Author Archives: Kimberly Lane (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“Silverlake Life: The View from Here” by Tom Joslin and Peter Friedman

Tom Joslin, with help from Peter Friedmen, documents the final moments of his life before succumbing to AIDS in the critically acclaimed documentary "Silverlake Life: The View from Here."

“Silverlake Life: The View from Here” (1993) is not a typical documentary about AIDS. There are no footnotes in this film. No historical context or textbook definitions are given. While the protagonists visit many doctors and healers throughout the film, … Continue reading

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What is Contemplative Care? An Interview with Jennifer Block

Jennifer Block teaches us how to cope with grief through Mindfulness Meditation and other Zen practices

Today SevenPonds speaks with Jennifer Block, an interfaith minister and Buddhist Chaplain who has dedicated her life to providing spiritual guidance for people in crisis. She is returning to teach the 2014 Contemplative Caregiver Course at the San Francisco Zen Center, which … Continue reading

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Illuminating Death through Art

Capuchin burial traditions teach us how to face death without fear

When one thinks of strange funerary traditions, the unique practices of the Capuchin monks may come to mind. This small sect of Catholic Franciscan monks was established in 1525 in the Umbria province in Italy, and while their general reformation … Continue reading

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“Love Is Here to Stay” by George and Ira Gershwin

Ira Gershwin memorializes the legacy of his brother in the final song composed by George Gershwin

Among the Gershwin brothers’ hundreds of hit songs from the great jazz age, “Love Is Here to Stay” is perhaps the most poignant. George and Ira received a commission to write the song for the 1938 film The Goldwyn Follies. … Continue reading

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“Dirge Without Music” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Edna St. Vincent Millay expresses her struggle to accept mortality in her poem “Dirge Without Music”

Edna St. Vincent Millay is no stranger to us at SevenPonds. While death remains a constant theme in many of her poems, her relationship with death oscillates between acceptance and repulsion—making her treatment of the subject utterly relatable. A woman … Continue reading

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It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it’s called Life.

-Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent
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