“Loving What is Mortal”: On Mary Oliver and the Poetry of the Willing Heart In this talk, Professor David Keplinger of American University will discuss his longtime friendship with Mary Oliver while looking into what she called “the spiritual purpose” of her poetry, which, in part, included the ways we might willingly subject our hearts […]
From Gravely Ill to Dying- What Do We Know? What do we understand about signs of imminent death and what remains mysterious? The medical and emotional journey for people who transition from gravely ill to dying. How does the experience differ when death occurs at home vs. in the hospital? Eric De Jonge, M.D. serves […]
Eating to Live or Eating to Die? A Food Addict’s Reflection on Memento Mori Lent calls us to reflection, restraint, and renewal—yet in modern life, we often feast without thought, consuming what harms us as if it were a reward. In this conversation, Michelle Petties explores the paradox of our food system: how the things […]
Into the Ether: Life, Death and the Illusion of Choice Kate Banks, renowned children’s book author, “chose” to end her life by voluntary assisted death on February 24, 2024 after a two year odyssey with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer. Kate hoped that her life experience could be used to help people talk about death, not […]