Les Plesko, Venice novelist was 59

City News Service says that Les Plesko, the Budapest-born author "known for Beat Generation-inspired novels," died on Monday morning after jumping from the roof of the building where he lived at Westminster Avenue and Pacific Avenue in Venice. He was 59. The photo is from Twitter. From CNS:

"The Hungarian writer was the author of the novels "The Last Bongo Sunset," "Slow Lie Detector" and "'Who I Was," and had taught creative writing at UCLA Extension.

"He was a wonderful writer," said Bonnie Reynolds of Small World Books in Venice. "We carried all his books. It was just a shock."

Plesko last posted on his blog in June. His last novel, Who I Was, was published last year.

Hat tip: Venice Patch.