Sacred Death revisits a tale from Emile Zola’s The Sinful Priest, where Albine, heartbroken by a priest’s abandonment, orchestrates her tragic death by suffocating herself in flowers, an artistic homage to her sorrow.

Lydia Dugdale’s The Lost Art of Dying emphasizes that to die well, one must live well, urging readers to prepare for death by reconciling relationships, considering medical choices, and engaging with life's ultimate questions.

Robert Bly encouraged Bruce Schneider to write daily, sharing wisdom from poet William Stafford. Their exchange deeply influenced Schneider's writing journey, strengthening the bond between father and son.

Chapters by Caren Martineau explores a mother-daughter bond, revealing a deep connection to the other side. After a death, the absence of empathy from a distant figure contrasts with the mourners' grief.

In R.A. Villenueva's poem "In the Winter We," memory burns bright like a hot flame, reviving the cold, flat imagery of winter. The poem, from Reliquaria, is beautifully brought to life in a short animation.

Emily McDowell created greeting cards to bridge the awkwardness of talking about illness. Drawing from her own cancer experience, she offers humor and compassion, helping friends stay connected during tough times.

Holly Strelzik reflects on childhood trauma from her father’s alcohol-fueled rants, transforming her holiday experience into one of healing. Now, she finds meaning in the present, supporting her husband with Alzheimer's.

Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison’s Wholehearted highlights the transformative power of compassion and shared suffering in end-of-life care. Raised amidst the AIDS pandemic, he emphasizes commitment and connection, encouraging readers to embrace moments of happiness.

Comfort food rituals around death have existed for millennia, from Neanderthals to modern times. Global funeral dishes, like Belgian soul bread, Chinese jai, and Jamaican johnny cakes, offer comfort and community.

Barbara Coombs Lee, author of Finish Strong, emphasizes the importance of embracing our mortality to enrich life. Her exit plan involves having time to communicate with loved ones before her passing, though she is content with how her life has unfolded.

Good Death? explores the growing interest in death literacy and defines a "good death" based on individual experiences, from avoiding pain to preparing loved ones, embracing spirituality, and cherishing love.

Comfort food rituals around death have existed for millennia, from Neanderthals to modern times. Global funeral dishes, like Belgian soul bread, Chinese jai, and Jamaican johnny cakes, offer comfort and community.

Blossoming tells the story of Kristy Mitchell, who created a fantastical photo series, Wonderland, as a tribute to her mother after her passing. The series blends childhood memories, grief, and art.

In My Father's Wake, Kevin Toolis reflects on his father's wake and explores the cultural significance of the Irish funeral ritual, offering insights on how embracing this tradition can improve our approach to mortality.

Alan Watts' The Dream of Life explores the paradox of consciousness and our connection to universal divinity, offering a new perspective on mortality and our place in the world, blending Eastern and Western philosophies.

Sigrid Nunez’s What Are You Going Through explores a character’s choice to end her life using euthanasia drugs, examining themes of mortality, personal choice, and the inevitability of death. Nunez reflects on her characters’ complex journeys, blending fiction with raw emotional exploration of dying.

Stephanie Lucianovic wrote The End of Something Wonderful to help children process pet loss, aiming to make conversations about death less scary and more accessible. She values kindness and self-awareness.

Christopher Borrelli explores what the last works of artists reveal about life and death, highlighting figures like Van Gogh, LeGuin, and Day-Lewis, and the poignant clarity that emerges before death.

Lux Narayan, a data scientist, analyzed 2,000 New York Times obituaries to identify common threads using word clouds. His insights reveal patterns in life and death, offering reflections on how to live fully.

Josephine Hart, British theater producer and writer, passionately promoted classic poetry. Her legacy includes The Poetry Hour, and her husband, Maurice Saatchi, continues to fund the events through the Josephine Hart Foundation.