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“An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination”
A moving memoir about having a stillborn babyThere is no single English word for a stillborn baby. The title of Elizabeth McCracken’s memoir, “An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination” becomes this writer’s sensitive description of that which no common noun can name: a baby that is born dead. It is a phrase derived from both deep love and despair…
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Dog Ownership Helps Us Live Longer, Studies Show
As any dog lover will tell you, owning a dog is a source of enormous fulfillment and joy. Dogs provide companionship when we’re lonely, a non-judgmental sounding board when we need to vent, and unconditional love on demand. What’s more, research has shown that petting a dog lowers blood pressure, increases levels of the “feel good”…
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By Writing About His Illness, Young Stephen Cammarota Let Go of His Fear of Death
Two weeks after 23-year-old Stephen Cammarota died of complications from an autoimmune disorder in August, his father Sam sent a public tweet with a copy of an essay Stephen wrote in high school attached. The essay was about living while knowing you’re going to die, a reality Stephen faced every day since he was diagnosed…
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“No Hard Feelings”
Folk-rock band celebrates embracing true forgiveness in order to die peacefullyKnown for their honest, plaintive lyrics, The Avett Brothers released “No Hard Feelings” in 2016 on their ninth album, “True Sadness.” The song immediately launches into the need to address any residual resentment before departing this world: When my body won’t hold me anymoreAnd it finally lets me freeWill I be ready? The brothers advocate…
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“My God, It’s Full of Stars”
From the volume “Life On Mars”– an elegy for the poet’s late fatherTracy K. Smith, who served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019, wrote a brilliant poem called “My God, It’s Full of Stars,” which appears in her Pulitzer Prize-winning 2011 volume of poetry titled “Life On Mars.” “My God, It’s Full of Stars,” along with the rest of the poems in…
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“The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction,” by Judy Chicago
Judy Chicago is an internationally renowned artist, educator, and feminist icon who has been active in the art community for more than five decades. She’s known primarily for epic feminist artwork and installation pieces examining the role of women in history and culture. Now, her most recent work is being shown at the National Museum of…
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What Are Some Challenges of Later-life Transitions? (Interview)
Today, SevenPonds concludes its two-part interview with Jill Kearney, founder and CEO of Senior Moves By Design in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Since founding the company in 2009, Jill has assisted more than 800 senior clients to make “joyful transitions.” She enjoys traveling, spending time with her two daughters, her mother and her dogs, and advocating for…
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“Once More We Saw Stars”
The memoir recounts the author’s experiences following his young daughter’s death“Once More We Saw Stars” by Jayson Greene describes agonizing pain, the difficulties of grief and the impact that love has on all of us. At its surface, his new memoir recounts the terrible accident that killed his young daughter: the grief, the anger, the insanity of it all. But, ultimately, “Once More We Saw…
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