The Inevitable: Contemporary Writers Confront Death

A diverse--and somewhat uneven--collection of essays--personal, academic, playful, and occasionally impenetrably lyrical reflections on death. I found most meaning in those that recounted or reflected on personal experiences. The piece by Kevin Baker in which he details the discovery of his genetic legacy is, in my opinion, the best by far in the anthology.

Editors Shields (The Thing About Life Is One Day You'll Be Dead) and Morrow (The Diviner's Tale) asked 20 writers to write about death and "speak about the unspeakable." The essays range widely from blow-flies to widowhood to 'ghost bikes' to cemeteries and even pornography. The tones and responses are as varied as the authors themselves -- funny, grotesque, honest, mournful, reflective.

The list of authors is impressive: Diane Ackerman, Mark Doty, Jonathan Safran, Geoff Dyer, Annie Dillard, Joyce Carol Oates, Christopher Sorrentina to name a few. . . each ponder the inevitability of death, the cost of it, how it hangs over our heads, stalks us, creates us. It is a moving collection, sometimes comforting, sometimes disturbing, and show more entirely worthwhile. show less

Although many of the stories were interesting, I kept finding that I had to force myself to finish most of them, thinking “When am I going to get to the good part?” Plus, I do not think some of the authors really confronted death per se. I am such purist. I highly recommend “The Art of Death” over this one.

As with any book of essays, some spoke to me more than others. In particular, the pieces by Christopher Sorrentino, Jonathan Safran Foer and Joyce Carol Oates were brilliant. Overall, the book is full of well-crafted and thoughtful pieces.