, a Philadelphia weekly later renamed the Philadelphia Weekly. At the Welcomat, he also reviewed restaurants and art exhibits. He later wrote for the New York Press, where his assignments ranged from news stories and feature articles to film and music reviews and the crime blotter. His long-running Slackjaw column also appeared in the Press. Knipfel continued writing for the weekly alternative newspaper until June 13, 2006. His work across memoir, fiction and journalism is represented by the five books and newspaper assignments he published, including the three memoirs and two novels that formed his book-length output.