Tag Archives: Books and Literature

“The Gay Science” by Friedrich Nietzsche

Happiness and misfortune are brother and sister

Often misunderstood, or misinterpreted by many, Friedrich Nietzsche, the controversial philosopher whose work is as fascinating to ponder today as it was obscure in the late 1800s when he wrote about death and God, or rather, the death-of-God prolifically, was … Continue reading

Posted in The Next Chapter | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion

A recent interview with actress Michelle Williams about the sudden death in 2008 of her partner, actor Heather Ledger, reveals interesting lessons about both the nature of mourning and how we can be sensitive to those who are going through it.

Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger fell in love on set while filming Ang Lee’s 2005 film Brokeback Mountain, a film in which they played husband and wife. Shortly after filming, they became engaged and Williams had a baby, Matilda. In 2008, after Williams and Ledger had separated, Ledger, just 28 years old, was found dead of what was later determined to be an accidental overdose of prescription medication.

A private person by nature, in spite of her profession, Williams agreed to give her first on-camera interview with ABC’s Nightline correspondent Cynthia McFadden and was surprisingly candid about her grief. Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , | 1 Comment

“The Lifespan of a Fact” by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal

Some reactions to a book that explores life’s big subjects: truth and death

As some might remember, there was a bit of an uproar this past winter over a thin, somewhat funny-looking book called The Lifespan of a Fact by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal.  Although it did receive much attention, it’s hard … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kayak Morning by Roger Rosenblatt

Navigating grief through meditation… and kayaking.

In his 2010 memoir, Making Toast, Roger Rosenblatt tells his story about loss after losing his daughter, Amy, unexpectedly.  With a series of snippets similar to diary entries, Rosenblatt detailed his struggle with the aftermath and how he coped by … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

“All for Now,” by Joseph Di Prisco

A Novel About Life After Death, More or Less

    Brother Stephen dies suddenly. That’s when matters get more complicated. During a meeting of school administrators, Brother Stephen, the main character of Joseph di Prisco’s novel, All for Now, monk at a Catholic Seminary and a teacher in the … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Every blade in the field, every leaf in the forest, lays down its life in its season, as beautifully as it was taken up.”

-Henry David Thoreau
Posted in A Rite of Passage | Tagged , , | 3 Comments