From an internal Random House email earlier this hour ...

From: Bogaards, Paul
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 1:07 PM
To: @Knopf Doubleday Group
Subject: John Updike

It is with great sadness that I report that John Updike died this morning at the age of 76, after a battle with lung cancer.

John was one of our greatest writers. He was a part of the Knopf family for over fifty years. We will all miss him terribly.

JOHN UPDIKE
March 18, 1932 - January 27, 2009