death | The Smart Set

To Philosophize is to Learn How to Die

Rachel Ashcroft — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 12:30:00 +0000

I spent four years writing a PhD on philosophical definitions of time in the 16th century. Most of my research revolved around the subject of death. Every day I read discussions about the nature of the afterlife, suicide, pain, mortality, and of course — fear of death. With all this philosophical study under my belt, […]

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Smoke

JR Lamm — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:30:00 +0000

“Honey, there’s been a fire . . . ” My mother’s quiet voice on the other end of the line delivered the news without a tremor. I stood in the middle of a concrete platform in downtown Tacoma, a city in Washington State I’d never intentionally visited. My family had always just driven past, breathing […]

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Morbid Adoration

Sadie Agg — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 12:13:00 +0000

I have always been enticed by graves. Or more specifically, graves or tombs of well-known figures. I suppose I’ve forever been entranced by the untouchability of the rich and famous, therefore one must wait until their decease to be within reach of their supposed greatness. There’s also something magical about being in the presence of […]

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Guaranteed to Keep You

Colin Fleming — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 12:30:00 +0000

Even by the standards of the golden age of radio, the run for the program Suspense was extreme in length. It positioned itself — and certainly marketed itself — as the gold standard in what were called thrillers at the time, and was arguably the most prestigious radio show — an audible legacy brand — […]

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Beautiful Death

Donald McCarthy — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:30:00 +0000

Autumn fascinates thanks to its paradoxical nature, full of vibrancy and decay. The way that autumn unravels with a soft scratching in the night as the wind blows leaves across yards and sidewalks creates a potent mix of chills and nostalgia. The colorful foliage comes with the reminder that death is looming around the corner. […]

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We Tell Stories in Order to Die

David Stromberg — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 11:30:00 +0000

I turned 39 not long after my first daughter was born. When she was about five months old, I saw the big four-oh on the horizon, and started to think about what I was going to leave behind when I was gone, at least from a literary perspective. So I looked at the bookshelf of […]

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Yu-Gi-Oh! and Us

Marek Makowski — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 11:30:00 +0000

The first time in my life I felt summoned to something — before writing, before love — I received an invitation to the Duelist Kingdom. It arrived in the mail: a VHS tape and letter from Maximillian Pegasus, CEO of Industrial Illusions. In the video the cartoon man appears in a red double-breasted suit, standing […]

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Caught Dead in it

Stan Tymorek — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:30:54 +0000

Of all the doctrines and beliefs I had to learn about in Catholic grade school, there was no mention of the one religious question that haunts me as an adult: If there really is an afterlife, what do the dead wear? Are their outfits something you wouldn’t want to be caught dead in? Or are […]

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A Good Idea

Aaron Burch — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 12:42:40 +0000

“Is this a good idea?” I keep saying. Over and over: “Is this a good idea? Is this a good idea? Is this a good idea? Isthisagoodidea?” To Matt, though I’m not really asking; to myself, like I’m trying to cast a spell, pushing myself into action; to the deer, like it might understand this mantra as coming from someone who wants to help; out loud, […]

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Death Lessons

Larry Patten — Mon, 23 May 2022 10:33:00 +0000

Death has been a wise mentor for my ongoing journey of faith. Now a retired pastor, death has also broken me, along with challenging me to heal. Did we discuss dying, and death, and how they would impact ministry in the bygone days of seminary education? Not so much. There were the predictable discussions about […]

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