Tag Archives: Jean-Paul Sartre

French Death Traditions: A Note on the Door

A simple French death tradition calls for the community to leave a word of comfort at the door of the bereaved
Posted on February 5, 2015 by MaryFrances Knapp (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

The French are not shy when it comes to literary self-expression, for their cultural history, while well renowned for wine and cuisine, also boasts no shortage of creative greats. From Balzac to Jean-Paul Sartre, the country’s great writers have one … Continue reading →

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A Very Easy Death by Simone de Beauvoir

In writing on her mother's death, French writer Simone de Beauvoir touched on palliative and end-of-life care questions long before her time
Posted on June 20, 2014 by MaryFrances Knapp (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

The most remarkable thing about Simone de Beauvoir’s A Very Easy Death (1964) is its author’s deft choice to seek the ordinary. Beauvoir’s is not a story we haven’t heard before — mother is diagnosed with cancer; children struggle by … Continue reading →

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