Andrew Solomon had written an eloquent and moving piece in the New York Times Book Review about books dealing with death.
The New York Times commented “To say that books about death are morbid may seem a truism, but of course, most books are about death. They deal directly or indirectly with the contrasting temporality of experience and the relative permanence of the written word.”
I found reading books about people’s experiences with death and grief uplifting and difficult. Dealing with death is not on my “to do” list but on all our “will do” lists.
In our professional work and our own lives we deal with many different kinds of grief. Being conscious of our common realities, I believe, gives us insights that can only be useful as we live our lives. It is often better to “move toward” then move away from those things that are hard to deal with.
One of the books reviewed is by a Canadian poet and author, Eve Joseph. This review inspired me to read her marvellous book. She worked in a Victoria hospice program for 20 years, and believes her own compelling life story, her own grief and attitudes about death and dying across cultures and centuries.
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