Long-time Malibu resident and screenwriter Gary Horn passed away on December 22, 2023, at the age of 61. A survivor of a diving accident that left him quadriplegic at nineteen, Gary embraced life with enthusiasm as a devoted parent, loving spouse, and successful writer. His deep spirituality, founded in his friendship with Ram Dass, was based on the concept of “Be Here Now,” which he described as “the most simple, enduring, yet seeming impossible to follow teaching” that liberates us from our suffering.
Gary’s writing life began with the publication of Swim in the Void, a collection of his poetry, in collaboration with renowned painter Alexis Rockman. A member of the Writers Guild of America, he went on to write numerous screenplays, including The Conspirator, an original political thriller which he sold to Fox at auction. He created Guts, a one-hour television series for CBS and Wolfgang Petersen. He was a contributing author, along with James Salter, Tom Wolfe, David Sedaris, and others to Flight Patterns, published by Open City Books. Gary became a featured columnist for HuffPost, specializing in spirituality and mindfulness.
Gary recently completed his autobiography, Fight to Grace: Forty Years of Quadriplegia, Ram Dass, Fatherhood, and a Life I Could Not Have Imagined, which is in the process of publication.
Gary is survived by his son Dylan, his wife Stephanie, his parents and sister, and many loving in-laws, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Gary left his mark on a wide range of people who were attracted by his strength, his wisdom, and his wicked sense of humor.
A celebration of Gary’s life will be held on Sunday, March 3, at the Malibu Library Community Room, 23519 Civic Center Way, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Click Here.