In Passing: Condolences and Complaints on Death, Dying, and Related Disappointments

by Jon Winokur

This book, like life, is brief. It is a thinking person's condolence card; a speaker's and writer's reference on a subject that sometimes stymies, sometimes inspires the most loquacious; and a counterpoint to nearly every other book about death. In Passing samples a wide range of emotions from the witty to the grim. Some of the quotes, such as Dorothy Parker's sarcastic response to the death of Calvin Coolidge ("How could they tell?"), are justly famous, while others — Philip Larkin's world-weary "Death is no different whined at than withstood" — are lesser-known gems. For some, the end inspires heady poetry, witness Rita Mae Brown's "The human animal dances wildest on the edge of the grave." H. L. Mencken showed grudging admiration when he said, "Of all escape mechanisms, death is the most efficient." This book offers perspective on the literally life-changing event that few welcome but all must endure.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Jon Winokur (b. Aug. 5, 1947) is an American writer and editor. Born in Detroit, the son of Martin M. and Elinor Winokur, he attended Temple University (BA, 1970) and the University of West Los Angeles (JD, 1980). He lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[David A Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
Delicious Ambiguity.”

Gilda Radner