David M. Handelman, a journalist who went on to write and produce television, died on August 15, 2024, at age 63. He was a Rolling Stone staff writer before moving to Vogue and other publications, then working on television series including The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Newsroom.
What was reported about Handelman’s death?
The Television Academy lists August 15, 2024, as Handelman’s date of passing and April 23, 1961, as his birth date. Its biography and Rolling Stone obituary coverage republished by Yahoo support the reported age of 63.
The obituary coverage says friend Sheila Rogers confirmed his death to Rolling Stone and reported Waldenström macroglobulinemia, a rare blood cancer, as the cause. That cause is attributed to Rogers’s report; it is not presented here as an independently verified medical record.
From Rolling Stone to television
Magazine journalism
Handelman worked as a Rolling Stone staff writer, covering musicians and cultural subjects. The Television Academy’s biography names his reporting on the Beastie Boys, Sam Kinison, artist Howard Finster and ACT UP. It also notes that he edited two “HOT” issues and two comedy issues.
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He later became arts editor and writer for Vogue and contributed to the New York Times, New York magazine, GQ, Details, Premiere and Spy, according to the Television Academy. Rolling Stone’s obituary coverage also points to profiles of the Coen brothers and Jane’s Addiction, among other work; these are examples, not a complete bibliography.
Writing and producing for television
The Television Academy describes Handelman as a “print journalist-turned-TV writer and producer.” Its biography lists work on programs for CBS, NBC, ABC, HBO, The CW and CNN, including Nashville, The West Wing, One Tree Hill, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Newsroom and Good Afternoon America. These are representative credits; the available biographies do not establish a complete show or episode list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How colleagues remembered him
Longtime Rolling Stone contributor David Fricke described Handelman’s place at the magazine this way: “David Handelman was a crucial, compelling voice in the rock & roll energy and cultural-mainstream authority of Rolling Stone in the 1980s and early 1990s.” The quote appeared in the obituary coverage republished by Yahoo.
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