Twenty contemporary writers, including Annie Dillard, Joyce Carol Oates, and Sallie Tisdale, examine how we face death and how death touches upon life. The contributors see death as a biological fact that does not necessarily guarantee some passageway to eternal peace or punishment. They ask, if there is no transcendental meaning, and we know we are mortal, how do we construct a life with value? Some themes are AIDS, relationships with family members and spouses, and personal decision making when faced with the prospect of one's own death. Several of the essays resolve the issue of writing about death by coming at the subject from several angles simultaneously, in collage style. Shields is the author of Reality Hunger: A Manifesto. Morrow is the author of The Diviner's Tale. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less