Norah Vincent, the journalist who chronicled her experiences passing as a man for several months in the memoir Self-Made Man, died last month in Switzerland, the New York Times reports. She was 53.

The cause of death was a “voluntary assisted death,” according to a friend of the author’s.

Vincent, a Detroit native, worked as a journalist and published Self-Made Man in 2006. The book told the story of her decision to dress and pass as a man for more than a year. (Vincent was a cisgender lesbian.)

Self-Made Man caused a stir when it was published, becoming a bestseller and sparking a nationwide discussion of gender. A critic for Kirkus called the book “a fascinating, truly weird account” and “one of the curiouser books to appear of late—sure to attract attention.”

Vincent’s other books included another memoir, Voluntary Madness, and two novels, Thy Neighbor and Adeline.

Social media users reacted to Vincent’s death, with author Andrew Sullivan writing, “Heart-breaking news. Norah was so supportive in the 90s, as we tried to offer a different vision for gay people.”

Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.