Punk poet Jim Carroll dies at 60

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US writer and musician Jim Carroll, best know for writing The Basketball Diaries, has died in New York aged 60 following a heart attack.

Carroll's 1978 book, which was made into a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was about his formative years as a star player and drug user.

The poet, who was also linked with The Doors and Lou Reed, appeared in artist Andy Warhol's films.

Singer Patti Smith said he was "the best poet of his generation".

The musician told the New York Times that his work was "sophisticated and elegant".

His self-titled band was later formed with the assistance of Smith, and their debut album was called Catholic Boy.

Carroll returned to writing on a full-time basis in the mid-1980s, but his debut novel remained unfinished.