Long-time Columbia Fiction Foundry member Charles B. Wendel died on April 28, 2025. He was seventy-four.
Charles graduated from Columbia with a Masters in English, a Master of Philosophy in English and comparative literature, and an MBA in finance and marketing. He spent most of his career in finance, working with firms including McKinsey & Company, before founding his own consultancy, FIC, where he served as president for almost forty years.
Combining aspects of his academic background, Charles wrote about banking, including a piece where, recalling his long-ago attendance at Woodstock, he offered observations for remaining relevant today.
His final submission to a CFF workshop, “Death by Aguardiente: Christmas in Medellín,” was an unusual expat Christmas short story set in Colombia, where Charles had a home.
"As infectious as Charles’ humor was, his intellect was even more infectious," recalled Ralph White, CFF co-founder and past president. "He made you think and laugh, often at the same time. He was an original."