Who I am.

I write about the landscape of grief, nature, and the wisdom of fools. The author of four books, my essays, poems, and reviews have been published in over 50 journals, including in the Huffington Post and Colorado Review. I’ve won the River Teeth Nonfiction Book Award, the Chautauqua and Literal Latte’s essay prizes, and my work has been nominated for four Pushcart Prizes and named a notable by Best American Essays. My account of hiking in Yosemite to deal with my wife’s death, Mountains of Light, was published by the University of Nebraska Press. http://www.markliebenow.com.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Imagining the Unbearable



Journal entry 27

Iris Murdoch, a novelist and philosopher, wrote, “Bereavement is a darkness impenetrable to the imagination of the unbereaved.” Even with the power of her great mind to comprehend the abstracts of reality that befuddle most of us, Murdoch could not figure out what bereavement felt like. Then she died and her husband, John Bayley, found out. 

* If you would like to read the rest of this post, let me know and I’ll send it to you. *

4 comments:

  1. I don't know what's helpful, but I do know that all that you wrote in this post struck a chord with me - blindingly.
    I shall with respect, quietly read through your posts
    Rose

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    1. Rose, if you have a question about something later on, let me know and I'll share what I can from my experience.

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  2. My husband died 9 days ago. Reading your blog is helping me feel less alone. Thank you.

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    1. Oh I am so sorry, Laura! Nine days in, I didn't know what to think or what to do. I was numb to the world. Thoughts kept repeating about this not making any sense, phrases that circled around and around. And no one knew what to say for someone who died as young as my wife. The main reason why I began this blog was because I didn't want other people to be where I was, feeling alone.So anytime you need a word of presence, let me know.

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