Author Archives: Christopher Hewitt (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“Kyrie” by Ellen Bryant Voigt

Ellen Bryant Voigt's sonnet sequence on the post-WWI Influenza of 1918

Few may be familiar with the Influenza of 1918. Although it took half a million lives in the U.S. and 25 million worldwide, most of whom were young adults, the pandemic somehow eludes due emphasis in our history books. One … Continue reading

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“I want to die like my father, peacefully in his sleep, not screaming and terrified, like his passengers.”

– Bob Monkhouse

More from Laughter is Medicine: Selective Reading Miracle Max’s Expert Advice “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness”

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Restoring Coral Reefs through Sea Burial

Eternal Reefs rebuild ecosystems with cremated remains

From pyramids to space burial, technology informs the rituals by which we memorialize our losses. Now we can do so while simultaneously restoring fragile, diminishing ecosystems. Imagine literally turning death into vibrant, dense sea life with layers of coral and schools … Continue reading

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 “Kettering” by The Antlers

A caretaker's haunting story of losing a loved one to terminal illness

Imagine watching the person you love succumb to terminal illness. Hospice, an album by the The Antlers, tells the story of a woman’s end of life. Told through the perspective of her caretaker, the songs teem with harrowing nightmares and … Continue reading

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How Can We Support the Aging and Elderly? An Interview with Andrew Gaines

Executive Director Andrew Gaines shows us how Ashby Village can support independent living for the elderly through community support

Today, SevenPonds speaks with Andrew Gaines, Executive Director for Ashby Village, a community and volunteer organization for the elderly or aging in Berkeley, CA. After serving as Executive Director for Earthdance in the 1990’s, Andrew guided the development of several multi-family … Continue reading

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“The Man with Night Sweats” by Thom Gunn

Thom Gunn memorializes his loved ones who died of AIDS

Thom Gunn’s The Man with Night Sweats (1992) memorializes a San Francisco poet’s tragic losses due to AIDS. An “Anglo-American poet” known for his brainy yet visceral formal verse, the late British expatriate often wrote in meter and rhyme about his … Continue reading

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