Befriending Death
Over 100 Essayists on Living and Dying
by
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"The fulfillment of creative work is embedded in the here and now. Though I work slowly toward completion, it is the daily visitation that sustains me. Though the process takes place in a netherworld, I never feel as alive as when I am writing. Each day, when I stop, when I come up for air, I experience a brief death." from Jhumpa Lahiri, Pulitzer Prize winner
"In another way, the inevitability of human mortality is strangely comforting. Death is the great democrat who comes to all of us, rich and poor, good and evil, powerful and weak. This recognition reinforces my sense of belonging and interconnectedness with all living things. In the end, it is kindness, authenticity, love, humor and grace that really matter." from Susan Matarese
"When my older sister was murdered, I almost died from the pain. ...Sometimes I still sob for hours, or days. But for me, life has been made worth living by continuing to find things to love. I press my animal body toward warmth. I forgive myself for surviving. I laugh out loud at silliness. I marvel at butterflies and concrete." --Evelyn Wight
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About the Book
It’s not easy to speak about death in our culture. As children of revolution, we think of our country as young, energetic, and future oriented. Our ideals of progress and vigor seem contradicted by the concept of death. But the silence about death in America is a lost opportunity for people to find insight and support in walking “that lonesome valley.”
In Befriending Death, over 100 writers respond, in one page each, to one question: In the face of death, how do you find meaning and fulfillment in life? Penned from people from a variety of backgrounds, the essays take death seriously and openly and discuss how the authors find meaning in life. This chance for a rare sharing of views on a truly profound subject has attracted commentators who are deeply religious and those who are not religious, noted authors and people who have never published a word, people celebrated by the world and people ignored by the world. As they are all equal in their mortality, they are equal in striving for an authentic existence and an honest description of what for them constitutes fulfillment.
While each essay in Befriending Death is unique, together they present a tapestry of courage, struggle, and insight. At a time when we are often overwhelmed by the eagerness of people to provide their opinions on politics and sports, here is a rare opportunity to hear people share their most profound views on life and death.
About the Author
Michael Vocino is a former Dean of Libraries at the University of Rhode Island. He has taught film and political science and is currently the University Gifts Librarian.
Alfred G. Killilea was educated at Andover, Notre Dame (A.B.) and the University of Chicago (M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science.) He taught Political Theory for 43 years at the University of Rhode Island. He is the author of THE POLITICS OF BEING MORTAL and the editor of CONFRONTING DEATH.